Cutbacks may ground future N.O. air shows

[unhappycamper]

Cutbacks may ground future N.O. air shows
The Associated Press
Posted : Wednesday Oct 24, 2007 9:57:59 EDT

BELLE CHASSE, La. — The war in Iraq may ground a Navy air show at a New Orleans area base.

“The bases can no longer fund an air show and take it out of hide,” said Capt. Jay Adelmann, commander of the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base, which has held the N’Awlins Air Show for a quarter-century. “We still want to have an air show, but we can’t do it every year.”

He said the show costs about $125,000 from the base’s operating budget.

Officials expect a good turnout for this weekend’s show, featuring the Air Force Thunderbirds flight team.

Several other bases, some in Alaska, Florida, California and South Carolina, have had to cancel this year’s shows. Some war cancellations were because of tight budgets, others because base crews were overseas. The N’Awlins show was canceled in 2001 because of the terrorist attacks.

“The Navy is undergoing some budget pressure, and they’re doing anything and everything they can to reduce expenditures, including possibly scaling back on air shows,” said John Cudahy, president of the Virginia-based trade group, International Council of Air Shows.


Rest of article at: http://www.navytimes.com/news/2007/10/ap_airshowgrounded_071024/