Weather cancels final day of Frontiers in Flight air show
After being affected by high heat on Saturday, the Frontiers in Flight Airshow at McConnell Air Force Base canceled its second day because of damage from severe storms early Sunday.
Ten people received minor injuries during the storm, and two of them were taken to a hospital. None was a spectator.
“This is extremely disappointing, as we’ve been planning for two years for this air show and looking forward to hosting our neighbors from the Air Capital and nearby communities, across Kansas and literally from the surrounding states,” chief of public affairs John Van Winkle said Sunday.
“But one thing you learn in both aviation and hosting public events is that Mother Nature always has a vote in what you plan to do. And sometimes, like today, she can ruin all your plans.”
A slow-moving storm hit the Wichita area about 6:25 a.m., bringing brief heavy rain, lightning and 50 mph wind gusts, according to the National Weather Service in Wichita.
“Because of damage to services, we are unable to execute a safe air show,” the base said in a news release Sunday morning. As of 11:32 a.m. Sunday, the base was waiting for lightning to move out of the area before sending people out to assess damage.
Base personnel planned to detonate the show’s pyrotechnics Sunday afternoon after the weather cleared.
“A few of the show’s aerial performances use pyrotechnics and (they) can’t take those with them,” Winkle said. “So the safest and smartest move is for our explosives ordnance disposal team to do a controlled detonation of that pyro.”
Saturday’s air show drew a crowd of more than 65,000 people; 115 people were given medical care and 17 were taken to the hospital during the show. Most were treated for heatrelated conditions.
Temperatures Saturday hit a high of 98 degrees about 4:57 p.m., with a heat index value of 108 degrees. A heat advisory warning was in effect for Wichita until 8 p.m. Sunday, the National Weather Service said.
At that heat index value, a person can experience heat exhaustion, sunstroke and muscle cramps during extended time outdoors, according to the National Weather Service.