Golden Knights, Raptor, Osprey All On The Schedule

The South Shore Air Show planned for mid-July in Gary, Indiana, may fall victim to budget cuts imposed by sequestration. The show has several military acts, including the Army's Golden Knights Parachute Team, the F-22 Raptor, and the MV-22 Osprey.

The website Garycommunity.com reports that a news release from the show's organizers indicated that the 14th annual air show was in jeopardy from the automatic cuts. In a statement issued Wednesday, Speros  Batistatos, president and CEO of the South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority, said that while the military acts are a "huge part of our show," there was more to be considered than just the absence of those elements. He said that sponsors, merchandisers, food vendors, and other related businesses could not sit idly while the organization makes its decision. He said they would "maximize their resources with other events ... not impacted by federal budgeting constraints."

The sequester will ground military demonstration teams like the Golden Knights, Blue Angels, and Thunderbirds. Indianapolis, IN, has already announced the cancellation of its air show in the face of sequestration.

Just to the east of Indiana, the Dayton (OH) Air Show said it might have to do without the Air Force Thunderbirds, but the show's general manager said they have not received any official word from the Air Force. 

Television Station WDTN reports that Dayton Air Show GM Brenda Kerfoot said that losing the Air Force jet demonstration team would sting, but that "there are a lot of other entertaining aerial acts that we will provide for spectators."

The Dayton Air Show reportedly draws some 75,000 people to the city each year with a $3.2 million economic impact. It is planned for the weekend of June 22-23.

FMI: www.southshorecva.com/events/gary-air-show, www.daytonairshow.com