Private jets flocking to Super Bowl
Private jets flocking to Super Bowl, crowding airports all over South Florida
February 1, 2007
Bears and Colts aside, this year's Super Bowl features a blitz by the jets.
No, not those Jets.
These are the private jets expected to flock to South Florida by the hundreds this week. They will deliver movie stars, athletes, politicians, executives and other high rollers attending the big game at Dolphin Stadium on Sunday.
Airports from West Palm Beach to Miami predict their aircraft parking ramps will be jammed with Gulfstreams, Lears and other corporate planes, prompting aircraft service companies to increase staffing, security and stocks of champagne.
In all, more than 1,000 private aircraft could touch down in South Florida during Super Bowl week, airport officials say.
"We may run out of red carpets," said Russ Boy, vice president, National Jets, an aircraft service company at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. "It's gonna be busy."
Despite the private jets, airline flights in and out of Miami, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood and Palm Beach international airports shouldn't be affected, officials say.
But make no mistake: All of the region's airports are going to be bustling.
Boca Raton Airport expects a surge of jet traffic, even though it's a 35-mile drive from the stadium in north Miami-Dade County. Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport has set aside a 4,000-foot diagonal runway for overflow aircraft parking.
And Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International, which alone could see about 300 private planes, plans to temporarily close taxiways to provide additional aircraft parking space.
Who are the rich and famous jetting in? Because of confidentiality, the aircraft companies decline to provide names. But word has it that, among them, several NFL team owners will drop in on private jets, including Jerry Jones, owner of the Dallas Cowboys, as well as celebrity rapper Snoop Dogg.
A familiar sight that will be missing from this year's Super Bowl: the Goodyear blimp. For that matter, no other blimps, banner-towing planes or helicopters will be hanging around, either.
Because of the large crowd and security concerns, the Federal Aviation Administration is prohibiting all general aviation aircraft from flying within about 11 miles of the stadium from two hours before kickoff until about midnight.
The FAA also is restricting planes from coming within 35 miles of the Super Bowl unless they are flying to a specific destination. Aircraft are not allowed to "loiter" in this area and any pilot who violates the rules is subjected to being "intercepted," the FAA said.
Just the same, Goodyear's Spirit of Innovation, the blimp based in Pompano Beach, will float over South Florida in the days before the Super Bowl. And banner-towing aircraft still intend to post their aerial messages on game day, even though they must be back on the ground by 4 p.m.
Helicopter operations also will be curtailed, as they will not be allowed to shuttle passengers to the stadium. News choppers for local television stations also must keep their distance, said Dean Ramsowr, base manager for Helicopters Inc., based at North Perry Airport in Pembroke Pines.
"It's pretty hard to get a picture from 30 miles away," he said.
Many VIPs are angered they will have to wade through highway traffic, rather than be whisked by whirlybird to the stadium, said Daryl Martin, owner of Biscayne Helicopters at Kendall-Tamiami Executive Airport in Miami.
"What would have taken 10 minutes now will take them upward of an hour," he said.
Though flight crews must wait around airports while their passengers take in the game, they won't necessarily be bored. Many aircraft service companies are providing food and entertainment for pilots.
For instance, Banyan Air Service at Fort Lauderdale Executive is serving a free "tailgating" buffet for pilots in its 20,000-foot hangar, as well as setting up a large projection television so they can watch the game. National Jets will throw a barbecue.
Other fun events also are planned at area airports. H. Wayne Huizenga, owner of the Miami Dolphins, will offer a carnival, complete with a Ferris wheel, at his compound at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport -- but it's for his personal guests only.
After the game, the private jets likely face long delays because so many will try to depart at the same time. For that reason, some celebrities might leave the game at halftime to escape South Florida, said Michael Nonnemacher, director of operations at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.
"We think on Monday morning we'll still have a large number of departures of general aviation aircraft," he said.
