WESTFIELD – The air show, sponsored by the Massachusetts Air National Guard 104th Fighter Wing and slated to be held in September of 2016 at Barnes Regional Airport, has been canceled and will hopefully be rescheduled for the following year.
A spokeswoman in the Public Affairs Office of the 104 confirmed that the air show slated for the weekend of Sept. 10 and 11 has been cancelled because the USAF Thunderbirds withdrew their commitment to the show for the September event.
Officials of the 104th are currently working to coordinate an event with officials of the Air Force Reserve 439th Airlift Wing at the at Westover Air Force Reserve base in Chicopee, which is currently scheduled to host an air show in 2017, to bring best online casino the air show to Westfield.
Airport Manager Brian Barnes said the last air show in Westfield was held in 2010 and brings in more than 100,000 spectators to the city.
“They are trying to work something out,” Barnes said. “They hope to do it here in Westfield in 2017, so we’ll have to wait to see how that pans out. Resources and funding for these events is scarce. It is tough to get on the list. I’m disappointed.
Both the 104th and the 439th are assets of the US Air Force, but have different chains of command. The 104th, as a National Guard unit, is controlled through the Massachusetts National Guard Headquarters on Milford and the National Guard Bureau in Washington D.C., while the 439th, as a Air force Reserve unit, directly under the command of the US Air Force.
