The Vectren Dayton (Ohio) Air Show has pushed ahead without the crowd-drawing act of the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds and — for the first time ever — no official military support, but the potential attendance and economic impact of the loss isn’t known yet.
The air show has a $3.2 million economic impact, filling hotel, restaurant and rental car coffers at the two-day event at Dayton International Airport that attracts 70,000 or more people set to take flight Saturday and Sunday, according to Air Show General Manager Brenda Kerfoot.
Without a jet team in the lineup, the show could see 30 percent fewer attendees than in a year when the Thunderbirds or the U.S. Navy’s Blue Angels perform, according to Kerfoot. Dozens of air shows across the nation have shut down this year without military planes to take to the skies. The Pentagon cut jet team show performances because of automatic budget cuts known as sequestration.
For the complete story by Barrie Barber of the Dayton Daily News, click here.
