UN Week 2013 - Sept 17 - Oct 1

The 68th Regular Session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA 68) will convene at UN Headquarters on Tuesday, 17 September 2013.

The General Debate will open on Tuesday, 24 September 2013.

General Assembly is scheduled for: 17 September 2013 - 1 October 2013 (according to one website)

So...........even though it's a couple of months away, it's time to start planning. For those of you whom never shot UN Week, it's a great opportunity to catch some rare visitors/aircraft, and meet local spotters as well as spotters from out of town. For some of us it's an event that lasts from sunrise to sunset for a few days. The weekend of Sept 14-15 looks like the weekend to be at JFK (or even a couple days eariler), as UN traffic should start to trickle in and get into gear.

These dates could not be worse for me this year! UGH!
I'm working the weekend of the 14 & 15, then the following weekend (19 thru 23) I'll be out of town.
May I'll catch some stragglers the 29th.

I have an airshow on the 15th (Ocean City, NJ) but may be able to make it for the 14th...

I could be mistaken here, but isn't the peak of UN week action the Saturday and Sunday before the start of General Debate? I know for a fact that was the busy weekend last year. This year, General Debate begins on September 24th, which leads me to think that the prime weekend will be the 21st and 22nd.

As a side note, the President has already confirmed that he will be attending the Clinton Global Initiative which takes place in Manhattan that same week. Not that it is unexpected, but this confirms that we can expect to see Air Force 1 at some point that week as usual.

No, you're right, Ben. Most VIPs fly in around that middle weekend.

I've never done UN week before, but promised myself I would this time around. I'll be there, at least on the weekends.

I'm getting a Tu-154 this year. Just kidding, I'm not.

I was afraid to look up the dates myself and had a bad feeling. As luck would have it the bass player from my old band is getting married the weekend of the 21st-22nd. In Indiana. So...maybe I'll try out the weekend after, no use in coming up the weekend before that. The main action will in fact be the 21st and 22nd.

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Originally Posted by mldoc

I could be mistaken here, but isn't the peak of UN week action the Saturday and Sunday before the start of General Debate? I know for a fact that was the busy weekend last year. This year, General Debate begins on September 24th, which leads me to think that the prime weekend will be the 21st and 22nd.

As a side note, the President has already confirmed that he will be attending the Clinton Global Initiative which takes place in Manhattan that same week. Not that it is unexpected, but this confirms that we can expect to see Air Force 1 at some point that week as usual.

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Yup, historically POTUS arrives Monday and delivers the speech on Tuesday of the 2nd week. Most of the HOS ( heads of states) arrives that weekend (2 days before the POTUS speech). I am working that weekend so at this point its not looking so good for me :-(

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Originally Posted by Cary

I'm getting a Tu-154 this year. Just kidding, I'm not.

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Not if [you] can help it :tongue:

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Originally Posted by lijk604

These dates could not be worse for me this year! UGH!
I'm working the weekend of the 14 & 15, then the following weekend (19 thru 23) I'll be out of town.
May I'll catch some stragglers the 29th.

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I feel your pain John. I have a race that I am obligated to shoot on the 14th in New Hampshire, and will be in Buffalo on the following weekend. Looks like I may be able to salvage at least the 15th.

Ill be around!!!!! all week! I can use shots of many rare aircraft this year!! Im in!!

Guys, week before the genral debate will SUCK ASS. You may get one or two but will be rare. I took that week off last year and it was a waste. This year, i am taking off 23-26. The weekend before and the friday after were the best last year.

Looking forward to Cary missing the Tupolev again and me missing the SPs again :P

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Originally Posted by gonzalu

Looking forward to Cary missing the Tupolev again and me missing the SPs again :P

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Dammit, I forgot about the SP's:mad:

So can POTUS come during the week... or is that not likely? I plan to be out at least one day

Yes, he has come in on Monday or Tuesday in the past.

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Originally Posted by Jared Blech

So can POTUS come during the week... or is that not likely? I plan to be out at least one day

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POTUS is confirmed to be attending the Clinton Global Initiative in Midtown that week as well so there will be an AF1 sighting this year as usual.

I wonder how the latest terror alert from the Arabian Peninsula will affect us spotters. It couldn't have come at a worse time!

Well ..... UN Week is upon us. According to an FAA NOTAM there should be traffic between Sept 18 thru Sept 30

Here is the link to the NOTAM: http://www.faa.gov/news/updates/medi...t_Advisory.pdf

If you have the patience to read the document Mark has posted, the 2nd, 3rd & 4th NOTAMS all pertain to the 23rd & 24th. Those are the two days POTUS will be in NYC. Arriving on the 23rd, departing on the 24th.
SO....if they allow AF1 to stay at JFK, you have an arrival early afternoon on the 23rd, and a departure on the 24th. If AF1 does NOT stay at JFK, it will be an arrival and departure on BOTH those days.

This is the only definite movement that we will know about well ahead of time. Every other dignitary falls under the general TFR, therefore, you could see arrivals/departures anytime between the 18th & 30th. Although I have heard they may extend the ending date to Oct 3rd. So...if you want AF1, you know what days you need to be out. Everything else, we need to keep each other informed.

Due to prior commitments, I will not be around for AF1 or the prior weekend this year. Not sure how many will be left the 28th & 29th, so this will not be a good year for me.

Good Luck hunting them down guys, I look forward to the results.