Message from USAF regarding Airshows

[Safriz]

*** IMPORTANT INFORMATION***

Air Force Cuts Aviation Support at Public Events -- Cuts include cancellation of The USAF Thunderbirds

The Department of Defense has directed the Air Force, and all the services, to cancel aviation support to public events for at least the remainder of the fiscal year. Additionally, the Air Force will stand down the Thunderbirds aerial demonstration team.

Effective immediately, active-duty, Reserve and Guard units will cease all aviation support to the public. This includes the cancellation of support to all air shows, tradeshows, and flyovers (including funerals, military graduations). Additionally, the Air Force will cancel the Thunderbirds' entire 2013 season beginning April 1.

The cancellation of aviation support is a direct response to the Air Force’s need to reduce flying hours by as much as 18 percent, or approximately 203,000 hours. Because aerial support to public events are flown using already allotted flying hours, there is no additional cost to the taxpayers. The limited flying hours remaining will now be prioritized to support only flying that is in direct support to combat readiness. Longer, cross-country flights, will be drastically scaled back, and thus limit our ability to fly over community events. Training missions will be shorter and focused on meeting the basic acceptable tactics to maintain proficiency.

Engaging with the public is a core Air Force mission and communicating and connecting with the public is more important today than ever before. The Air Force will continue to seek ways to remain engaged with the American public.

For more information, please contact Air Force Public Affairs at 703-695-9664 or aerial.events@pentagon.af.mil, or visit Official Site of the U.S. Air Force - Home for additional stories and information.

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Response from Airshow fans (Like me)

 

[Safriz]

