WASHINGTON, D.C. – The leadership of the U.S. Air Force has cancelled all aviation support to public events for at least the remainder of the fiscal year, including standing down the Thunderbirds aerial demonstration team to save flying hours to support readiness needs.
Effective March 1, active-duty, Reserve and Guard units will cease all aviation support to the public, Air Force officials said. This includes the cancellation of support to all airshows, tradeshows, flyovers (including funerals and military graduations), orientation flights, heritage flights, F-22 demonstration flights, and open houses, unless the event includes only local static assets.
Additionally, the Air Force will cancel the Thunderbirds’ entire 2013 season beginning April 1.
The Thunderbirds and Heritage Flight crews will complete their certification procedures for safely flying aerial demonstrations in case the budget allows resumption of scheduled events in 2013, but the Air Force will cease participation in Heritage flights following certification, officials noted.
The Air Force will reduce flying hours by as much as 18% — approximately 203,000 hours — and impacts will be felt across the service and directly affect operational and training missions.
“While we will protect flying operations in Afghanistan and other contingency areas, nuclear deterrence and initial flight training, roughly two-thirds of our active-duty combat Air Force units will curtail home station training,” said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III.
Since all aerial support to public and military events is flown at no additional cost to the taxpayer using allotted training hours, the Air Force had no choice but to cancel support to these events, officials said.
“Engaging with the public is a core Air Force mission and communicating and connecting with the public is more important today than ever before. However, faced with deep budget cuts, we have no choice but to stop public aviation support,” said Brig. Gen. Les Kodlick, director of Air Force Public Affairs. “The Air Force will reevaluate the program at the end of the fiscal year and look for ways to curtail the program without having to cancel aviation support altogether.”
For more information: AF.mil
So stupid. Maybe they should cut their own paycheck instead of shutting down the family fun days, the flyovers for funerals, and the military service members paychecks. Seriously…I can understand getting a good paycheck if you are in office, but I think the “For Life” thing is ridiculous. If you aren’t President, you shouldn’t be paid as if you were President.
Meanwhile, Air Force One will continue operations as a personal recreational vehicle for POTUS and FLOTUS.
Ray, so true! Can’t even think about the cost of the food and alcohol just stored, much less consumed by politicians and reporters (they certainly can’t be called ‘journalists’ anymore), on the aircraft! Meanwhile, Iran and North Korea spend their funds on ramping up their nuke programs!
This literally makes me physically sick at my stomach! If the current Administration would stop the redundencies and quit paying $450.00 for a toothpick, support for all branches of our wonderful, necessary military would remain intact!