Airshow / Open House Cancellations

[Joe Copalman]

To quote Private Joker, "Does this mean Ann-Margret's NOT coming?"

I just watched that scene last night. Great movie 

So many great lines in that one, but that's my hands-down favorite. 

[Chris Kennedy]

I don't know if this fits in this thread or not, but a friend and I flew up to Valle today to visit the museum and we were told that the High Country Warbirds show/fly-in will no longer happen. Apparently this is permanent, and not just for this year. The Thunder event in August will still go on.

[Jay Beckman]

PoF find a new sugar daddy?

[Joe Copalman]

I don't know if this fits in this thread or not, but a friend and I flew up to Valle today to visit the museum and we were told that the High Country Warbirds show/fly-in will no longer happen. Apparently this is permanent, and not just for this year. The Thunder event in August will still go on.

That's disappointing.  It was a fun event, with some great flying.  Even had plans to take the family up there for it this year.

[FelipeG]

It is my understanding that HC Warbirds was organized by the museum and Thunder Over The Coconino (August) was organized by somebody else (airport??). As dissappointing as another cancellation is, I feel like 2 events at the same airport with pretty much 8 weeks of difference were somewhat redundant, there were some minor differences with regards to planes that flew in and some of the performers (in fact, one of the P-51s in 2011 got a new paint scheme in between events). Unfortunately last year I missed both events (and I was pretty angry about Thunder, since the Privateer was up there and open for visitors, I was still stuck in Mexico, didn't get here until Sunday at like 7pm).

In addition, the fly-in part of Thunder was more like come here, park your plane and see the warbirds, but if you wanted to go to the parking ramp you needed to be escorted by a pilot (I got lucky because a friend of mine with several of his friends took 2 planes up there, so I just needed to wait for him to get there to take me to the ramp), unlike fly-ins at other airports (other than Coolidge) where there's at least a handful of planes on display .

And my feeling is that with current fuel prices (both Av and Mo gases) many people were forced to choose one of the events and that probably lowered the attendance levels.

[scottcolbath]

And now talk of the Blue Angels being cut. 

http://www.examiner.com/article/blue-angels-canceled-shows-ending-as-soon-as-june

S.C.

[Matt Ottosen]

NBC News

Blue Angels shows scheduled in more than two dozen cities between April and September are expected to be canceled as part of the cuts, said the team's spokeswoman, Lt. Katie Kelly. The Navy intends to cancel the four shows in April -- in Tampa, Fla.; Corpus Christi, Texas; Vidalia, Ga.; and Beaufort, S.C. -- but hasn't made a decision about the rest of the year, hoping to salvage some of the season, a senior U.S. military official told NBC News.

The Thunderbirds entire 2013 season, beginning April 1, has been canceled, the Air Force said in a statement. The Air Force said that all aviation support for the public has been halted, including air shows, trade shows, flyovers and open houses.

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/03/01/17149624-military-spending-cuts-ground-blue-angels-thunderbirds?lite

[Matt Ottosen]

Maybe some good news coming out of all of this, from Flying Magazine

Sequestration Cuts Ground Politicians
http://www.flyingmag.com/news/sequestration-cuts-ground-politicians?

[bilwor]

Indianapolis canceled their air show (on the  Blue Angel schedule).
"http://www.indyairshow.com/"

[Scott Youmans]

I wonder if this means El Centro will be cancelled as well.

[Matt Ottosen]

I wonder if this means El Centro will be cancelled as well.

We have been told that NAFEC is moving forward (this was before today).  The budget cuts don't go into effect until April 1, this might be the one thing that saves air shows in the month of March.

[Chris Kennedy]

This tweet was sent by the Thunderbirds a couple of hours ago. It says they "haven't been directed to cancel" their season, but that doesn't necessarily mean it won't be.

