The Reno Air Races, the Triple Tree Fly-In, and the National Business Aviation Association’s Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (NBAA-BACE) have all been canceled for 2020.
The races were set for Sept. 16-20 in Reno, Nevada, Triple Tree was set for Sept. 21-27 in Woodruff, S.C., and NBAA-BACE Oct. 6-8 in Orlando, Florida.
These three events could not be more different, yet they’ve all suffered the same fate for 2020.
Hosting these events, not to mention AirVenture, SUN ‘n FUN, Aero, or countless others, takes huge amounts of effort, energy, and money. Many factors must align for an event to be successful. Some of those factors are within the control of organizers. Many are not.
As Jack Pelton, EAA’s president and chairman, said in announcing the cancellation of AirVenture 2020, “We don’t gamble, we need a sure thing.”
I’m sure officials with the races in Reno — The Biggest Little City in the World — would love to co-opt Jack’s gambling metaphor for their statement, but they said, “There were many factors that went into this tough decision, including the uncertainty of the state of the pandemic in September.”
With exquisite southern hospitality, Triple Tree Aerodrome Executive Director Robb Williams said, “When you attend any of our events, you become part of our family. Families take care of each other and their well-being. In the interest of safety for our family, it brings me great sadness to announce that we will be canceling our Fall 2020 series of events, the Triple Tree Fly-In, Nall in the Fall, and the Heli Extravaganza.”
“NBAA has always advised its members to conduct a thorough risk evaluation before every flight to determine whether or not the mission can be safely conducted,” said Ed Bolen, NBAA president. “We have brought that same discipline to the upcoming NBAA-BACE, and we regret that this year’s event must be grounded.”
While I’m not happy about these latest cancellations, I fully support each decision.
None of us would, or should, start a flight knowing the aircraft has maintenance issues or was low on fuel or the weather was beyond our abilities. How’s the saying go? “Better to be on the ground wishing you were in the air than in the air wishing you were on the ground.”
All three events are safely in their hangars. There is no use preflighting in the hopes of maybe being able to fly.
All three have announced 2021 dates. For Reno, it will be Sept. 15-19 and the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds will headline. The Triple Tree Fly-In is set for Sept. 20-26. And NBAA’s BACE will be in Las Vegas Oct. 12-14.
Onward.
