Late Saturday evening, The Great Georgia Air Show sent emails out to all ticket holders for Sunday stating that “The Show Will Go On,” despite several concerns shared about weather and flying conditions.
Ticket holders excitedly packed up their cars, and loaded up their families, some driving nearly four hours to make the event. At the gate, several more people purchased tickets for the event, and were led to believe the show would still go on as scheduled.
Schedules were sold for $5 each, as people entered the gates, furthering the excitement for the 11:55 a.m. scheduled flight of the Blue Angels on the insert.
Little did anyone know, the Blue Angels had already been cancelled. They were cancelled before people bought their tickets at the front desk, they were cancelled before the sale of schedules, they had been cancelled all morning, but The Great Georgia Air Show never mentioned this to any of the ticket holders, or any of the people showing up to buy tickets. They never even sent a follow up email.
Thousands of people sat in their chairs along the air strip, eating $8 cheeseburgers on hotdog buns, because of the chronic “bun issue,” but overlooking it because the 11:55 a.m. schedule they paid $5 for shined with the words, “Blue Angels Show.”
At 1 p.m., whispers started erupting through the crowds, between the announcers constant reporting of Lexus show cars on the track.
“They aren’t flying. They posted something on Facebook.”
“They’ve known since last night, even before they sent the email that ‘The Show Will Go On.’”
“The Fayette police reported last night that the show was cancelled, but The Great Georgia Air Show told all ticket holders the opposite.”
Never once was there an announcement that the show had been cancelled. Never once did an email go out. Never once did any of the staff tell ticket holders that the Blue Angels wouldn’t be flying.
People from Coweta, Fayette, and across the state of Georgia trekked all the way to the show, sat in their lawn chairs for 2-4 hours waiting on the Blue Angels, and only learned about their cancellation from other ticket holders whispering through the crowds.
The mass exit after the Blue Angels flew away left thousands of people waiting in a single line for buses, taking a minimum of an hour to finally get a seat on a bus. Everyone was muddy, children were heartbroken, and many ticket holders were outraged.
The Great Georgia Air Show’s Facebook page reflects the level of anger and frustration ticket holders are experiencing. Several people have filed disputes with their credit card companies, some are filing issues with the IRS.
Patrons were lied to, manipulated into buying $5 schedules that they already knew were false, sold tickets to people at the desk, without notifying them that the show they are buying the tickets for would not be going on.
The Great Georgia Air Show has been ignoring the public’s frustration, refusing to answer questions or concerns about their experience. They have failed to make a public statement and have yet to respond to anyone about the matter. Could this be the final year for The Great Georgia Air Show?
Newnan mother
[Editor’s note: Multiple unsuccessful attempts were made to contact a live spokesperson for the Great Georgia Air Show Monday to respond to this letter. The main phone number was not being answered.]
