Obama in my city on travel day?

[zumbergc]

Anyone know how Obama being in the city in the morning can affect flight schedules?

Our flights are at 11:30 am. I cant figure out exactly when he speaks
I only see something that says doors open at 10:30am to get in. So who knows when he speaks.

Would the airlines already adjust flight schedules?
I've got a 1 yr old so sitting in the airport not fun.

 

[jlewisinsyr]

Airlines won't know until Air Force Nne is basically on approach and the tower restricts traffic either on the ground or in the air.

 

[NotUrsula]

The disruption normally does not last very long. The biggest issue is usually the motorcade route; no other vehicles will be allowed on the road as it passes, so if your route is between the airport and the venue where he will be speaking, take that into account. You could encounter a highway detour or roadblock on your way to the airport, though it isn't especially likely. Listen to your car radio; normally they will all announce any road closures 20 minutes or so before they happen.

Nothing that happens inside of the passenger terminal changes when AF1 is coming in. You would board the plane at your scheduled time, but you might not take off on time. What happens is that there is a brief ground-stop starting when the tower is notified that it is on approach; after they ground-stop, nothing moves on the runways, taxiways or at the gate areas outside from that point until AF1 has landed and taxied to the unloading point, which is always WELL away from the passenger terminal. The POTUS and his detail usually deplane pretty much immediately (the cars are brought in on an earlier flight), and once the motorcade leaves the airport grounds, then commercial runway operations can resume. They have it down to a science; usually the ground stop lasts no more than about 40 minutes.

If he is speaking at about the same time as your flight departs, you probably will not have much trouble, assuming that you arrive at the airport 90 minutes before your flight. You should be getting to the airport before the motorcade rolls, and he will already have left the airport when you are scheduled to depart.

 

[kkandaj]

The disruption normally does not last very long. The biggest issue is usually the motorcade route; no other vehicles will be allowed on the road as it passes, so if your route is between the airport and the venue where he will be speaking, take that into account. You could encounter a highway detour or roadblock on your way to the airport, though it isn't especially likely.

Nothing that happens inside of the passenger terminal changes when AF1 is coming in. You would board the plane at your scheduled time, but you might not take off on time. What happens is that there is a brief ground-stop starting when the tower is notified that it is on approach; all planes are held on the runway from that point until AF1 has landed and taxied to the unloading point, which is always WELL away from the passenger terminal. The POTUS and his detail usually deplane pretty much immediately, and once the motorcade leaves the airport grounds, then commercial runway operations can resume. They have it down to a science; usually the ground stop lasts no more than about 40 minutes.

If he is speaking at about the same time as your flight departs, you probably will not have much trouble, assuming that you arrive at the airport 90 minutes before your flight. You should be getting to the airport before the motorcade rolls, and he will already have left the airport when you are scheduled to depart.

This is what happens in KC, too. Other than the highway being shutdown by the airport while the motorcade passes, no one even really knows it's happening. Here in KC, the highway is shutdown about 5 minutes before he (or the First Lady--when she travels here by herself) gets on the road and 5 minutes after he passes. In my experience here, they only shutdown the side of the highway that he is traveling on, but there are huge grass/cement barricades between the highway lanes.

 

[LadyBeBop]

They have it down to a science; usually the ground stop lasts no more than about 40 minutes.

I didn't think it would even be that long. Still, wouldn't a 40 minute ground stop cause a residual delay for flights for the next few hours? Might it create havoc if you're connecting?

OP, what day is the POTUS speaking, where are you flying from, and where is the speaking venue? I think usually they open the doors about two hours before he speaks. If that's the case (assuming a 30 minute ride from the airport to the venue), you should be fine. However, if the doors open 90 minutes ahead of time, you may very well be stuck in a ground stop.

 

[mjplantz]

It is easily 30-45 minutes. I was leaving Las Vegas on a business trip and the pilot said he was trying to expedite our exit from the gate due to the pending AF1 arrival. As soon as we started to taxi out we were stopped. We were at least parked in a position where we could see the arrival which happened in about 10 minutes. Then we had to wait for them to taxi and the motorcade to exit the area before we could go. Then we had to wait our turn amongst all the pending takeoffs and landings. We looked it up online while waiting and it was interesting to see all the planes circling overhead waiting for clearance to land. Flight attendant said it would ruin travel there all day. Of course with the volume at Vegas I could see why.

And of course all that excitement when we knew the president was actually landing over at the local Air Force base... got to love National Security.

 

[zumbergc]

I was talking with my dh, and hopefully POTUS flies into Rickenbacker airport and not Port Columbus. Then we won't be affected by traffic or airport problems.

