Airshow poised to bring millions
By Ethan Smith
Published in News on December 14, 2014 1:50 AM
Hotels will fill and jets will soar in Goldsboro this spring as the Air Force Thunderbirds have been secured for the two-day 2015 Wings Over Wayne Airshow.
And if past shows are any indication of what is to come, May 16 and 17 should have a significant impact on the Wayne County community, officials said.
Travel and Tourism director Betsy Roseman said the last air show, held in 2011, drew a crowd of 160,000 people -- and that organizers of the 2015 show are expecting at least that many to make their way onto Seymour Johnson Air Force Base this spring.
Ms. Roseman said performers will occupy at least 100 hotel rooms, and each overnight visitor to Goldsboro is expected to spend $165 per night. She said approximately one-third of all attendees are expected to be overnight visitors.
Wings Over Wayne will be marketed mainly on social media this time around, and radio spots will be taken out in Fayetteville, Elizabeth City, Cherry Point, Jacksonville and Virginia.
"We'll promote it to other military communities and, of course, the local community," Ms. Roseman said.
And given the fact that 4th Fighter Wing Commander Col. Mark Slocum is a former air show director, Ms. Roseman said she knew this was something he had been lobbying for since the moment he took command of the installation.
Seymour Johnson Air Force Base submitted an application to Air Combat Command to host an air show in July 2014. After that request was approved by Air Combat Command, it was then sent to the Pentagon for approval, said Staff Sgt. Charles Broadway.
After the Pentagon approved the request, an application was then submitted for the Air Force Thunderbirds to perform, which was approved Tuesday.
"With our partners from the USO and the combination of aerial and ground entertainment, it will be an awe-inspiring experience for our highly supportive North Carolina community," said Maj. James Ladd, Wings Over Wayne Airshow 2015 director. "The show will feature entertainment for all ages. Our gates will be open to anyone and everyone for this highly anticipated event. The skies above Seymour Johnson Air Force Base will be full of action."
And while millions of dollars are expected to make their way into local coffers, the benefits Goldsboro will experience will extend beyond economic impact, Ms. Roseman said.
"It brings awareness to Goldsboro," she said. "It brings in people that wouldn't normally come to Goldsboro and shows them what a great community we have and hopefully brings them back."