The so-called sequester is grounding some military aircraft from participating in air shows across the country.
The Navy plans to cancel performances by the Blue Angels at four events next month, and the U.S. Army parachute team and the Air Force Thunderbirds won't be able to participate in the Chicago Air and Water Show this summer.
But the Chair of Fair St. Louis, Bob Ciapciak, says it’s still too soon to know how $85 billion in federal budget cuts will impact local festivities.
“We can’t predict what effect the sequester is going to have on the availability of military aircraft, because I don’t think anybody can answer that question right now,” Ciapciak says. “What we can do is redouble our efforts to attract the very best private aircraft and private pilots available and that’s where we find ourselves right now.”
As a result, Ciapciak says they’ve been focusing on contracts with private aircraft providers.
“We know we’re going to have an extraordinary event under the Arch, we just don’t know what it’s going to look like,” Ciapciak says.
Ciapciak says they’ll have a better idea what impact federal budget cuts will have as they finalize plans in the coming weeks.
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