JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Blue Angels’ planned performance at next weekend’s Sea and Sky Air Show could be in jeopardy if the federal government doesn’t reopen soon, but city officials aren’t hitting the panic button just yet.
Every other year, the Blue Angels cut through the skies above the heads of thousands of onlookers on Jacksonville Beach.
But this biannual performance is shrouded in a cloud of uncertainty.
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Until the federal government reopens, the Blues are grounded, leaving their fans feeling blue.
“It is a big disappointment, cause I know the kids would just enjoy the heck out of it. It’s a lot of fun,” said Tom Bingaman, who is planning on attending next weekend’s air show.
“Now we get a chance to see them, but now the government is like, oh, you know, we take care of this, but we don’t care about that. And I think that’s a shame,” said Blue Angels fan Maichael Jennings.
This weekend’s Blue Angels performance in Georgia was canceled due to the shutdown, and so too was last weekend’s performance in San Francisco.
But all hope isn’t necessarily lost.
According to the Blue Angels, the show is still technically cleared for takeoff.
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“If something changes with any of the planned military performers, we have an elite lineup of civilian acts scheduled to perform,” the mayor’s office told Action News Jax in an emailed statement.
Action News Jax reached out to Tom Larkin, a pilot who flies with Mini Jet Air Shows, which is scheduled to perform next weekend, and asked him what he thought about the potential cancellation of the Blues.
“I’ve lived long enough to see many of these cycles. I know the show will go on regardless of these issues. I’ll be there to perform and help in any way I can to make it a success,” said Larkin.
Councilmember Rory Diamond (R-District 13), who represents the beaches, said he’s holding out hope lawmakers in DC come to an agreement early next week.
“Kids come out. It’s a great thing for the beaches. So, obviously, we want to see them out here,” said Diamond. “I’m told that there’s gonna be a deadlock that’s broken soon enough here, and let’s hope that happens, because I’ve got a lot of military families in my district and we’d like to make sure that they have money for food.”
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