Thunderbirds season canceled as of april 1

[Wayne S]

http://afthunderbirds.com/site/2013/03/01/sequestration-measures-cancel-thunderbirds-appearances-past-april-1/

Sequestration measures cancel Thunderbirds’ appearances past April 1

Commander: “Flying is an important part of the Thunderbirds mission, but it’s not everythingâ€

Maj. Darrick B. Lee

Thunderbirds Public Affairs

NELLIS AFB, Nev. — In response to sequestration actions, the Air Force and Air Combat Command officials have canceled aerial demonstration team performances to include the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds past April 1.

This decision enables ACC to reallocate flying hours to combat readiness training, which will enable more sorties for combat readiness and deployment commitments, ensuring strategic air defense forces are ready to meet the challenges of peacetime air sovereignty and wartime air defense.

The Thunderbirds were scheduled to perform more than 60 demonstrations at 38 locations between March and November, demonstrating the capabilities of Airmen and supporting Air Force recruiting efforts.

Lieutenant Col. Greg Moseley, U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron commander/leader, said the squadron’s mission will continue, even though the 130-person team will not be travelling after March.

“Sequestration temporarily limits our ability to travel, but it doesn’t stop us from reaching out within our community to tell the Air Force story,†said Moseley. “We still have an obligation to educate people about our great Air Force and the incredible things our Airmen do.â€

The Thunderbirds will increase focus on engaging local high schools and universities, supporting Air Force recruiting priorities. They also plan to increase support to the 99th Air Base Wing’s community relations program at Nellis AFB. “We’ve always had a robust community relations effort; until this issue is resolved, we’ll continue to engage the public as best we can,†Moseley added.

Details about when the team will resume performances after April 1 are unclear. In the meantime, pilots will take every opportunity to train in an effort to maintain their proficiency within the limits of sequestration. Moseley said the intent is to ensure the squadron is ready to resume demonstrations the moment sequestration is rescinded.

March 1, 2013

Edited March 2, 2013 by Wayne S

[Vince Maddux]

With all the airshow being cancelled this is not surprising, disappointing, but not surprising

[toadwbg]

Yup, major bummer but I understand.

[parche]

I'll be surprised if it holds. The Thunderbirds are too high a profile team for me to think there won't be some shortcut or agreement to keep them flying.

I wouldn't be so sure about that...

[Camus272]

With all the airshow being cancelled this is not surprising, disappointing, but not surprising

Technically, it was the other way around. Most shows were cancelled because it looked like they would not get their scheduled jet team, with the Thunderbirds, ACC Demo, Navy demo and Blue Angels (almost certainly) standing down. At this point only two questions remain: 1, when will the schedule resume? The Navy has indicated the Blue Angels and F-18 demo will fly once the sequester is lifted and training can recommence. At this point the USAF seems to be done for the year. #2: What happens after Sept 30th?

As others have said this will indeed hold. We will certainly not see flying military aircraft as long as the sequester is in place (and with USAF aircraft restricted to their local base there won't be any statics either)

Brian

[scotthldr]

Cancelling airshow attendance seems a bit over the top from a country that when the POTUS travels anywhere he is supported by several aircraft/helicopters along with a full motorcade of a dozen or more vehicles and that's just within the 52, it's lot more if it's an overseas visit, are they going to limit Mr Obama's travels during the sequestration period as well.

Surely the Squadrons could get round the ban by using airshow attendances as training missions as well?

[HOLMES]

Tut Tut...Tsk!!!

[toadwbg]

How about they ground the First Lady and put that money towards airshows? That should flip the bill!

[Julien (UK)]

The thing is its all to do with politics. What's a way of getting headline news for the various forces? cut that which in first in the public view.

We get the same thing in the UK where the RAF trot out grounding the Red Arrows when more savings are on the table. It gets such a public outcry that the Prime Minister actually said as long as he's in the job they will stay.

Generals / Admirals etc spend more time politicking than they do anything else these days.

Julien

[plane bum]

It's sad to hear that i just found out last night from a friend in the air national guard that the blue angels have been canceled from this years R.I. Air national guard airshow although im not sure the airshow will be canceled either but i will keep in contact with my friend for latest updates the airshow is june 29&30.

[11bee]

Cancelling airshow attendance seems a bit over the top from a country that when the POTUS travels anywhere he is supported by several aircraft/helicopters along with a full motorcade of a dozen or more vehicles and that's just within the 52, it's lot more if it's an overseas visit, are they going to limit Mr Obama's travels during the sequestration period as well.

If it was me, I would cancel all travel spending for Obama and Congress. No more junkets around the country, no more trips home very weekend. Everyone stays in DC until this gets resolved.

Absolutely digesting the amount of time the politicians have been traveling / home on recess since Jan 1, all the time knowing that this issue was fast approaching.

[metroman]

I hate how the shows think that these demo teams are what the 'public' wants to see. I say dump the kerosene converter teams - any airshow w/ them will have few(er) warbirds. Give me more Avengers, Lightnings, Hurricanes, B-17/-24/-25/-29, P-39 & -40 and anything else with a prop (but will allow in Collings F-4 and the guy w/ the F-100!).

[RiderFan]

There's always the Snowbirds.

http://www.rcaf-ARC.forces.gc.ca/snowbirds/page-eng.asp?id=1592

A few US stops later in the year.

[TaiidanTomcat]

If it was me, I would cancel all travel spending for Obama and Congress. No more junkets around the country, no more trips home very weekend. Everyone stays in DC until this gets resolved.

