More than two dozen Thunderbirds performances scheduled for the rest of this year were cut, including an Asian tour.
The Blue Angels had 32 performances left this year. However, several of those, including one originally scheduled for this coming weekend at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi in Texas, had been canceled with the expectation that the budget cuts would force the Navy’s hand.
The Navy team had also canceled a performance set for MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida, last weekend.
The next performance still on the schedule would have been at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, on May 22, part of the graduation festivities at the academy.
The Navy said the Blue Angels will continue to train at their base in Pensacola, Florida, for when the budget crunch ends.
“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 service’s statement said.
according to cnn.com
