Effort Endorsed By ICAS

A 'We the People' online petition has been created in an effort to have the U.S. military restore funding for performances by its jet demonstration and other teams, such as the Golden Knights and Leap Frogs. The creators of the petition are seeking 100,000 electronic signatures in 30 days.

The creators of the petition say on the effort's website that "money to maintain the flight teams can be found by rearranging priorities and reducing waste. If the military were to honestly assess its spending, there is no doubt that money to maintain the flight teams could be found and re-diverted.

"For example, over 150 drones have been lost over the past few years. Each drone costs over $40 million dollars. Is it possible that the military is misdirecting funds to programs that don't really play as critical a role as manned aircraft? No F-15 fighters have been lost during that same time frame. Is the military really spending money in the right place, or are they cowering to political pressure and not standing up to White House intimidation?

"What about Area 51, where countless billions have been dropped into a black hole with no public accountability? Seriously, folks, the money is there, it's just being misspent."

The site's creators say that the military demonstrations have been cut because they seem like "easy targets for budget tightening," adding that the economic impact on communities where air shows have been cancelled because of the loss of the Blue Angels or Thunderbirds far exceeds the amount saved by the government for cancelling the performances.

In a statement, ICAS president John Cudahy said "On behalf of the members of the International Council of Air Shows, I want to strongly endorse this effort by… Bring Back the Jets to return performances of U.S. military jets to air shows around the country. The cancellation of America’s two military jet formation teams – the U.S. Navy Blue Angels and the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds – has garnered widespread media attention, but the military has also cancelled all of its involvement in air shows, from single ship aerobatic performances and simple fly-bys to static display and logistical support… Please help reverse these poor decisions and insist that our elected leaders bring back the jets. Sign the White House petition and make a difference.”

The creators of the petition are asking for help spreading the word about the effort through social media.

FMI: www.bringbackthejets.org