We know there are a lot of stories about the team's 2013 season. Although we're aware of the potential impact, we're working to clarify details that help provide more useful information. Despite media reports, at this time, we haven't been directed to cancel our season, although we're aware it may be impacted. More information will be provided as we confirm it ... We appreciate your patience. Thunderbird 12

[Chris Kennedy]

And then moments ago on Facebook:

Sequestration measures cancel Thunderbirds' appearances past 1 April

Commander: "Flying is an important part of the Thunderbird mission, but it's not everything"

Maj. Darrick B. Lee
Thunderbirds Public Affairs

NELLIS AFB, Nev. -- In response to sequestration actions, the Air Force and Air Combat Command officials have canceled aerial demonstration team performances to include the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds past April 1.

This decision enables ACC to reallocate flying hours to combat readiness training, which will enable more sorties for combat readiness and deployment commitments, ensuring strategic air defense forces are ready to meet the challenges of peacetime air sovereignty and wartime air defense.

The Thunderbirds were scheduled to perform more than 60 demonstrations at 38 locations between March and November, demonstrating the capabilities of Airmen and supporting Air Force recruiting efforts.

Lieutenant Col. Greg Moseley, U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron commander/leader, said the squadron's mission will continue, even though the 130-person team will not be travelling after March.

"Sequestration temporarily limits our ability to travel, but it doesn't stop us from reaching out within our community to tell the Air Force story," said Moseley. "We still have an obligation to educate people about our great Air Force and the incredible things our Airmen do."

The Thunderbirds will increase focus on engaging local high schools and universities, supporting Air Force recruiting priorities. They also plan to increase support to the 99th Air Base Wing's community relations program at Nellis AFB. "We've always had a robust community relations effort; until this issue is resolved, we'll continue to engage the public as best we can," Moseley added.

Details about when the team will resume performances after April 1 are unclear. In the meantime, pilots will take every opportunity to train in an effort to maintain their proficiency within the limits of sequestration. Moseley said the intent is to ensure the squadron is ready to resume demonstrations the moment sequestration is rescinded.

[Chris Kennedy]

The official Air Force statement:

3/1/2013 - WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- As the Air Force braces for potential sequester, leadership has cancelled all aviation support to public events for at least the remainder of the fiscal year and is standing down the Thunderbirds aerial demonstration team to save flying hours to support readiness needs.

Effective today, active-duty, Reserve and Guard units will cease all aviation support to the public. This includes the cancellation of support to all air shows, tradeshows, flyovers (including funerals and military graduations), orientation flights, heritage flights, F-22 demonstration flights and open houses, unless the event includes only local static assets.

Additionally, the Air Force will cancel the Thunderbirds' entire 2013 season beginning April 1.

The Thunderbirds and Heritage Flight crews will complete their certification procedures for safely flying aerial demonstrations in case the budget allows resumption of scheduled events in 2013, but and the Air Force will cease participation in Heritage flights following certification.

The Air Force will reduce flying hours by as much as 18 percent -- approximately 203,000 hours -- and impacts will be felt across the service and directly affect operational and training missions.

"While we will protect flying operations in Afghanistan and other contingency areas, nuclear deterrence and initial flight training, roughly two-thirds of our active-duty combat Air Force units will curtail home station training," said Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III.

Since all aerial support to public and military events is flown at no additional cost to the taxpayer using allotted training hours, the Air Force had no choice but to cancel support to these events.

"Engaging with the public is a core Air Force mission and communicating and connecting with the public is more important today than ever before. However, faced with deep budget cuts, we have no choice but to stop public aviation support," said Brig. Gen. Les Kodlick, the director of Air Force Public Affairs. "The Air Force will reevaluate the program at the end of the fiscal year and look for ways to curtail the program without having to cancel aviation support altogether."

The Air Force will continue to seek additional ways to remain engaged with the American public.

For more information, please contact Air Force Public Affairs at aerial.events@pentagon.af.mil or 703-695-9664. For information specific to the USAF Thunderbirds, please call Air Combat Command Public Affairs at (757) 764-5007.

[azbill]

Yuma's still on apparently?