ICAS Fast Facts -- July 2, 2009

BLUE ANGELS TO MOVE TO TWO-YEAR SCHEDULE CYCLE

To provide air shows with additional time to plan their events, the United States Navy Blue Angels will move to a two-year scheduling cycle beginning in 2010. Rather than the three to eleven months of advanced notice that air shows have had in the past, air shows will now know 15-23 months ahead of time that the team has committed to perform at a particular show on a particular date. The change was recently approved at the highest levels of the U.S. Navy leadership.

“Much of the feedback we had received from the air show industry was that the air shows in the early part of the season did not have time to plan for advertisements, logistics and sponsorships,” said Commander Greg McWherter, Blue Angels commanding officer and flight leader. “We hope the result of the two-year show schedule will be even higher quality shows that will draw even larger crowds.”

In the initial transition year, the Blue Angels will accept requests for support for both the 2010 and 2011 air show seasons. In December of 2009 at the annual ICAS Convention in Las Vegas, the team will announce both their 2010 and 2011 schedules. Thereafter, the team will release their newest schedule fifteen months before they fly their first show of that season. For example, the team will release their 2012 schedule at the ICAS Convention in December of 2010.

"We expect this to reduce or even eliminate some of the traditional scheduling issues that air shows have faced," said ICAS President John Cudahy. "We expect air shows to have an easier time securing corporate sponsorships. It will improve the effectiveness of each show's marketing efforts. It will even help the shows that don't get on the Blue Angels schedule because they'll now have that information much earlier so that they can pursue alternate plans."
For the Blue Angels, the deadline for submitting DD Form 2535 to request the team’s participation in both 2010 and 2011 air shows is August 1, 2009. During this transition year to the new system, ICAS is recommending a two-step process to ensure that the Navy knows which years you are interested in hosting the team. When you finish completing DD Form 2535, make two copies of the competed form. Using a thin magic marker, write “For 2010” across the top of all four pages of one form. Write “For 2011” across the top of all four pages of the second form. Send both forms – a total of eight pages -- to the Navy using the directions on the last page of the form. Then, scan the 2010 DD Form 2535 and the 2011 DD Form 2535 as two different low resolution pdf documents. Send them to Blue Angels Event Coordinator Lieutenant Amy Tomlinson by e-mail at amy.tomlinson@navy.mil.

AIR SHOW ATTENDANCE CONTINUES TO DEFY ECONOMIC CONDITIONS

Two months into the heart of the 2009 air show season, the industry continues to witness a trend first recognized last summer when air shows collectively saw a 10-15 percent increase in spectator attendance compared with 2007. Across the board, air shows are reporting strong attendance, with many seeing all-time record attendance.

“Every week, we hear from more shows who have been challenged to deal with overflowing crowds and also from performers who have never seen such large crowds at specific venues,” said John Cudahy, President of the International Council of Air Shows. “I’ve worked at ICAS for 12 years and this is a phenomenon I’ve never seen. At this point, we’re thinking we’ll have an overall increase approaching 20 percent compared to last year. When you look at all the empty seats at baseball games or at NASCAR races, it’s quite a contrast.”

Jim Breen is president of the California-based Umbrella Entertainment Group, which works with 20 air shows each year and says he has never seen such consistent attendance increases across the board. “There are some outlier shows where the attendance is really off the charts,” he said, “but when you pull those out, it still looks like everything else is up about 13 percent on average.” Breen singled out shows at Hill AFB in Utah, NAS Patuxent River in Maryland, NAS New Orleans, and Andrews AFB near Washington, DC as examples of shows that have hosted record or near-record crowds during the last several weeks.

Talk to more air show professionals and you’ll hear similar stories.

“We had the largest show we’ve had since I’ve been involved, which is since 1999,” said Rebecca March, Manager of the NAS Patuxent River Air Show, held May 23-24 in Maryland. “We had more than a 10 percent increase over 2008. We expected a good turnout, but this many people was a very pleasant surprise.”

“With total attendance in excess of 70,000, this was our largest show in the 18-year history of the event,” said Colonel Larry Gallogly with the Rhode Island National Guard Air Show in North Kingstown, Rhode Island on June 27 and 28. “We used every parking spot available to us and put more spectators on the ramp than we ever have before.”

