Navy Officially Cancels Remainder Of Blue Angels Season, Including Pensacola Beach

April 9, 2013

The remainder of  Blue Angels 2013 schedule — including practices and air shows — has been canceled through the end of the current season in September. The cuts are a response to the federal budget cuts.

The Blues won’t fly any federally funded airshows or public practices through September, although there will still be decrease private practices for basic flight training purposes — without the maneuvers for which the Blue Angels are famous.

The cancellation spells the end of the Blue Angels July airshow on Pensacola Beach.  The Santa Rosa Island Authority and other groups have discussed the possibility of Pensacola Beach finding alternative funding for the air show. But with a decreased practice schedule between now and July, that simply would not be possible, according to the Blues.

“The Navy believes there is value in demonstrating the professionalism and capabilities of our Navy and Marine Corps Naval Aviation team, thus inspiring future generations of Sailors and Marines. The Navy intends to continue aerial demonstrations in the future as the budget situation permits,”  the Navy said in a press release.

NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.

Comments

39 Responses to “Navy Officially Cancels Remainder Of Blue Angels Season, Including Pensacola Beach”

  1. Me on April 11th, 2013 3:14 pm

    We get it, everyone hated the Bush’s. We are talking about what is wrong here and now. So when Obama’s term is up everyone will still blame Bush??? It’s time to move on and worry about now. THere are so many way’s they could save. The problem is, that NO ONE IS!!!!

  2. meh on April 10th, 2013 6:37 pm

    They should cut the military budget in half

  3. The Doer on April 10th, 2013 3:28 pm

    To Bogian–
    You are right that the 1.4billion reported is reported by an American writer, but it was published by a British online paper; therefore, it is a British source (featuring an American author’s opinion); i.e., our American media wouldn’t dare go there.

    And yea, we certainly could make the argument that the Obamas are overdoing it. So much for the Blue Angels, but hey, at least the White House is still partying it up.

  4. LZ Home on April 10th, 2013 3:08 pm

    This is a good start to cutting some of the fat out of the budget. I know a lot of folks likes watching the Blues but after all the Navy is about National Defense not a show!

  5. David Huie Green on April 10th, 2013 2:47 pm

    The sequester kicked in because it was less painful to politicians than the spending cuts and tax increases which would have been required to avoid it.

    If North Korea decides to invade us, they will have to build many unsinkable troop ships first.

    The president can do his job wherever he is.

    Every president and his family needs to be protected (especially with Joe Biden as vice-president).

    WIC is to protect children from malnutrition caused by poor parents.

    We can not cut Congress’ pay due to the latest approved amendment (no change up or down until after an election).

    If we blame Congress for a flawed government, we have to blame those who put them in office: us.

    David for truth

  6. BOGIAN on April 10th, 2013 12:08 pm

    The Doer isn’t much of a reader.

    The article doesn’t say that 1.4 billion dollars are vacation expenses. They include security personnel, White House staff, and the usage of Air Force One during campaign trips.

    These expenses have been shared by every President in the modern era. You could make the argument that the Obama administration is overdoing it, but that isn’t what you are saying. You are saying that 1.4 billion dollars is the total cost of the Obama family vacations. This statement is not supported by your source.

    Speaking of your source, it isn’t really British at all. It is a British article about an American book written by an American author who served under numerous Republican Presidents. To suggest that the author of that book isn’t biased seems like a bit of a stretch.

    I’m no advocate for the President, but I am a believer in transparency, honesty, and strong reading comprehension.

    I would be inclined to recommend that the White House scale back their globetrotting, but I think entitlement reform, cutting unnecessary military spending, and eliminating subsidies to nations who would do us harm would all be more effective targets for energetic cuts.

    We spend more than we take in, we are finishing up foreign wars, and giving aid to people that just don’t like us all that much. Cut. Cut. Cut. While we are at it, it would be nice if the President and his family would just hang around D.C. more often. There is plenty to be done.

  7. OldRemedy on April 10th, 2013 11:47 am

    Citizens would consider such spending cuts if it was offered as part of a legitimate well thought out plan to restore financial stability for the country. Unfortunately, these type of cutbacks are not only gimmicks to achieve political gain, but a flaunting of the intelligence and worthiness of the American people.

