International air show back on Yarmouth's radar

By Michael Gorman

THE VANGUARD

NovaNewsNow.com

Appearances by the world famous Snowbirds, Skyhawks and a flash fire jet truck will highlight the return of an international air show to Yarmouth.

The Yarmouth International Air Show 08 is scheduled for Sept. 13-14 with a practice day for performers on Sept. 12 at the Yarmouth airport. In-air performances are scheduled for 1-4 p.m. each day with static displays from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. Dave Warner of the South West Shore Development Authority (SWSDA) said the event should be a major boost for the area.

It's been a number of years since the last air show in Yarmouth. Warner said the opportunity started with a call from the Nova Scotia International Air Show (NSIAS), wondering if Yarmouth was interested in joining a group of places to take turns hosting an air show. He said there was much debate about the issue before moving forward.

"We sat down with (NSIAS officials) for three or four months, talked back and forth and tried to determine if it was a thing that might work here," said Warner.

The plan is for Yarmouth to host a show every two or three years, said Greg Moulaison, the executive director of the air show. With the exception of the largest air shows, most performers prefer not to go to the same sites every year.

"You can't ask for it every year unless you're a major show," said Warner.

Besides the Snowbirds, Skyhawks and jet truck, which is a small pickup truck with a jet engine attached to the back, other major attractions will include American stunt pilot Pete McLeod, a Griffin helicopter, Harvard heritage aircrafts and a CF-18 Hornet. Moulaison said there is also the chance of flyovers by some U.S. aircrafts, however because they are still awaiting confirmation he didn't want to name them.

"Suffice to say, if they fly over they'll be noticeable," he said.

Funding for the air show, which Warner said would require $150,000-$200,000 to stage, will come in part from municipal partners. Provincial and federal officials have also been notified of the show, he said. Private sponsorship will also play a role in the staging of the show with limited opportunities for corporate sponsors to even fly with performers.

Organizers plan to give away tickets to people whose properties neighbour the airport. Moulaison said making sure area residents are happy and feel considered while planes are in the air is key to the show's success.

"It's the number one concern," he said. "If they don't want to move you can't have the air show."

Obviously it's the job of SWSDA to make money for the area. Warner estimated that economic spin-offs for the area would be big. Beyond the expected turnout of 6,000 people during the run of the event there should also be a number of people sticking around town for more than just the day.

"There are something like over 200 room nights for just the performers, that would be left in this community," said Warner, "plus all of those (spectators) that visit."

Another big potential market for this show, said Warner is people who follow air shows as they make their way through certain regions.

"They're in the U.S., they're in Halifax, so why not go through Yarmouth on the way back because Halifax doesn't have the jet truck, for example. There are certain things that are here that are not there or certain things there, obviously, that are not here."

Putting on a show of this size requires a tremendous amount of work and both Warner and Moulaison said they welcome anyone wishing to volunteer with the project. The hope, Moulaison said, is that the event will act as a unifier for the community much the way something such as the Shark Scramble does.

"We're looking for something that will unite the communities both within the town and within the area to a common thing that we can come together and enjoy and have a good time . . . and create economic impact."