In related news. The U.S. Air Force will begin grounding combat air
squadrons Tuesday in response to forced spending cuts
that have eliminated more than 44,000 flying hours
through September, according to internal documents
obtained by Defense News.
The Air Force’s budget for flying hours was reduced by
$591 million for the remainder of fiscal 2013, making it
impossible to keep all squadrons ready for combat,
according to an April 5 memo signed by Maj. Gen.
Charles Lyon, director of operations for Air Combat
Command. The across-the board spending cuts, called
sequestration, took effect March 1 when Congress failed
to agree on a deficit-reduction plan.
Seventeen combat-coded squadrons will stand down
effective Tuesday or upon their return from deployments,
according to the documents. The Air Force will distribute
241,496 flying hours that are funded to squadrons that
will be kept combat ready or at a reduced readiness
level called “basic mission capable” for part or all of the
remaining months in fiscal 2013, the documents said.
“Units will stand down on a rotating basis so our limited
resources can be focused on fulfilling critical missions,”
ACC Commander Gen. Mike Hostage said in a statement.
The grounding includes F-22s from the 1st Fighter
Wing’s 94th Fighter Squadron at Joint Base Langley-
Eustis, Va. The squadron is returning from a deployment
to the Pacific where airmen participated in a high-profile
exercise in South Korea. Other squadrons to stand down
when they return to the U.S. include F-16s from the 4th
Fighter Squadron at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, which is
returning from a deployment in the Pacific; B-1B Lancers
from the 34th and 37th Bomb Squadrons at Ellsworth Air
Force Base, S.D.; and A-10s from the 354th Fighter
Squadron, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz.
The other grounded units include B-52s from the 2nd
and 5th Bomb Wings, F-15Es from the 336th, 492nd,
494th and 391s Fighter Squadrons; F-16s from the 77th
Fighter Squadron, 555th Fighter Squadron, 18th
Aggressor Squadron and the Thunderbirds; and A-10s
from the 81st Fighter Squadron, which will close as a
result of the fiscal 2013 National Defense Authorization
Act.
Grounded associate units — active units sharing aircraft
with Air National Guard and Reserve units — include the
158th, 169th, 187th, 442nd and 917th squadrons. Only
active-duty pilots in those units are affected by the
standdown.
Any flying hours not used by the grounded squadrons
will be reallocated to meet Air Combat Command
requirements. Additionally, all combat aircraft will stand
down the last seven operation and maintenance days in
September, the memo said.
“Historically, the Air Force has not operated under a
tiered readiness construct because of the need to
respond to any crisis within a matter of hours or days,”
Hostage said in the statement. “The current situation
means we’re accepting the risk that combat airpower
may not be ready to respond immediately to new
contingencies as they occur.”
Air Force officials had warned that mandatory budget
cuts would lead to a reduction of flying hours by 18
percent, with readiness dropping to “sub-optimal
levels,” according to information provided to Congress.
The drop in flying hours would mean that it could take
up to six months to repair the damage to readiness, the
Air Force warned lawmakers in a February presentation.
Average aircrews lose currency to fly combat missions
within 90 to 120 days of being grounded, and it takes
from 60 to 90 days to conduct training to return aircrews
o mission-ready status, according to Air Combat
Command
“We’re entering uncharted territory in terms of how we’ve
had to take this year’s cuts and make adjustments to
mitigate the most serious impacts,” Hostage said.
“Remaining as mission-ready as possible for combatant
commanders is our priority, and we’re prioritizing
spending to ensure this imperative is met.”
Air Combat Command officials announced a stand down
and reallocation of flying hours for the rest of the fiscal
year due to mandatory budget cuts. The limitation of
flying hours means squadrons will stand down or
maintain readiness at the reduced “basic mission
capable” level, while others will remain at full “combat
mission ready.”
The affected aircraft and units, by airframe:
F-22
94th Fighter Squadron — Grounded April 9
27th Fighter Squadron — Basic mission capable through
September
3rd Fighter Wing — Two squadrons combat mission
ready through September
15th Wing — One squadron combat mission ready
through September
49th Wing — One squadron combat mission ready
through September
F-15 C/D
67th Fighter Squadron — Basic mission capable through
September
44th Fighter Squadron — Basic mission capable through
July, then Combat mission ready through September
48th Fighter Wing — One squadron combat mission ready
through September
F-15E
366th Fighter Squadron — Grounded April 9
335th Fighter Squadron — Combat mission ready through
September
48th Fighter Wing — Two squadrons stand down April 9
391st Fighter Squadron — Stands down April 9
F-16 C/D
8th Fighter Wing — Two squadrons combat mission
ready through September
77th Fighter Squadron — Stands down April 9
55th Fighter Squadron — Combat mission ready through
September
79th Fighter Squadron — Basic mission capable through
July, then combat mission ready through September
555th Fighter Squadron — Stands down April 9
510th Fighter Squadron — Combat mission ready through
September
13th Fighter Squadron — Combat mission ready through
September
14th Fighter Squadron — Basic mission capable through
September
51st Wing — One squadron combat mission ready
through September
57th Wing — One squadron (Thunderbirds) stands down
April 9
158th Fighter Wing — One squadron stands down April 9
169th Fighter Wing — One squadron stands down April 9
187th Fighter Wing — One squadron stands down April 9
354th Fighter Wing — One squadron stands down April 9
4th Fighter Squadron — Basic mission capable until
redeployment
421st Fighter Squadron — Basic mission capable through
September
A-10C
75th Fighter Squadron — Basic mission capable through
July, then combat mission ready through September
51st Wing — One squadron combat mission ready
through September
52nd Fighter Wing — Closing
442nd Fighter Wing — One squadron stands down April 9
917th Wing — One squadron stands down April 9
HH-60G
18th Wing — One squadron combat mission ready
through September
48th Fighter Wing — One squadron combat mission ready
through September
B-1B
7th Bomb Wing — One squadron combat mission ready
through September
28th Bomb Wing — Two squadrons stand down April 9
B-2
509th Bomb Wing — Two squadrons combat mission
ready through September
B-52
2nd Bomb Wing — One squadron stand down April 9
5th Bomb Wing — Two combat squadrons combat
mission ready through September
E-3B/C/G
3rd Bomb Wing — Basic mission capable through
September
18th Wing — One squadron basic mission capable
through September
552nd Air Control Wing — One squadron basic mission
capable through September
SE-4B
55th Wing — One squadron combat mission ready
through September
EC-130H
55 Electronic Combat Group — One squadron combat
mission ready through September
OC-135B
55th Wing — One squadron combat mission ready
through September
RC-135S
55th Wing — One squadron combat mission ready
through September
RC-135U
55th Wing — One squadron combat mission ready
through September
RC-135V/W
55th Wing — One squadron basic mission capable
through September
TC-135W
55th Wing (training) — One squadron basic mission
capable through September
WC-135C/W
55th Wing. — One squadron combat mission ready
through September