FAA Clears Trump Arch, Orders Eternal Flame
FAA Clears Trump Arch, Orders Eternal Flame
The News
The Federal Aviation Administration said Friday that a proposed triumphal arch President Trump wants to build near Arlington National Cemetery would not pose a hazard to aircraft.
The clearance comes with a condition: the 250-foot structure must carry a permanent light on its top — described in coverage as an "eternal flame" to alert pilots — plus floodlight projectors aimed at its exterior.
The arch would sit about 3,000 feet from Reagan Washington National Airport, directly inside the airfield's primary approach and departure corridor.
The Numbers
Arch height: 250 feet. Distance to Reagan National: 3,000 feet. Minimum altitude for pilots over the site: 780 feet — 488 feet above the top of the arch. Construction cranes could reach 300 to 320 feet and operate up to 20 hours a day for two to three years.
Timeline
A federal judge orders the administration to give 48 hours' notice before most activity at the site, after veterans sued to block the project.
The FAA issues its determination that the arch would not be a hazard to air navigation, reversing an earlier position that had called for red obstruction lights. Those are no longer required; a permanent top light and exterior floodlights are.
Reactions
Veterans suing to stop the arch argue it would destroy the historic sightline between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery. Their lawsuit is still active.
Right-leaning outlets covered the ruling as a straightforward all-clear for the project from federal aviation regulators. Center and center-left coverage emphasized that the agency changed its lighting requirements and that the arch sits inside a busy flight corridor.
What's Next
The FAA determination can be challenged. Petitions for review must arrive by Oct. 18.
The veterans' lawsuit and the Sept. 4 court order requiring 48 hours' notice before site activity both remain in force, and a ruling on the sightline claim is still pending.
More
The arch is one piece of a broader Trump effort to reshape Washington's monumental landscape, alongside a new White House ballroom, a renovated Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and a redevelopment of East Potomac Park.
Poll
Should the Trump arch be built near Arlington National Cemetery?
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