Board has an air show to organize and little time to do it

Organizing for the upcoming air festival -- which is back on after a cancellation just weeks ago -- became the chief topic of conversation Tuesday night at the Cape Girardeau Airport Advisory Board meeting.

In February, the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport announced it had canceled the annual air show after the headlining act, the Canadian Snowbirds, backed out because of budget cuts.

Last week, airport manager Bruce Loy announced the show was back on after a representative for the act called and informed him they would be able to perform.

At the meeting, board members expressed concern that making the announcement a little more than two months before the show might leave them short on sponsors and volunteers.

Loy told the board he had to make a quick decision after receiving the phone call, and said he agreed to the Snowbirds' offer because he felt confident the airport still could put on a quality show.

"It was going to be very difficult to turn down what I believe to be such a great opportunity for the community," he told the board. "Of course, we have to be levelheaded [about scheduling]."

Loy said the event lost one act that committed to another show after the cancellation. However, they still have about 10 acts booked for the two-day festival. Some are returning from last year; others are new acts Loy said expressed interest in performing in the past. He said the whole show is expected to last 3 to 3 1/2 hours.

All of the "primary volunteers" that played large roles in organizing last year's event also agreed to return, he said, but the event still hopes to recruit more help.

The main issues that concerned Loy and the board were attendance and sponsorships. They expect attendance numbers to slightly decline this year.

Because the show will be hosted in May, rather than June, it could conflict with graduations. Coupled with the limited time to advertise and the confusion about the sudden return of the event, Loy said he "scaled back" his estimates for attendance this year.

Board members suggested making special appearances at other local events hosted in early May to help spread the word. Loy said he hoped to organize a "flyover" when the Snowbirds arrived in Cape Girardeau so the town could catch a glimpse of what they could expect at the show.

The Snowbirds will practice the day before the show, which Loy said will allow people to see them practice their routines of tight formations and close-encounter crossovers.

Those interested in volunteering for the event may call 334-6230. The first volunteer meeting will be 6 p.m. Thursday at Sandy's Place restaurant in the airport terminal. The air festival will be May 17 and 18.

srinehart@semissourian.com

388-3641

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