2013 Miramar Air Show cancelled

The 58th annual Miramar Air Show was scheduled to open today, but the sky above Marine Corps Air Station Miramar is devoid of streaking jets, the tarmac at the base is empty of Humvees and Ospreys, and the parking lot is vacant. No traffic is backing up on I-15 because military sources announced cancellation of the famous San Diego event yesterday. In the political war raging in Washington, D.C., the local celebration of flight and might is missing in action.

All who purchased passes will get their money back, and all sponsors of the air show will have their support amounts refunded.

The Department of Defense communicated the cancellation to the organizers of the show early Thursday morning, one day before the opening. The Air Show had been completely funded and all money collected from attendees would be profit. Those profits would have gone to help support the families of military personnel. Legal mandates caused by the current shutdown of the federal government specifically prohibit this kind of event from proceeding.

Prior to the official extermination of this year’s aerial show, the well-attended spectacle had already been reduced from three days to two. This was partly due to the absence of any official military flight teams, such as the Navy’s Blue Angels. The lack of any military-sponsored participant was caused by the sequestration situation in Washington, which occurred some months before the shutdown.

San Diegans eagerly anticipated the yearly show at the base, scheduling vacations and family gatherings around it. At his weekly press conference, interim mayor Todd Gloria noted how this recognition of our military forces was beloved by the people of the area, and would be missed by the large number of the population who regularly attended.

Lorie Zapf is a councilwoman who worked hard to save the show, donating funds from her office to counteract the sequestration. Councilwoman Zapf related her disappointment in the eleventh hour cancelling of the Miramar show. She added that she would be contacting officials on the base to learn how her office and the residents of San Diego could help contribute to the programs most impacted by the cancellation.