  8. The Doer on April 10th, 2013 8:57 am

    To Michael:

    Please do your own homework. Just because a website calls itself FACTCHECKS doesn’t mean that it is full of actual facts. The website you are referring to is completely biased.
    FactCheck.org is a LEFT-BIASED organization that has sold itself as “Politically NEUTRAL” to America’s voters and media personnel.

    The fact is, the ANNENBERG Public Policy Center (APPC), the sponsoring agency behind FastCheck.org, is itself supported by the same foundation, the ANNENBERG FOUNDATION, that Bill Ayers secured the 49.2 million dollars from to create the Chicago ANNENBERG Challenge “philanthropic” organization in which Barack Obama was the founding Chairman of the Board for and Ayers served as the grant writer of and co-Chair of for its two operating arms.

    The real truth, which is reported here thanks to the UK (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2210323/Obama-family-costs-taxpayers-1-4BILLION-year.html) is that the OBamas have cost the US taxpayers over 1.4 Billion in vacation expenses.

    That’s okay. As Margaret Thatcher said, “”Eventually, Socialists run out of other peoples’ money [to spend].”

  9. David Huie Green on April 10th, 2013 6:58 am

    Our government functions, just not as well as we would wish. Too many people wanting too many different things, often in conflict with each other: money, services, safety, freedom, peace, quiet, noise, sobriety, parties, roads, mail, free health care, low taxes, workers, jobs, unlimited immigration, recreation, entertainment, education, potato chips, …

  10. c.w. on April 10th, 2013 6:37 am

    Bush took vacations to his ranch in Texas. Cost about a half million.

    obama takes a vacation to hawaii that cost over five million. obama needs to take a vacation to his birthland, kenya and stay!

  11. Astonished on April 10th, 2013 6:22 am

    Seriously!?!? I love the blues just as much the next but REALLY!? We are grounding our entertainment! People are wanting to spend personal money (lots of money) for the blues but let me ask you – did anyone look to see what else had occurred with this sequestration? Do you realize that our f-16 pilots that are first line defense oversees can’t get all the training missions in because of budget reductions? Where is the outcry and personal money being offered for them? If you watch the world news you will notice that things are getting pretty hot with north Korea. Our molitary could get sucked into this conflict. Personally I would rather the pilots that would possibly participate in that conflict have the proper training missions than have our selfish needs met!

  12. fred on April 10th, 2013 6:17 am

    This whole sequestration is a national embarrassment. And, the fact that the administration and congress are acting like business as usual shows the disconnect inside the Washington bubble. We continue to pour money into countries that hate us, and the President presents a budget that cuts Medicare benefits (you know, the program we PAY for as a deduction from our checks?) The Wall Street banks were deemed too big to fail a few years back. I think our Social Security and Medicare (that we PAY for) is too big to fail, don’t you?
    Vote these goofs out of office as soon as possible. California had recall elections, can’t we do that?

  13. don on April 10th, 2013 6:04 am

    folks, congress created the budget that grounded the blues, not Obama. place blame where blame belongs.

  14. John on April 10th, 2013 5:14 am

    Yet another sign of our dysfunctional government. Both parties are to blame.

  15. Bob on April 10th, 2013 3:53 am

    Most people don’t understand that majority of budget cost that a new president proposes is the direct result of cost imposed by the president and congress. items like cost of war, tax breakes etc. before him. This current president is trying to get congress to pay there budget bill like blue angle flight or White House tours and for all those costly laws created by congress with the out of office presidents. The easy blame is to put all that blame on the current president. But in realialty the cost blame is on the president and congress before the current. It’s just like blaming Obama on taking your rights away for certain types of weapons that had already been band and was lifted because the law expired and current congress wouldn’t renew the law. Now all of a sudden those same guns that were banned and reinstated is a issue again and not all but a few think that to ban then again is taking there wrights away. You nuts us that.

  16. Jessica on April 9th, 2013 7:10 pm

    Who cares if Bush is the President or if Obama is the President. So what, both obviously have taken too many vacations. Will you people ever get over BUSH IS NO LONGER THE PRESIDENT… what does bashing him do at this point? THE FACTS are OBAMA is the president right here right now…and its a total disaster! Wake up people… we aren’t worried about what the president 20 years ago was doing.. open your eyes…we arent trying to go back and fix what any other president did… it is now the PRESENT and we need to wake up and look at what this president you all voted in AGAIN is doing….OBAMA!!!!!

