All Ticket Purchases Will Be Refunded For The Virginia Event

The Lynchburg Regional Air Show Corporation (LRA) announced Friday that the Memorial Day weekend air show featuring the Navy’s Blue Angels and other performers has been cancelled. The show was to be held at Lynchburg Regional Airport (KLYH) in Lynchburg, VA.

The show's organizers said that the move was due to the government’s “sequestration” of funding that supports military air show performers. The Lynchburg Regional Airshow Corporation concluded that the risks of attempting to conduct a viable air show were too great.  Concerns included the potential inability of the air show to meet the high standards the Lynchburg community deserves, and the likelihood of significant financial losses.

It is unknown if the Blue Angels will be grounded before the May air show. But the event's organizers said that this uncertainty, combined with the recent notification that the Army’s Golden Knights have terminated all of their performances and other military aircraft and support cancellations the Lynchburg show was counting on, gave reason for concern.  A last-minute cancellation of the show would cause considerable disappointment, uproot plans, and place the air show in financial jeopardy. Thus, the decision to cancel at this time allows all affected entities to plan accordingly.

The organizers said the most regrettable result of this cancellation is the plan to recognize and honor the military on Memorial Day weekend, which will be "negated by the actions and decisions in Washington." The airshow leadership said it is extremely grateful for the hundreds of volunteers who were committed to assisting with the airshow, many of whom have been working for over a year in preparation.

The LRA said planning for a 2015 air show in Lynchburg will begin immediately.

(Blue Angels image from file)

FMI: www.lynchburgairshow.com