Warren County airport staff say military jet teams passed on 2026; smaller show and 2027 bid possible

Warren County facilities committee members heard on Jan. 1 that the county was not selected by any military jet teams for a 2026 air show, but airport staff said they will explore smaller or blended events and plan to reapply for the 2027 cycle.

The airport update came at the start of the committee meeting, when a staff member identified as Matt told the committee, “we were not selected by any of the military jet teams. So Thunderbirds, Blue Angels, and so on.” He said staff will “continue to work with the Airshow Network to possibly have a smaller show in the interim, or maybe a blend show, a style display airshow mixed with a car show,” but cautioned the county will need to examine production costs and expect a decision “maybe within the next month or two.”

Committee members and staff also discussed reapplying for the military jet teams for 2027. Matt said the Airshow Network “didn't give any official reasons” for the 2026 decision and added that the region likely isn’t a major market for the largest military teams. He and others also raised logistics concerns, including the size of the aerobatic box and the fact that “there's 14 homes within that acrobatic box,” which would require coordination with homeowners for temporary relocation or accommodations during a show.

Airport staff gave several operational updates alongside the air-show news. Robin (staff) and airport presenters reported steady progress on the planned solar farm, with trenching, fence and electrical work underway and most equipment and panels already on site. Staff said the developer submitted updated electrical plans to the Town of Queensbury’s assessor and that crane operations required resubmitting FAA paperwork because the contractor’s crane may need to reach roughly 80–100 feet. That resubmission to the FAA (FAA Form 7460) could create a 30–45 day delay for crane-related work, staff said.

On hangar work, staff reported the new 6-BAT hangar project is in punch-list stage and tenants are expected to move in next month. Completion of that project will allow the county to proceed with demolition and reconstruction of older hangars later in 2025; staff said that demo and new construction are planned to go to bid this year with construction starting later in 2025.

Finally, airport staff said consultant Mark Warren & Johnson will present a brief master-plan update to the committee next month; staff will invite the Pilots Association and other interested parties to attend.

The county’s airport briefing included operational constraints and timing caveats but no formal committee actions were taken on any airport items during the meeting.