  17. Bob on April 9th, 2013 6:15 pm

    You got what you voted for withe your house members.
    If the blues are so important to the local economy. Use that BO windfall to keep them flying for the local economy. I’m sure between beach bums, the crocked escambia court tourat and the Baldwin county commission, gulf shores and Santa Rosa county. If they all kicked in they could still fly. Or just do as most Repubs do rathole the money and not use it and let the public and business owners suffer.

  18. Bob Hudsun on April 9th, 2013 5:46 pm

    Pretty boy obams has had no problem racking up the national debt, by the way bush is not pres; obams is, 4 years and 4 months now,I say cut, ever thing, Lay off all those government workers he hired. I want to see the liberals put their money where there mouth is, I want to see them give every thing they own to the government, If they do , they may have a point; but they will not, they just want every one else’s money.,

  19. Rufus Lowgun on April 9th, 2013 4:59 pm

    You do all get that the sequester cuts were SUPPOSED top be unpopular, right? There were specifically designed that way in order to induce Congress to do their job and actually come up with a combination of tax cuts and tax increases to address our debt and deficit. It was the price that was exacted to get Republicans int the House to agree to raise the debt limit, which is another way of saying that it was done to get them to agree to pay our bills. if you don’t like spending, I get it, but A.) the debt limit has nothing to do with new spending, it is to pay bills we (meaning Congress) have already run up, and B.) if you think that the cuts that so many of you support are only going to affect “them”, learn from this example and try to realize they are going to affect YOU as well.

  20. Republicant on April 9th, 2013 4:31 pm

    Blame the do-nothing Congress. The appropriate the money. They spend it. And we can blame ourselves for electing them.

    Blame Rep. Jeff Miller, for not going to bat for his district. He’ll rubber stamp anything his party leadership or donors tell him to.

    And if you wanna cut the White House budget, I’m fine with that, too. Though I can’t recall anyone here kicking and screaming during the last administration. They were REALLY good at taking vacations and burning jet fuel, too.

  21. bob hudson on April 9th, 2013 4:26 pm

    Amen , cut and keep cutting,

  22. PSU1Earl on April 9th, 2013 4:21 pm

    The reality of the budget is not an “either/or” at this point… both the Blues (as much as I like them) and the Presidents trip (regardless of what GW did) both need to go. Those are the hard facts. It is the people that say “cut theirs and not mine” that got us in this situation to begin with, because with that line of thinking nothing ever gets cut and the cycle of debit just gets larger. So, if you believe keeping the Blues is a good idea, then you are part of the problem and not the solution. The only solution is to cut, Cut, CUT. The only other solution is to tax. Pick your poison.

  23. Bob Hudsun on April 9th, 2013 3:33 pm

    Sorry about the Blues, they ground them then, some body needs to ground obams and biden

  24. mick on April 9th, 2013 3:33 pm

    Wanna know what else is frivolous…the amount of money that is paid to politicians…cut their salaries at least by half…across the board from local to federal government…most of them just sit around anyway just farting in a seat cushions

  25. Bob Hudsun on April 9th, 2013 3:29 pm

    Well the lying commander in chief sure makes sure that any thing he does is not effected, burn that jet fuel on your private little fund raiser’s, keep lying to us about guns control, and how you wish to help Americian’s while killing the economy, regulating us to death, he sure has no problem hang out with the rich , Oh yes he truly is Nero who plays his own fiiddle while the rest of us burn.

  26. Taxpayer on April 9th, 2013 3:14 pm

    Do the math. A WIC family of 4 gets 10 gallons of free taxpyer milk a month. A gallon of milk runs about 4 bucks. I say let all the WIC’IES forgo their free milk for 1 month. That would cover the fuel of the “Blues” beach airshow. Don’t get me started at the gas station ribs and hot wings that you can buy with foodstamps… oh well they do have to be cold. But what do i know i am just a TAXPAYER.

  27. Does it matter on April 9th, 2013 2:49 pm

    Does it matter who wasted more money on vacations? The point is they are going on vacation at our expense. The President makes $400,000 a year, make them pay for vacations like I do at $40,000 a year!

