Axe hanging over Welshpool Air Show

Welshpool Air Show could be axed this year because of a lack of air displays, it emerged today.

Organisers said they would do all they could to save the event because they wanted to hold it in memory of Mid Wales Airport owner Bob Jones.

But they said due to budget cuts, the Royal Air Force was only offering a limited number of air displays to events like the one at Welshpool.

Father-of-two Mr Jones, 60, founder and manager of the airport in Welshpool, was one of two men who died on January 18 when the seven-seater Piper Navajo light aircraft they were in came down on the Long Mountain, near Leighton, close to Welshpool.

Mr Jones was one of the founders and organisers of Welshpool Air Show, which has been held at his airport since it was launched more than three years ago.

John Morgan, one of the event's organisers, said committee members ideally wanted to hold this year's event on June 17 and make it one of the best ever in tribute to Mr Jones.

But he added: "Unfortunately, things are very much up in the air at the moment and we hope to hold a meeting later this week to discuss whether we can go ahead with this year's event or not.

"The air show relies heavily on what displays the RAF can allocate us and without a reasonable amount of them, we will find it difficult to go-ahead.

"We still don't know what the RAF can provide us with and until we see what they can offer, things are very much uncertain. We have an alternative where we could pay for more air displays to be provided from elsewhere, but it would all come down to whether it would be affordable to do or not.

"It's also going to be a harder event to organise this year because Bob used to sort most things out and point us all in the right direction. He is going to be sorely missed," he said.

"It is important that the show goes on and that it becomes a permanent feature in the calendar of events for Welshpool - I think it's what Bob would have wanted."

See also:

• 500 at final farewell to Welshpool plane crash victim Bob Jones

• Welshpool airport boss victim of plane crash horror Read more: http://www.shropshirestar.com/news/2012/01/19/welshpool-airport-boss-victim-of-plane-crash-horror/#ixzz1n1cZZOyR Read more: http://www.shropshirestar.com/news/2012/02/13/500-at-final-farewell-to-welshpool-plane-crash-victim-bob-jones/#ixzz1n1cWQsTc