“We were expecting lower attendance than last year because of a bad weather forecast for Saturday and Sunday,” said George Gorman, Manager of the New York Air Show at Jones Beach, held May 23-24. “Instead, we had a total of 407,000 spectators, and that even was with fog that delayed the Sunday show for 2-1/2 hours and a major traffic snarl on the east part of Long Island. We were barely off our all-time record, which is amazing considering everything that was working against us.”

“We expected between 32,000 and 34,000 spectators for the entire weekend,” said Major Doug Bodine, Director of the Ellsworth Air Force Base Air Show near Rapid City, South Dakota, held May 30-31. “We had more than that by the end of Saturday and finished the show on Sunday with total attendance of 51,200…our largest air show ever.”

Cudahy and others cite the relative value of an air show compared with the cost of other entertainment options such as a trip to an amusement park or a professional sporting event. “What’s great about an air show,” he said, “is that a family of four would be hard-pressed to spend anything more than 50 or 60 dollars, whereas they’re easily dropping three or four times that amount at an amusement park or a professional baseball game. And they’re getting a product that the kids will remember forever. It only makes sense that air shows would see an attendance surge in a bad economy, but this defies even our most optimistic projections.”

GOULIAN TO RECEIVE BILL BARBER AWARD

ICAS member and veteran air show performer Michael Goulian has been named as the 2009 recipient of the prestigious Bill Barber Award for Showmanship. The award presentation will take place on Monday, July 27 in Oshkosh, Wisconsin in conjunction with EAA AirVenture.

Goulian, who has been flying air shows and competitive aerobatics since he was a teenager, was recognized for his talent as an aerial entertainer, for his longstanding commitment to air show professionalism, and for the professional agility he has demonstrated as an air show pilot, world-class aerobatic competitor and Red Bull Air Race competitor.

The Barber Award is presented each year by the publishers of World Air Show News and the friends of air show legend Bill Barber to recognize innovation and achievement in air show showmanship. Past recipients include Pietsch Airshows, the AeroShell Aerobatic Team, John Mohr, Patty Wagstaff, Bob Hoover, Sean Tucker, Julie Clark, Jim LeRoy, Bob Hoover, Gene Soucy, Bud Granley, and Leo Loudenslager.

ICAS RELEASES PRELIMINARY CONVENTION SCHEDULE

ICAS has released the preliminary schedule for the 2009 ICAS Convention, which includes information on the dates and times for each of the convention’s major events. This year, the Air Force Air Shows Workshop will be held on Saturday, December 5. Our sponsorship workshop, Air Shows 101 introduction to Air Show Air/Ground Operations and Welcome to Las Vegas reception will be held on Sunday, December 6. Our opening keynote presentation, the announcement of the 2010 North American military jet team schedules and the first exhibit hall sessions will be held on Monday, December 7. The Marketing Competition Awards Luncheon and a special Aaron Tippin concert will be held on Tuesday, December 8. And the final exhibit session, final education sessions, and traditional Chairman’s Banquet will be held on Wednesday, December 9.

ICAS offers heavy discounts to members who register for the convention early. To get the lowest possible rate, click here and register today.

WHO IS EXHIBITING AT THIS YEAR’S CONVENTION?

