Blue Angels return to Kalispell

The Navy's Blue Angels performance flying team will return to the Flathead Valley in July, providing the centerpiece to the Kalispell Chamber of Commerce's Mountain Madness Air Show.

The team, which also came here in 1999, announced its 2005 schedule late last week. It will perform in Kalispell the weekend of July 30-31, after which it goes to Seattle.

"We're very excited," Chamber President Joe Unterreiner said. "We have some really wild stuff lined up. It's going to be a lot of fun."

Planning for the 2005 event started in August and cranks into high gear after New Year's. A three-member team from the chamber attended the International Council of Air Shows last week to book other acts. Unterreiner said more details will be available after the contracts are finalized.

"We might keep some of them a surprise," he said. "But we have a lot of interest from a lot of fabulous acts."

The valley has a reputation for really rolling out the red carpet for performers, Unterreiner said. Both the Blue Angels and the Air Force Thunderbirds wanted to come to Kalispell this year, but the Blue Angels committed first.

The Navy team will fly 69 demonstrations at 35 sites during the year, including big cities such as San Francisco and Indianapolis and other small towns such as Vidalia, Ga. It's also scheduled to perform at a number of Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force bases, given that its main mission is to promote recruitment and retention and to enhance the morale of service personnel.

The Blue Angels schedule includes five stops in Florida and five in Texas. No other state has more than two show sites. The Mountain Madness Air Show will be the Navy team's only stop in Montana.

The 1999 air show attracted 35,000 people over two days and helped set a record for hotel bed tax collections.

The chamber's budget for the 2005 show is $65,000, up from about $45,000 last time. Tickets should go on sale sometime in February, Unterreiner said.

Reporter Bill Spence may be reached at 758-4459 or by e-mail at bspence@dailyinterlake.com