Despite BRAC, Brunswick air show to live on

[unhappycamper]

Despite BRAC, Brunswick air show to live on
By David Sharp - The Associated Press
Posted : Sunday Dec 20, 2009 10:51:17 EST

BRUNSWICK, Maine — Brunswick Naval Air Station will soon close, but the tradition of the Great State of Maine Air Show will live on.

The Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority will hold the air show in the summer of 2011, and it will feature the Navy’s Blue Angels just as in years past. The visit by the Navy’s flight demonstration team will coincide with the 100th anniversary of Navy aviation.

The civilian air show will feature a business aviation expo aimed at showcasing the shuttered Navy base’s capabilities for the private sector. The authority hopes to attract tenants who’ll utilize the massive hangars and dual runways, said Steve Levesque, the authority’s executive director.

“The Great State of Maine Air Show has been a long-standing tradition that we want to keep. A lot of people look forward to coming to the show,” he said.

Because it’s a business expo, there may be more Boeings and Gulfstreams parked on the tarmac than military aircraft, which used to dominate past air shows. The redevelopment authority hopes to attract businesses that repair, maintain and overhaul large jets, Levesque said.


Rest of article at: http://www.navytimes.com/news/2009/12/ap_brunswick_air_show_122009/