Government Cites Budget Cuts For Schedule Reductions

The Brazilian Embassy in Washington, D.C. has notified the organizers of the Vectren Dayton Air Show that its precision flying team will not be able to participate in the July event.

Brenda Kerfoot, the air show general manager, told the Springfield News Sun that the embassy said "due to recent budget constraints, the team would not be able to participate in this year's event."

The Brazilian team, popularly known as Smoke Squadron, first performed on May 14, 1952 over Copacabana beach, using the North American T-6 Texan. The team used the T-6 from its formation until 1968, when it switched to the French Super Magister jet, but that airplane proved incompatible with the Brazilian climate, and the squadron reverted to the T-6 in 1972, which was used until 1977.
 
The squadron was disbanded in 1977, but reformed on December 8, 1983 flying Neiva T-25 Universal piston-powered aircraft. They soon switched to the then-new Embraer EMB-312 Tucano turboprop trainer.

The team flies a fleet of seven T-27 Super Tucano airplanes. They last performed at the Dayton Air Show in 2009. Among the aircraft that are scheduled to appear ar a J-3 Piper Cub, A T-6 Texan trainer flown by the Tuskegee Airmen, along with a Coast Guard HH-65 Dalphin SAR helicopter.

The Navy's Blue Angels are the show headliners.

The show will be held at Dayton International Airport on July 7-8.

FMI: www.daytonairshow.com