Election '04: Tension in Ohio's air

MEDINA, Ohio (AP) -- Ohio's key role in the November election could mean big headaches for pilots of small planes.
Airspace restrictions already follow President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney, and they likely will be added for John Kerry and his running mate once they're officially nominated.
Bush and Kerry visited the state last month, and Cheney throws out the first pitch today at the Cincinnati Reds' season opener. When any of them comes to the state, air traffic is closely monitored for miles around.
When Bush was in Cleveland March 10, a military jet followed a small plane that took off from a Medina County airport without registering a flight plan. The pilot, on a trip with his wife to refuel and grab lunch, said he didn't realize an airspace restriction was in place.
As candidates step up their campaign stops, airspace restrictions will become more common. States such as Ohio will be especially busy.
"The next [few] months are going to be tough on all of us," said Jeffrey Myers, a spokesman for the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association.
Rich Frantz, a pilot from Medina Township who retired from Northwest Airlines, said pilots can be in the air at the same time as the president, but they must file a flight plan in advance, get permission from the Federal Aviation Administration and have a device that emits a signal identifying the plane.