High Fuel Prices Force Cancellation of Air Show

[tonyw]

Bummer. Serious bummer.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/m...1m17wings.html

El Cajon's popular Wings Over Gillespie air show has been canceled, a victim of high high fuel costs.

The three-day event, traditionally held in spring or summer for 13 years, drew as many as 15,000 spectators to Gillespie Field to see mock battles, displays of rare aircraft and aerobatic performances. At least one year it also featured an elaborate pyrotechnics display to simulate bomb drops by planes from the Vietnam and World War II eras.

This year's show was scrapped because it wasn't expected to make enough money to justify the time and effort, said members of Air Group One, the San Diego wing of the Commemorative Air Force, which managed the event.

“It really boils down to the cost of fuel,” said Tom Black, a staff member of Air Group One.

[Minuteman]

I was a fueler at our local air show a few years ago, which included a pyrotechnics show run by the Blastards (one the Commemorative Air Force's pyrotechnics crews).

Every bomb drop, explosion, and the "Wall of Fire" was set up by filling a plastic bag with a gallon of AvGas and setting it on a loop of Primacord. Three hours before the show we went along and pumped about a 150 gallons, one gallon at-a-time (and it was awesome!!).

Including aircraft fueling, we probably pumped about 3000 gal/day (at $3.25/gal, back in the day) ... so, say 7500 gallons for a two-and-a-half-day show? Its been a while, but that seem low.

Say, 10,000 gallons at $5.50 ... $55,000 for gas, and guess that's roughly 1/3 the cost of putting a show on ... so $150,000 for a weekend. At $15 per head you'd need more than 10,000 in attendance to break even.

Dang.

[TheFlyingTurkey]

The Fort Lauderdale "Air and Sea" show has been permanently canceled because the main sponsor, McDonald's, backed out and no new sponsor could be found. This was an amazing show on Fort Lauderdale beach. The Marine Corps would land on the beach with air cover to start off the show. Coast Guard, Customs, Navy, Air Force were all involved. Blue Angels, Thunderbirds too. B-1, B-2, F-22, F4U, P-51 you name it. One year I got to see 2 F-14's launch off a Carrier just off shore. Not to mention all of the civilian aircraft that were also involved.

The first week of May just won't be the same without it.

[Diego Dangers.]

Originally Posted by TheFlyingTurkey

The Fort Lauderdale "Air and Sea" show has been permanently canceled because the main sponsor, McDonald's, backed out and no new sponsor could be found. This was an amazing show on Fort Lauderdale beach. The Marine Corps would land on the beach with air cover to start off the show. Coast Guard, Customs, Navy, Air Force were all involved. Blue Angels, Thunderbirds too. B-1, B-2, F-22, F4U, P-51 you name it. One year I got to see 2 F-14's launch off a Carrier just off shore. Not to mention all of the civilian aircraft that were also involved.

The first week of May just won't be the same without it.

i was there every year until I moved out of Miami. Wow, this is really sad, I was going to fly down this year.

[GalaxyIFE]

Aviation just keeps taking the hits, you know? More signs that this is not the industry to be in if you are all about being "secure".

What a bummer.

I wonder if the AF will follow suit and reduce the airshow commitments? It wouldn't surprise me.

[capilot]

Thats unfortunate. The Fort Lauderdale Air and Sea Show was one of the best airshows I have ever been to.

[tonyw]

Originally Posted by GalaxyIFE

I wonder if the AF will follow suit and reduce the airshow commitments? It wouldn't surprise me.

I don't think they will. These are tremendous recruiting tools, you know? Get some 16 year old at one of those air shows who thinks he might someday fly in one of them, and he is a prime prospect for a recruiter.