Mandatory Budget Cuts Could Mean Severe Restriction In Flying Time

The Blue Angels have more than 30 events on their schedule for the second half of Fiscal Year 2013, and they may not fly any of them if automatic budget cuts go into effect due to sequestration.

The show schedule could be truncated to March 1, according to a brief from Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Johathan Greenert and reported by U.S. News. The brief outlines cuts to the Navy's budget should sequestration take place, or if Congress does not finally pass a budget for the fiscal year.

The sequestration deadline had been January 2nd, but Congress pushed the date back a couple of months. Now, a second "fiscal cliff" looms at the end of February. If that happens, the Navy says it would be forced to cut $4 billion from the current budget, and that could spell the end of the Blue Angels' season.

It would also end deployments to South America and the Caribbean, and curtail operations in Europe. Some civilian employees would also likely lose their jobs.

Among the shows on the Blue Angels' schedule for the second half of the year are one in Maryland at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, as well as San Diego, CA, and Pensacola, FL ... the unit's home base ... in November.

FMI: www.blueangles.navy.mil