  28. van on April 9th, 2013 2:36 pm

    @ michael & Bogian – when they ground AF1 and quit letting O’s daughters take vacations to Mexico with tax money footing the bill, then I will start to understand that they cut out frivolous things. Dubya may have taken a lot of vacations, but not while he was spewing about how terrible the country’s debt has become. Not saying that O is the reason for all the debt problems, because that much debt takes a whole bunch of people spending more money than they should be. However, when O is in Hawaii several times, playing golf when he should be president-ing around, I get a little furious. The amount of money he makes as a salary now and what he will make when he leaves office is absurd. When I leave my current job, I don’t expect to continue getting my salary…that is how the real world works. He needs to buck up and tighten his “personal perks belt buckle” and then start cutting other things. Ground stupid AF1 for taking people to meetings to push O’s personal agendas, quit letting him and his family take exorbitant vacations at our expense, cut out all the other lovely perks for the fat-walleted politicians, and see how much better things will get. O seems to be able to have his cake and eat it too, unlike what us common folks get.

    this will hurt the local economy too…oh well, let’s just go along with the cronies and their crony wishes.

  29. BOGIAN on April 9th, 2013 2:12 pm

    It’s about time.

    The country is swimming in debt and we still want to literally burn thousands upon thousands of dollars in jet fuel for no purpose other than to impress crowds.

    Don’t get me wrong, I think they are neat and all, but it is just like anything else. If I can’t pay my bills, I’m not blowing money frivolous things. The Blues are frivolous. Frivolity can be good, but not when times call for frugality.

    Hopefully things will turn around and they can bring the Blues back without paying for them on credit.

  30. Bondo on April 9th, 2013 1:58 pm

    PSU1Earl i do agree with u but u dont see there President going on 10 to 15 vacations a year do you?

  31. Interesting on April 9th, 2013 1:22 pm

    What a shame! What has happened to patriotism in this country? I am very proud of our “blues”, and will forever be grateful for them! No, it’s not because I have some family directly or indirectly associated with them, because I don’t know anyone personally. I just love my country and what it stands/stood for. I REALLY think “budget cuts” could be taken elsewhere, other than a great symbol of freedom! God have mercy on us.

  32. wsapnin on April 9th, 2013 12:57 pm

    I say “Coca Cola Blue Angels”!

  33. Michael on April 9th, 2013 12:50 pm

    For those of you claiming that President Obama takes too many vacations, a simple search on any search engine would disprove your argument and show that President Bush took more vacations than any president in recent history.

  34. Michael on April 9th, 2013 12:39 pm

    Since we are talking about the president taking vacations. Here are the FACTS from FactCheck.org…

    http://www.factcheck.org/2010/01/president-obamas-vacation-days/

    Now, what I find it humorous is when people criticize the president for taking ‘vacations’ when Dubya took the more vacations days than any other president in recent memory. With that said, people in the area are either strictly anti-Obama or they seriously fail to understand that there is such a thing as a ‘working vacation’.

    Please arm yourself with facts and spot spewing biased opinions and half truths. I took the time to provide you with facts. It is up to you to choose what you do with them.

  35. PSU1Earl on April 9th, 2013 12:33 pm

    I love the Blues… but doesn’t anyone think this might just be wasteful spending? I would think that all the parts of the country that have military bases which are getting hit with cuts are complaining just as much… and saying the same thing, “don’t cut ours, cut theirs”… In the end nothing gets done and the deficit gets bigger. The cutting needs to start someplace.

  36. ba on April 9th, 2013 12:25 pm

    I agree with Bondo! I think this government needs to get their priorities straight. They can allow the president and his family to fly all over the world on vacation and michelle to fly to the academy awards but can’t fund this country’s defenses. May God help this country if North Korea or any other country decides to try to take us over. Maybe we can agree to send them on vacation instead of taking us over!!!

  37. Ashley on April 9th, 2013 12:07 pm

    This is sad. The blue angels are a huge part of what makes this area great. I hope someone stands up and changes this.

  38. Bondo on April 9th, 2013 12:04 pm

    Just have the President take just 4 or 5 vacations a year and maybe they still can fly. just a thought.

  39. Figures on April 9th, 2013 11:57 am

    Thank you obama and all the imbeciles that follow him. If this even gets to be posted, all the haters will surely attack me for the truth.

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