Log in

CANCELED: Luke Days 2020 won't happen due to virus concerns

Posted 3/12/20

Luke Air Force Base is hosting Luke Days 2020, a free air show open to the public March 21-22.

The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, U.S. Air Force Wings of Blue, F-35A Lightning II Demonstration Team …

You must be a member to read this story.

Join our family of readers for as little as $5 per month and support local, unbiased journalism.


Already have an account? Log in to continue.

Current print subscribers can create a free account by clicking here

Otherwise, follow the link below to join.

To Our Valued Readers –

Visitors to our website will be limited to five stories per month unless they opt to subscribe. The five stories do not include our exclusive content written by our journalists.

For $6.99, less than 20 cents a day, digital subscribers will receive unlimited access to YourValley.net, including exclusive content from our newsroom and access to our Daily Independent e-edition.

Our commitment to balanced, fair reporting and local coverage provides insight and perspective not found anywhere else.

Your financial commitment will help to preserve the kind of honest journalism produced by our reporters and editors. We trust you agree that independent journalism is an essential component of our democracy. Please click here to subscribe.

Sincerely,
Charlene Bisson, Publisher, Independent Newsmedia

Please log in to continue

Log in
I am anchor

CANCELED: Luke Days 2020 won't happen due to virus concerns

Posted

Luke Air Force Base on March 13 said the Luke Days 2020 Airshow scheduled for March 21-22, 2020 is canceled due to growing COVID-19 concerns and to mitigate health risks to attendees.

“We continue to take the health of our Airmen and our community very seriously,” Brig. Gen. Todd D. Canterbury, 56th Fighter Wing commander, stated in a release. “This decision to cancel was made after multiple meetings and conversations with our local community leaders and military health officials. We’re doing our civic duty to protect our citizens on a local level. We are continually monitoring the situation with COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) in conjunction with the Arizona Department of Health Services and Maricopa County Public Health.”

Base senior leaders are focused on keeping everyone informed with current information and preventive measures as it becomes available from the Department of Defense and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

For more information visit www.luke.af.mil or follow Luke Air Force Base on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. For questions, please call the Luke AFB Public Affairs Office at (623) 856-6011 or email 56fw.af@us.af.mil.

PREVIOUS

Luke Air Force Base is hosting Luke Days 2020, a free air show open to the public March 21-22.

The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, U.S. Air Force Wings of Blue, F-35A Lightning II Demonstration Team and many more acts are slated to perform aerial demonstrations.

“Teaser acts” are scheduled to start performing mid-morning with the main acts starting around 11 a.m. The Thunderbirds will close the air show each day around 3 p.m.

In addition to aerial performers, dozens of static displays will be on the flightline for the public to view. For guests who would like to purchase souvenirs and food during the air show, food vendors and other merchant stands will be available.

Gates open at 9 a.m. and close around 5 p.m. North and South gates on Litchfield Road will have restricted access to individuals with proper air show credentials.

To ensure the success of the airshow and to help Airmen remain focused on their primary mission, helping train the world’s greatest fighter pilots and combat ready Airmen, military airshow planners contracted a company that specializes in planning events like Luke Days 2020.

“This air show, working with the help of the Air Show Management group, has given us a unique ability to bring in a lot of really exciting performers we may not have been able to invite to Luke in the past,” said Lt. Col. Peter Cossette, Luke Days 2020 air operations director. “We have been able to hire the best airboss in the business, Wayne Boggs. When you have the opportunity to have [him] as your airboss, really exciting performers want to come fly for him.”

He said public access to the military aircraft, Airmen and the solid lineup of performers, coupled with a world-class airboss, will draw a large crowd. He estimates more than 300,000 people will attend Luke Days 2020.

Due to security measures on base and the anticipated high volume of guests, public parking is only available off base. The Air Show Management group hired a shuttle service to transport guests from the public parking areas off base. Due to the limited available parking areas, parking will cost $20 per vehicle; shuttle service is included in that fee. The shuttles will take guests to the parking areas to the on-base entrance throughout the day.

A list of prohibited items, upgraded VIP tickets and a full list of the performers is available at www.luke.af.mil/Luke-Days-2020.

“I’m looking forward to the Bugatti Veyron race against the greatest fighter jet in the world, [the F-35A Lightning II],” Mr. Cossette said. “That’s going to happen on the flightline early afternoon of both days.”

There are many things to look forward to during the air show.

“I’m just excited for the show to get started,” Mr. Cossette said. “I’ve got a really great group of Airmen at Luke that are really excited about this show as well. I’m just grateful to be part of it.”