Of course I can't find any of that info out on google.

 

[LadyBeBop]

I was talking with my dh, and hopefully POTUS flies into Rickenbacker airport and not Port Columbus. Then we won't be affected by traffic or airport problems.

Of course I can't find any of that info out on google.

Yeah, I can't even find a time for Obama's speech. Best I found is an article that said he's speaking in Columbus in the morning, then jetting to Virginia for an afternoon rally.

Meaning (hopefully), he'll be at OSU no later thn 11:30.

With your plane taking off at 11:30, if he's at OSU at the same time, you'll be fine. However, if he's behind schedule (and more likely than not, he will be), you may be stuck.

If you're stuck, I just hope it's still in the terminal and not on the plane. At least in the terminal, you can still take your one-year old for ice cream or something.

<Edit to add> Did find a time for his visit...sorta.

According to this: http://www.fcdp.org/ The rally is supposed to be from 10:30-12:30. The President and First Lady (both will be there) won't get there precisely at 10:30. I'm thinking it's going to be closer to 12 or 12:30. Which isn't the best news for you. I'll just hope he flies into Rickenbacher and not Port Columbus.

Good luck. Let us know what happens.

 

[White_Sox_Fan]

My daughter just saw President Obama speak at the University of Iowa. The doors opened at 10:00AM for a speech that was scheduled for 1:00PM. He actually began speaking at 1:20. I would imagine that it would be similar in your case.

 

[Belle1962]

To add to the unknown: the public engagement may not be the only thing he has scheduled while in town. He may also fly to a nearby military installationor another airport. There will be more than one route planned and they may not always use the route you think would be "best". When any President comes to our neck of the woods it's a 50/50 shot on what route they use and what time they travel. I've seen the major interstate shut down for 30 or so minutes and side roads closed down--so the route is anyone's guess. Just plan for the worst case scenario and it will be a blessing if it doesn't happen

Just remember: if people here on the DIS can guess his route and timing so could others who may not be as friendly. That is why there are so many scenarios, plans, and contingencies planned for and not made public.

 

[Belle1962]

And just to clarify a bot more:

They seem very fond of scheduling it so the motorcade totally screws afternoon rush hour. At least that's the way it seems.

Also--if they do use an interstate, it isn't just the interstate its self---any overpasses, exit and entrance ramps are closed. So the number of side streets affected can vary.

 

[koho]

Even if he is due to land at the same time you are to takeoff they will only hold everything for a few minutes. They hold everything until AF1 lands and parks. They will continue to hold all air traffic on any runway close to AF1 until the President get in the limo and leaves.

Luckily Columbus has two runways so I would think at max the wait maybe 10 minutes max.

 

[LadyBeBop]

OP, hopefully you're on the way to the airport, but in case you can view this on a smartphone...

Found POTUS's itinerary for today.

http://ochairball.blogspot.com/2012/05/obamas-schedule-may-5.html

According to this, they arrive in Columbus at noon. Hoping your plane takes off on time; if so, you should be fine. I don't think they shut down air space a half hour ahead of time. Also, hoping that Air Force One doesn't make very good time that they would arrive a half hour ahead of schedule.

So many variables; so little time. Hoping it works out. It's still a fairly short delay.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

Better to be safe than sorry and plan extra time to get to the airport! I would rather spend an extra hour relaxing at the airport then worring about trying to get to the airport on time. Would hate to start my vacation on a bad note.

In Cleveland they closed both directions of the highway everytime he come to town when he was here a few years ago as well as he recent visit two weeks ago. i know this because I need to get on the highway going the opposite direction as the President!

So plan accordingly.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

The disruption normally does not last very long. The biggest issue is usually the motorcade route; no other vehicles will be allowed on the road as it passes, so if your route is between the airport and the venue where he will be speaking, take that into account.

Yup, Clinton came through during evening rush in STL one time. It was a disaster

 

[Lady Lady]

You did not say what airport, so we do not know if it is small or large. A small airport is basically shutdown the whole time Air Force 1 is on the ground.

I had a experience with President Bush coming to the airport that I was to land at. Since it was a large airport - Philadelphia, they could move AF1 away from the runways and the other planes.

I was coming from Orlando/WDW. The flight to PHL was 2 hours late. We found out that from the time the President starts to land and the time at the airport, no flights were allowed to take off or land. The President left the city during my flight, but when I landed, there no Economy Parking Lot shuttles and then when we saw them they were full. It turns out these buses were used to create a security barrier around the plane.

So yes there will be a disruption. So try to be early to the airport, so you at least can be in the terminal and not stuck in the traffic created around the airport. Your flight will start when the pilots get clearance.