Absolutely digesting the amount of time the politicians have been traveling / home on recess since Jan 1, all the time knowing that this issue was fast approaching.

Dont be ridiculous:

Cost of the First Family in 2012: $1.4 Billion (and thats just the first family, IE 4 people)

Cost of the UK Royal Family in 2012: $57.8 million

[TaiidanTomcat]

double sorry

Edited March 3, 2013 by TaiidanTomcat

[Les / Creative Edge Photo]

Give me a "P"

Give me a "O"

Give me a "L"

Give me a "I"

Give me a "T"

Give me a "I"

Give me a "C"

Give me a "S"

What does that spell?

POLITICS!

YEY POLITICS, WOO HOO WOO HOO!

It's all nonsense political games to try to stop these draconian :rolleyes:/> :lol:/> budget cuts. $85B out of like a $3+T budget, LIKE COME ON! This is a sick game.

Thunderbirds and other air show participation cost the USAF pennies from their budget and give them a return on investment. The T-Birds planes for one will still need to be serviced and like all too many machines do not like sitting around not being used. They ain't gonna paint them grey and put into regular forces service as these are the more outdated F-16's in the USAF anyways. Pilots and ground crews still need to be paid too.

The USAF along with other bureaucrats in the DoD etc. just want to p*ss off the taxpayer to maybe see them complain to their government.

Edited March 3, 2013 by Les / Creative Edge Photo

[ChippyWho]

Dont be ridiculous:

Cost of the First Family in 2012: $1.4 Billion (and thats just the first family, IE 4 people)

Cost of the UK Royal Family in 2012: $57.8 million

Actually, it is not widely known that the Royal Family here in the UK is largely sponsored by charitable donations from the public. A while ago, in response to a heart-rending TV and press campaign, wife and myself signed up to sponsor a little starving lad called 'Prince Andrew'. We have never regretted it, and even now he's all grown up he still writes to us -true, his letters are quite crude and the spelling atrocious, but we feel we've done a little humanitarian good.

Also, thanks to the generosity of the British public, his older brother has learned a number of useful skills:

Edited March 3, 2013 by ChippyWho

[dean spirkoff]

yes the public do want to see these showes just look at the dayton airshow is about 12 to 15 dollars to get in and what I may be wrong about this but the get over a 1,000 peple a year that go to the show, even small base sjow draw large amout af guesses each year. take THE SCOTT AFB BASE

[dean spirkoff]

yes the public do want to see these showes just look at the dayton airshow is about 12 to 15 dollars to get in and what I may be wrong about this but the get over a 1,000 peple a year that go to the show, even small base show draw large amout af guesses each year. take THE SCOTT AFB BASE hs interstate 64 right next the flight line people park in the brake down line and watch tthe show not talking about 1 or 2 cars more like 5 to 10 maybe even 15 so yes the publis want to see the showw lets get obama off the late show and keep him in white house

Edited March 3, 2013 by dean spirkoff

[strikeeagle801]

Surely the Squadrons could get round the ban by using airshow attendances as training missions as well?

They already do. The Military participation in airshows and public events come at no additional cost to the taxpayer, so all hours, fuel, etc come out of existing training budgets as-is.

Aaron

[TaiidanTomcat]

Give me a "P"

Give me a "O"

Give me a "L"

Give me a "I"

Give me a "T"

Give me a "I"

Give me a "C"

Give me a "S"

What does that spell?

POLITICS!

YEY POLITICS, WOO HOO WOO HOO!

It's all nonsense political games to try to stop these draconian :rolleyes:/>/> :lol:/>/> budget cuts. $85B out of like a $3+T budget, LIKE COME ON! This is a sick game.

Thunderbirds and other air show participation cost the USAF pennies from their budget and give them a return on investment. The T-Birds planes for one will still need to be serviced and like all too many machines do not like sitting around not being used. They ain't gonna paint them grey and put into regular forces service as these are the more outdated F-16's in the USAF anyways. Pilots and ground crews still need to be paid too.

The USAF along with other bureaucrats in the DoD etc. just want to p*ss off the taxpayer to maybe see them complain to their government.

I'm not unreasonable, Air Force one and Marine one can always do low fly bys and slow circles respectively.

[Tony Stark]

Three threads on the subject, one locked down because of politics and another's posting the same things as before (even the words "pennies on the dollar" have been recycled!). What, did they re-retire the Tomcat again?

Edited March 3, 2013 by Tony Stark

[toadwbg]

Everyone stays in DC until this gets resolved. .

This exactly. Lock them in a room with nothing but Doritos and Mt.Dew until its resolved.

[Les / Creative Edge Photo]

They already do. The Military participation in airshows and public events come at no additional cost to the taxpayer, so all hours, fuel, etc come out of existing training budgets as-is.

Aaron

Exactly.

This is political B.S. only to ruffle public (taxpayer) feathers to try to get any DoD cuts reversed. They are not really cuts BTW. I could go on with a greater "political" reasoning for all this B.S. DoD and other sequestration stuff, but this is not a thing to do at this forum.

BUT LET ME SAY THIS, IT'S IS ALL BULL FLOP FOLKS!!!

[11bee]

Is it political for me to state that at this point I am pretty much hatin' equally on both political parties?

The US is becoming the laughingstock of the world over crap like this.

For it's entire history, our political parties have been able to find compromise. Now every single issue has to be taken to extremes in the name of take no prisoners political gain.

Edited March 3, 2013 by 11bee