Wed, Aug 31, 2011
Show At Former NAS Deals With Irene, Protestors
Hurricane Irene canceled over 12,000 airline flights as it moved
through the northeast, but it also cut short the Great State of
Maine Air Show and Business Aviation Expo. The airshow with the
intriguing name was scheduled at the former Naval Air Station
Brunswick, which is being transitioned into Brunswick Executive
Airport. The facility's best-known resident so far is Alan
Klapmeier's Kestrel Aircraft, which was also listed as a sponsor of
this year's airshow.
The airshow was far from the first held at the base. As many as
200,000 spectators per year have attended previous events going
back over the decades, but last weekend's was the first for which
there was an admission charge, reflective of its move into the
private sector, as is the inclusion of "business aviation expo" in
the event's official name. The Bangor Daily News reports that while
crowds were well below previous years, thousands still came out
Friday and Saturday to see a lineup including the US Navy Blue
Angels (pictured), US Army Golden Knights, and civilian performers
including Julie Clark.
Steve Levesque, director of the Midcoast Regional Redevelopment
Authority, which is overseeing the transition, told the paper
organizers bought insurance against a revenue shortfall, so there
was no anxiety over the reaction to an admission charge or the
impact of the hurricane.
Maine has a disproportionately high percentage of retired
military personnel among its population, which is always helpful
when trying to promote an airshow, but there were also protestors
picketing outside the gates. The Bangor Daily News reports that at
one point during the show, the PA announcer reminded the crowd,
"Freedom is not free. Today let’s salute those who help to
preserve it," bringing a roar from the crowd which was almost as
loud as the aircraft, and no doubt could be heard by the members of
Code Pink Maine protesting outside.
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