Air show great success despite its challenges
It’s understandable if Vigo County is still feeling a bit hung over as this week goes on. Last weekend was a high-flying one for the history books and won’t soon be forgotten.
Tens of thousands of people from around the Wabash Valley and the Midwest descended on the community for the Terre Haute Air Show and brought what was surely several million dollars in economic impact with them. We still don’t know how many there really were or what the financial results will be. Those numbers will be announced as soon as the organizers can pull them together.
What we know for sure is that it was a massive undertaking that required extraordinary effort and investment from multiple segments of the community. The event itself took shape at Terre Haute Regional Airport after months and months of planning. The entertainment from a wide variety of aerial acts was highlighted Saturday and Sunday by the performances of the Blue Angels, the U.S. Navy’s precision flight team that has been dazzling air show audiences around the country for decades.
All in all, it was a fantastic event that brought great positive energy to the community.
It is unfortunate that weather-induced parking problems at the airport on Saturday created so much tension for those wanting to attend the air show. We trust organizers are dealing with the issue the best way they can and hope they can ease the consternation of those with tickets or VIP passes who were unable to get into the Saturday show.
None of that should be allowed to overshadow the incredible effort by hundreds of community volunteers who devoted so much time and energy to produce this remarkable event.
Yes, the aerial acts performed well. But the performance of the volunteers on the ground was nothing short of magnificent.
We congratulate the air show committee, its partners and sponsors, and all those who lent their efforts to the event for making the air show happen.