Blue Angels airshows July 13-15
No fireworks scheduled for July 4th on Pensacola Beach
BY LISA NEWELL Gulf Breeze News lisa@gulfbreezenews.com

Although the next big weekend for Pensacola Beach will be celebrating Independence Day, representatives from local agencies met last week with Santa Rosa Island Authority General Manager Buck Lee to establish a safety plan for the annual Blue Angels Airshow, which is set for July 13-15 at Pensacola Beach.

Boaters will see some new regulations, as traffic entering Little Sabine Bay will be "exit only" after the show begins and for one to two hours after the show, at the discretion of local law enforcement officers.

A no-wake zone will be established on both sides of the Bob Sikes bridge.

"A no wake zone will eliminate the possibility of boats flipping or hurting someone," Lee said.

Extra patrols will be on hand to make sure there are no boaters operating under the influence.

"Boaters who are drinking are a danger to the families trying to come out and enjoy their day," Lee said.

Representatives from the Fish and Wildlife Commission, Escambia County Sheriff's office, Gulf Breeze Police Department, Escambia County Emergency Operations Committee, Escambia County Fire Department, Midway Fire Department and Rural/Metro Ambulance Company, among others, sat in on a meeting to determine safety issues for the weekend which typically attracts 50,000 to 100,000 spectators by boat and car each year.

Gulf Breeze Police Deputy Chief Robert Randle said despite the lack of a road connecting Pensacola Beach to Navarre Beach, he's "not overly concerned" about traffic tie-ups during the show.

"This year, I know for a fact there is more parking. Hotels are open and there are more cleaned up residential areas. Traffic flow will not be hindered as bad," Randle said.

"More stores are open; there's more of everything open," compared to 2005, Randle said, when the beach was recovering from Hurricane Ivan. Then, GBPD Chief Peter Paulding urged the SRIA to cancel the airshow because of a lack of alternative routes on and off the beach and a lack of resources on the beach.

"People heeded the warnings and it was a manageable crowd," Randle said. "It was a win-win situation ... a win for the Island Authority and a win for us because people heeded our warnings."

Hurricane Dennis hit on July 10, one week after the Blue Angels show.

This year, Randle expects at least half again or double the crowds from last year.

"We will prepare no different than we do every year. We'll have all staff on duty and the VIPs (volunteers) helping," Randle said.