A company based in Florida may bring an air show to the Augusta Regional Airport in 2023.
Bryan Lilley, owner of B. Lilley Productions, LLC spoke virtually to a May 26 meeting of the Augusta Aviation Commission’s Air Show Committee.
He said his business, which began producing air shows in 2007, organizes six per year, ranging from Ocean City, Md., to Fort Lauderdale, Fla. They also have an upcoming show in Atlanta Nov. 5 and 6.
He explained each event is incorporated as an limited liability company, so each one is a separate event.
“The LLC sole purpose is to operate that event. Each entity enters into a use of property agreement with the airport or the airfield. We enter into an agreement that talks about how the property is going to be used and what needs to be used and what support needs to be provided from the host venue,” he said. “We assume all the financial risk for the event, which is a big thing. The financial risk is probably the biggest barrier to entry and doing an air show.”
He said their liability covers anything that can impact the show, from weather up to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Lilley outlined the two types of air shows his company produces. Both include military aircraft of some kind. One is a smaller show that can feature the Raptor F-22 and F-35 aircraft. The headliner for the larger show is either the Thunderbirds or the Blue Angels.
The smaller show sets its schedule one year in advance, which would be 2023, and is accepting applications. The show with the Thunderbirds or Blue Angels sets its schedule two years in advance, so those shows would be in 2024. The deadline to apply for both shows is July 1.
His company also supplies a team of subcontractors that work on each event, along with coordinating volunteers. There is a list of things his company needs the airport to do.
“Stakeholder introductions, helping us and being liaison with the county, the city, the CVB. People that will play a significant role. Prospective sponsor introductions. You know, the major funding sources for an airshow is sponsorships and hospitality. Community groups, introductions for volunteers. We have an organic volunteer recruiting on each event website. But that doesn’t usually cover the whole need on volunteers. So, we seek volunteer groups to be able to manage concession stands, man retail stands,” Lilley said.
One thing his company does not oversee is parking and traffic management. The company brings in a professional parking management company to develop the traffic and parking logistics.
“So, I would say that if I was doing this, or I was making a recommendation to you, and you want to do a show in 2023, I would go and submit for and we’ll lobby to try and get the Raptor, the F 35, to be able to headline a 2023 show, and then look at doing a jet team in 2024,” Lilley said.
Filing an application is not a guarantee a city will be selected. It also doesn’t lock the city into anything initially. Authority members voted to move forward with allowing Lilley to begin the application process.
Commissioner Randy Sasser, who is chairman of the air show committee, said bringing an air show back to Augusta is very doable.
“Only our imagination is the limitation. The enthusiasm for any type of big jet show, brings tens of thousands of people will want to be here. So, my responsibility is to help promote this airport and an air show is one of the best ways to do that,” he said.
A date for a local air show has not been finalized, but authority members suggested anytime from mid-May to mid-June.
Information about this year’s air show in Atlanta is available at: https://airshowatlanta.com/
Dana Lynn McIntyre is a general assignment reporter for The Augusta Press. Reach her at dana@theaugustapress.com
