So I enjoy flying radio-controlled model gliders (with our local club), and I also subscribe to a mailing-list for like minded individuals called the Radio-Controlled Soaring Exchange (RCSE). For a while now there have been reports of people crashing their planes due to radio interference whenever the President of the United States was within 50 miles of a flying field. This had happened quite a few times in Ohio, with one incident involving a fly-over of an AWACS surveillance plane over a soaring contest which resulted in the crashing of a model sailplane. There has been a lot of speculation as to the true cause of these radio interruptions, but today I saw a message that would seem to corroborate the suspicions of governmental security:

Hi all,
If you will remember last week I sent out a notice about flying here in the valley, well today an incident happened, Randy’s friend Bruce was ask[ed] very nicely to stop flying his electric powered wing type glider, by none other the US Secret Service. So they do have the ability to seek us out. Must have been by GPS.
President Bush spoke here in Medford/Central Point, OR tonight, landed about 3:25 PM this afternoon. I’m no sure what time Bruce was flying, but he was ask to land and not fly the rest of the day. At least he was not shot down [this is a term for crashing due to radio interference -ed.] by the unknown.

Jerry Miller, SOSS

Anyone involved with a hobby knows that there are some involved that can get pretty bent out of shape when protecting their interests, but so far the reaction has been pretty tame to all of this speculation. Personally, I find it all very intriguing. Makes me wonder how deep security planning goes. Are they watching messageboards and mailing-lists of RC aviators? I’d probably think they would be, just to be safe.