MARYLAND

Snowbirds, Canada's answer to the Blue Angels, coming to Ocean City for midweek event

The Daily Times

Ocean City visitors in late May can search the sky for a midweek spectacle as the town will host a new air show event.

The council unanimously approved bringing the Royal Canadian Air Force Snowbirds to town to perform Wednesday, May 23, at the council meeting Tuesday.

See the performance here:Royal Canadian Air Force Snowbirds soar through Ocean City

"The thing I like is a midweek event, and the thing I always hear from businesspeople in town that we need more midweek things," said Wayne Hartman, Ocean City town councilman.

The event is different than the OC Air Show, which takes place during the weekend on June 16-17.

This show will feature the Canadian equivalent to the Navy's Blue Angels or the United States Air Force's Thunderbirds, said Frank Miller, Ocean City's special events director.

The Snowbirds air shows usually last 30 to 40 minutes, Miller said, and unlike the OC Air Show, the Snowbirds demonstration will take place on 3rd Street.

There is no fee to have the Snowbirds perform, but the town is estimating it will pay about $6,000 to help put on the show, including hotel rooms for the Snowbirds, team car rental and a portable restroom.

The Department of Public Works will also be providing diesel fuel — roughly $1,300 worth — which will be used for effects by the Snowbirds during the show.

Ocean City will also be responsible for purchasing $6,000 of jet fuel — required to be used by the Snowbirds — but the town will be selling the jet fuel back to the Snowbirds for a profit.

"Typically, we buy it for $3 a gallon," Miller said. "But we sell it for $4 a gallon."

Hartman said the fact the event could be a "cost neutral" event made it worth doing, adding it might be worth making the Snowbirds an annual event.

"With this being Wednesday, the fact that it can come out of Ocean City Airport, I think, that is neat, as well, while the other air show is coming out of (Wallops Flight Facility)," he said. "There's a lot of neat aspects to this."

If Ocean City does a great job, Miller said, the Snowbirds might be willing to do another air show there in the future.

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