ANDREWS AIR FORCE BASE, MD — There were clear, sunny skies for the annual air show at Andrews Air Force Base last weekend. Guests young and old were disappointed by the news that they’ll have to wait two years for the 55-year-old show to return. With a price tag in excess of $2 million, the Defense Department is scaling back, limiting air shows across the country. Andrews Air Force Base will host the next Joint Service airshow in 2014.
Event organizers say turnout on Saturday was so strong that they were forced to turn people away by middle of the day. More than 200,000 people watched skilled civilian and military pilots from every military branch push their planes to the limits. The Blue Angels, an elite Navy and Marine flying team, closed the show each day.