Pensacola Beach seeks way to get the Blue Angels

The PNJ reported this today. http://www.pnj.com/article/20130217/NEWS01/302170029/Pensacola-Beach-seeks-way-to-get-Blue-Angels


In Quotes below is an excerpt from the article linked above.

I don't think that the ballpark figures thrown out by the SRIA are even CLOSE to what it would cost to bring the Blues to P. Beach.

My thinking: It would take several weeks of practice to get the team into tip top shape for an air show. All the SRIA seems to be considering is the fuel costs and a few incidentals for when they are here for a show. What do you think?

Quote :

The Navy’s recent bombshell that many of the Blue Angels’ 2013 air shows will be canceled if the mandatory budget cuts known as sequestration start on March 1 has started a scramble to see if that plan has any wiggle room.

Among the possibilities being pursued by supporters of the Pensacola Beach Air Show in July: Essentially renting the Blues, or subsidizing their performance.

“We have been discussing what it would take, if it’s a matter of money,” said W.A. “Buck” Lee, executive director of the Santa Rosa Island Authority.

He said his agency already pays the Blues a modest $6,000 for jet fuel every July, making the check out to the U.S. Treasury.

“I think we could come up with $100,000, or more, if that would help,” he said, suggesting various corporate sponsors might also be willing to help ­offset, or even cover, the Blue Angels’ expenses.

The cost of flying a Boeing F/A-18 of the sort operated by the Blues is about $20,000 an hour, according ot Jane’s Aerospace and Defense, a Colorado-based consulting company. So the budget for the six Blues planes to practice for an hour, or put on a show, is about $120,000.

I can not imagine not having a Blue Angel show at the beach.

I would hate it if we lose that show. I dont do that one instead opting for the homecoming show at the base but I always enjoy talking to the pilots and sitting in their aircraft when they stage for the show at PNS.

I went to the November show last year, and watched it from the North Side of Bayou Grande at a friend's house.

Last year, Christine, NotBob and I watched the show from Sherman Field. We kinda got there late and we walked a LONG way.

In the past, we have done the November show and packed a picnic and left it in the car. At the end of the show, while everybody sat in traffic in the big parking lot and slowly inched their way outta there, we had a picnic. It was nice.

I do like going by boat in July, but even in my 46-footer, the wave action created by hundreds of boats makes for an unpleasant ride. The last time we went by boat we had that terrible lightning storm (3-4 years ago). The year before that, we cooked on the grill on the boat sundeck and it was nice.

It would be good if P'cola could keep both shows, but I think I like the November show the best. I'm sure the SRIA feels otherwise...

T-REX wrote:

I would hate it if we lose that show. I dont do that one instead opting for the homecoming show at the base but I always enjoy talking to the pilots and sitting in their aircraft when they stage for the show at PNS.

Doesn't seem to make much sense at all to cancel home shows...

IF they had to cut it to one show a year, I prefer keeping the end of year homecoming show. They could even do away with the Friday show and just do it on Saturday, followed by the night show and fireworks.