Orlando, Florida: Temporary flight restrictions during high profile political visits have one small business taking a financial hit every time

ORLANDO –  It’s common knowledge that Central Florida is crucial to winning the presidential election.

The area has been playing host to visits from the president, Mitt Romney and many others.

But one small business is taking a financial hit from all of the high profile visits.

It’s called a TFR, or temporary flight restriction, and it works like a roadblock for the skies.

“We get the same type of thing in flying in that they are going to close down airspace that’s over the area where the president is, whether it is flying into and landing or as we saw this past weekend where they are traveling along the ground as well,” said Jeff Alungseth, with Flight Instruction Air Orlando.

It goes into effect whenever someone important enough, like the president, visits Central Florida.

And lately that has been happening a lot, and when it does, it means one thing for Air Orland at the executive airport.

“We close the doors, send everybody home. Pack it up and that was it,” said Air Orlando CEO Mike Terfur.

The school trains pilots and offers charter flights, but lately political and VIP visits have triggered many airspace shutdowns, inevitable stalling the business bottom line.

“A lost day is $10,000 revenue, so,” said Terfur.

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