Just as it has been for the last 41 years, the 2009 ICAS Convention is developing into another “don’t miss” event for the air show industry. Individuals and organizations already committed to exhibit in our 60,000 square foot exhibit hall include: Aaron Tippin, Absolute Aerobatics, LLC, Acronut Aerosports, AeroShell Aerobatic Team, Aerostars Formation Aerobatic Team, Air Boss & Consulting International, Inc, Air Force Recruiting Service, Air Show Audio, Air Show Network, AirBoss Inc - George Cline, Airline History Museum, AirPros, AirShow Vendors, AirSupport, LLC, American Aerobatics, Inc., American Airpower Museum, American Barnstormer Walt Pierce, Announcer Bob, Armed Forces Store, AV8FX Airshow Pyro, Baker Co. Inc, Bearfeat Aerobatics, Big Mouth Productions, Bill Cornick Airshows, Bill Leff Airshows, Bill Stein Airshows, Blackwater USA, Brett Hunter Airshows, Bud Granley Airshows, Canadian Air Force, Canadian Forces Snowbirds, Carolina Golf Cars, Cavanaugh Flight Museum, CC Airshows, Classic Fighters of America, Commemorative Air Force, Continental Air Show Productions, Dan Buchanan Airshows, Danny Clisham, Dave Dacy Airshows, David Schultz Airshows, Greenlight Food Service, Disabled American Veterans, Doug Jardine Airshows, Ed Hamill, Eddie Andreini Airshows, Fast Eddie, FedEx Express, Fighterjets Inc., Firecat Aerial Productions, Flagship Detroit Foundation DC3, Flash Fire Jet Truck, Franklin's Flying Circus, Gary Miller Airshows, Gary Rower Vintage Airshows, Gary Ward Airshows, Gavin Arts, Geico Skytypers, Gene Soucy Airshows, Golden Wings Parachute Team, Gordon Bowman-Jones, Greatest Generation Aircraft/Pacific Prowler B25, Greg Poe Airshows, Greg Shelton Air Shows, Herb Gillen Advertising, Insurance Technologies & Programs, Iron Eagle Aerobatic Team, Jacquie 'B' Airshows, Jan Collmer Airshows, Jim Hrymack Airshows, Jim Peitz Aerosports, John Klatt Airshows Inc, Karl's Event Rental, Ladies for Liberty, Larry Rutt Airshow Announcing LLC, Lee Oman Airshows, Lee Production Services/Live Air Show TV, Lima Lima Flight Team, Live Media Now, Lone Star Flight Museum, M & M Graphics, Mach 1 Productions, Manfred Radius Airshows, Market You, Matt Chapman Airshows, Melissa Aerobatics, Michael S Lakin, Mid Atlantic Air Museum, MiG Fury Fighters, Mike Goulian Airshows, Mike's Airshows, Misty Blues All Woman Skydiving Team, Mohr Barnstorming, Nalls Aviation, Inc, NASA, National Concession Company, Navy Aerobatics Airshows, Nikolay Timofeev Hi-Tech Aerobatics, NorthernAeros, OnBoard Images, Oregon Aero SkyDancer, Patty Wagstaff Airshows, Inc, Paul McCowan Airshows/The E-Team Skydivers, Pietsch Airshows, ProAirshow, Rag Wings & Radials Vintage Aircraft, Rancho Linda Vista, Rawitzer & Eby Air Boss Advantage, Ray Courtman Enterprises, Red Eagle Air Sports, Red Knight Air Shows, Rich's Incredible Pyro, Rick Volker Airshows, Rob Reider Air Show Announcer, Rocket Aerobatics, San Francisco Puffs & Stuff, Sean D Tucker Aviation Specialties, Sector K Media, Shannon & Luchs Insurance Agency, Inc, Showline Airshow Services, Silver Parachute Sales & Service, Silver Wings Wingwalking Team, Skip Stewart Airshows, Sky Soldiers Demo Team, SkyHawks, Smoke-n-Thunder Jet Shows, Special Event Fun, Spencer Suderman Airshows, Starfighters F104 Demo Team, Steve Tack Aviation Art, Sukhoi Airshows - Bob Davis, T-33 Heritage Foundation, Team AMA Model Aviation Air Shows, Team Chaos Extreme Airshows, Team Red, Team Rocket, Texas T-Cart Airshows, The Alabama Boys by Greg Koontz Airshows, The Fuel Desk, Tim Decker Airshows, Tim Weber Airshows, Tora Tora Tora, Trojan Horsemen, Trojan Phlyers, Turbo-Shark/Ray Vetsch Air Precision, TVR Photography, US Army Parachute Team Golden Knights, US Jet, US Navy Blue Angels, USAF Air Combat Command, USAF Thunderbirds, USN Parachute Team Leap Frogs ,Valiant Echoes, Valley Wide Communications, Vertigo Airshows, Warbirds Over Long Island, Will Allen Air Shows, Wise Production Services, World Airshow News & Airshow Professional, Yankee Air Force, and Younkin Airshows.

Well-positioned booths on the trade show floor at the 2009 ICAS Convention are still available. But past history tells us that the very best booths will be scooped up during the next several weeks. If you have not yet reserved your booth, click here to get detailed information on the cost and location of available booths. You can also call (703-779-8510) or e-mail (connors@airshows.aero) Karen Connors at ICAS headquarters to reserve your booth on the exhibit floor at the world’s largest air show industry business meeting.

© International Council of Air Shows, Inc.
750 Miller Drive, Suite F-3
Leesburg, Virginia 20175
Phone: 703-779-8510
Website: www.airshows.aero
E-mail: icas@airshows.aero