"One of our Best Shows Ever!"

April 7, 2008

For Immediate Release

“ONE OF OUR BEST SHOWS EVER!”

That was the response of Fred Buckingham and Bucky McQueen who head up the Florida International Air Show board. Their comments came after the 28th air show in the Punta Gorda community wrapped up Sunday night at the Charlotte County Airport.

The attendees on both Saturday and Sunday were near record levels, and they enjoyed outstanding shows on both days. The weather, which was a concern early, was beautiful. The amazing blue skies made a great back drop for all of the acts. It was so clear both days that the crowd never lost sight of the Thunderbirds as they soared around the airport.

While the exact figures will not be known for several weeks, what is known is this year’s show will be in the top three of all time, both in attendance and financially. That is good news for the charities of the area that receive support from the sponsors of the Florida International Air Show.

The success is also good news for the 800 volunteers who put the show together. Their jobs this year were made a little harder by the sharing of the tarmac with Skybus and the probability of severe weather arriving during the show. On Friday, in fact, weather conditions up north kept some acts from making it to the show.

By Saturday morning, Skybus was no longer flying. That change became a major issue for air boss Bob Hall. He had planned openings in his flying schedule for Skybus. Without them, and with the loss of acts from the weather, he needed to fill those holes in the flying schedule. That was accomplished with help of several of our performers who stepped up and flew additional performances.

Fred Buckingham summed it up for all of those involved: “It was a great weekend, a safe air show, and a successful one as well.”

Contact: Skip Hapner 865 466 8785