Blue Angels visit to Unity airport delayed until Thursday
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Central Westmoreland County residents looking skyward just after noon Thursday could get a sneak peek of what’s in store at the 2021 county airshow May 29-30 at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport.
An advance team from the U.S. Navy Blue Angels flight demonstration squadron, based in Pensacola, Fla., is expected to fly into the Unity facility between noon and 12:30 p.m. to check out the logistics and the $12 million improvements to strengthen and widen the runway, the airport’s executive director Gabe Monzo told authority members Tuesday.
The advance team was initially scheduled to arrive Wednesday, but airport officials learned late in the afternoon the meeting was pushed back 24 hours until Thursday. Airport officials said no reason was given for the delay.
The Blue Angels will headline the Shop ‘n Save Westmoreland County Airshow over Memorial Day weekend.
Monzo said the two-member team, a pilot and public affairs staffer, will arrive just before 12:30 p.m. in one of the team’s trademark blue and gold F-18 Hornets.
The jet is expected to perform a signature “mid-field break” just before to landing, he said.
In addition to the Blue Angels, officials from the Federal Aviation Administration will also be there to go over plans for the airshow, according to Monzo.
“Right now, we’re planning a full-fledged airshow, and depending on what is going on with the coronavirus then, we’ll work our way back from there, if necessary,” Monzo said. “Hopefully, we’ll have a little more control over the virus by then and we can proceed as we have in the past. But even if need be and we have to have social distancing, we can plan for a drive-in event, and do it in a safe but still enjoyable manner.”
Although the jet team has performed at prior shows, airport officials noted that next year’s show will be a little different because of the widened runway. The jets will now be able to take off side by side which they’ve been unable to do in the past.
Since the recent announcements that the Blue Angels would perform at the Memorial Day show, “the reaction I’ve gotten from the public is they are super excited about getting out to an exciting event in the spring,”Monzo said. “We will do it in a safe manner and be able to keep everybody safe.”
Monzo said that discussions have taken place with other acts, but they will not be formally booked until the International Council of Airshows convention beginning the second week of December.