Ventura County Naval Base Cuts Air Show, All Base Events

The Ventura County Naval Base's cancellation of its air show is not the only event getting the axe due to automatic budget cuts.

"All the major base events like the mud run or the Port Hueneme surf contest, those have all been canceled. All the major base events have been canceled," said Vance Vasquez, deputy public affairs officer at Naval Base Venutra County.

The base's involvement in the Ride to the Flags, an annual motorcycle ride from the base on Point Mugu to Pepperdine University in Malibu, may also be on the chopping block due to sequestration.

"A decision hasn't been made on that," Vasquez said.

The Navy traditionally took part in the event with a 9/11 memorial with a rifle salute, flyover and dedication.

Ryan Sawtelle, the founder and organizer of Ride to the Flags, said his organization will do whatever it takes to keep the event going.

"There's no way Ride to the Flags is not going to happen," Sawtelle said.

Earlier this week, the Blue Angels, which were scheduled to headline the Sept. 28-29 air show at Point Mugu, announced the cancellation of all its events for the 2013 fiscal year.

"There's no money for it," Vasquez said. "It's money, money, money and there is none."

The air show at Naval Base Ventura County was expected to draw up to 200,000.

"They were our headliner for the show," Vasquez said. "The other military acts have also been grounded because of the military budget cuts."

Vasquez encourage air show enthusiasts to write their congressmen and the president.

"Those are the only options that you have for the air show," Vasquez said.

The air show in Ventura County is on a three-year rotation, so the next possible event may not be until 2016, if at all.

Vasquez said the naval base has recently been working to open its gates more to the public.

"This base probably more than any other base has made a concerted effort to open our gates to the public," Vasquez said. "We've all become accustomed to that."

He said the choice comes down to deploying an aircraft carrier or hosting an air show.

"People will forget what the original intent of the base is for," Vasquez said.

He hopes the base will be reopened to public events in the future.

"It's all depending on what the budget's like," he said.