'Sequester blues' for grounded Blue Angels
Navy's Blue Angels are grounded by federal budget cuts. For first time in six decades, Blue Angels won't appear at air shows, including San Francisco's Fleet Week in the fall.
A formation of U.S. Navy Blue Angel fighter jets perform a flyover above graduating Midshipmen during the United States Naval Academy graduation and commissioning ceremonies in Annapolis, Md., in 2012. The commander of Naval air forces announced on Tuesday, April 9, 2013, that the U.S. Navy has canceled the remainder of the elite Blue Angels demonstration team's 2013 season because of federal cuts.
Patrick Semansky/AP/File
SAN FRANCISCO
The U.S. Navy's Blue Angels says the rest of its season is canceled because of federal budget cuts.
The aerobatic team's lead pilot and team commander Tom Frosch made the announcement Tuesday at the team's headquarters. He says it is the first time since the Korean War that the team would not make the air show rounds.
The San Francisco Chronicle reports (http://bit.ly/1498cmj) that the cancellation means the team won't be flying over San Francisco during this fall's Fleet Week, and the future of the city's annual Fleet Week could be in doubt with the air show canceled.
Fleet Week organizer J. Michael Myatt says there probably would be no air show without the Blue Angels and the Parade of Ships also could be in jeopardy because of budget cuts.