FAA relaxes airspace restrictions over Bush ranch in Crawford, Texas

FAA relaxes airspace restrictions over Bush ranch

DALLAS — The Federal Aviation Administration is relaxing the rules on flying over former President George W. Bush’s ranch in Crawford, Texas, federal officials said.

A notice published Wednesday in the Federal Register says the U.S. Secret Service recognizes the need for ongoing security at the ranch, located about 95 miles south of Dallas, but considers it appropriate to significantly reduce the closed airspace around it following a security review.

Effective June 3 the FAA will shrink the boundary of restricted airspace around the ranch from a radius of three nautical miles to a radius of two nautical miles. It will lower the restricted air ceiling from an altitude of 5,000 feet to 2,000 feet.

“It’s a smaller circle, just a smaller area,” FAA spokesman Lynn Lunsford said. “We’re doing this per a request from Secret Service. They’re the ones that get to make the calls on the size of the presidential air space.”

The former president and first lady Laura Bush moved to Dallas soon after leaving the White House in early 2009. Telephone and e-mail messages seeking comment were left for Bush’s spokesman Thursday.

The change will restore previously restricted airspace to public use, according to the Federal Register notice.

Those who violate the remaining no-fly zone are likely to be forced to land by fighter jets and penalized.

“It’s obviously something we take very seriously,” Lunsford said. “Depending on the circumstances surrounding the violation, there can be penalties including suspension of their pilots licenses.”