Air show ignites scuttlebutt of battle over great blue yonder

Adrienne Packer

Thursday, Jan. 20, 2000 | 10:25 a.m.

There might be a military battle brewing in the skies above Clark County, but officials at Nellis Air Force Base hardly see it as a threat.

Las Vegas Air Show Inc., a newly formed firm, recently announced plans for an annual military air show at Jean Airport. The event will be the second of its kind in Clark County.

The company, which has declined to release details, said its inaugural show will run Oct. 13-15.

Hilarie Grey, the county's aviation media relations manager, said Las Vegas Air Show Inc. signed a three-year contract with the county earlier this month. The agreement guarantees the county $5,000 collected in gate fees or 2 percent of the show's gross revenue, whichever is greater.

Organizers of the show said tickets will probably be $10.

"This will be a whole weekend extravaganza with family activities and concerts," Grey said. "They'll have aerobatics, pyrotechnics, displays of military aircraft and demonstrations."

Rudy Mulnati, who has headed Chicago's air and water show for the last seven years, is president of the local air show company. Grey said Chicago's event attracts 2 million people a year and is the largest two-day spectator event in the country.

Mulnati is enthusiastic about the Jean show because the desert environment allows for a wider variety of acts, including the use of pyrotechnics, according to Grey.

"They have never done it in a desert landscape before," Grey said. "They're excited about the dramatic demonstrations against the backdrop of the mountains."

The Jean show will feature one of North America's premier aerobatics teams -- either the Air Force Thunderbirds, the Navy's Blue Angels or the Canadian Air Force's Snowbirds. Grey said the Snowbirds are scheduled for the first show.

The October event will be the second military air show scheduled in Clark County this year. On May 6 Nellis Air Force Base will host its biennial show.

Air Force Capt. Veronica Kemeny said Nellis' show attracts hundreds of thousands of aircraft enthusiasts and a second event wouldn't affect its attendance.

"We're excited about our show," she said. "People do air shows all the time and we have no problem with it."

Grey said the county hopes the Jean show will attract thousands of out-of-town visitors.

"We hope this will draw from all over the Southwest and Los Angeles," Grey said. "We want people coming into town to make this a part of their weekend."

The two issues raised with the announcement of most new air shows -- the effect on the environment and traffic -- should be cleared up before the October show, Grey said.

The show will take place on the Jean Airport's property and in its air space and shouldn't disturb a desert tortoise preservation area nearby, she said.

Grey said as far as traffic, the company still must obtain the necessary permits from the county. If traffic is a concern, Las Vegas Air Show Inc. will have to conduct a traffic study and prove it can accommodate show-goers.