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Spangdahlem cancels spring open house for
budget reasons
Spectators get a close look at an A10 Thunderbolt II, nicknamed the Warthog, during the 2011 open
house and aerial demonstration at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany. This year's edition of the event has
been canceled due to budget constraints.
JOSHUA L. DEMOTTS/STARS AND STRIPES
By Jennifer H. Svan
Stars and Stripes
Published: March 11, 2013
KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany — This spring’s open house at Spangdahlem Air Base, an event that
drew about 40,000 visitors from around Europe when the base last opened its gates to the public
two years ago, has been canceled due to Air Force budget constraints, officials said Monday.
The open house and aerial demonstration, tentatively on the calendar for May 11 and 12, was in its
initial planning stages when the plug was pulled.
“Due to the current budget situation, the Air Force has cancelled flying participation in air shows,
installation open houses, tradeshows, and flyovers, including the Thunderbirds and other
demonstration teams,” base officials at Spandahlem said in a written statement.
The Air Force says it’s facing a $12.4 billion shortfall for the current fiscal year due to the across-the-
board sequestration budget cuts that went into effect March 1. With plans under way to reduce flying
hours by as much as 18 percent to cut costs, the Air Force says it needs to re-allocate flying hours
that would have been used at air shows to combat readiness training.