PNC and the Prairie Air Show announced plans to relocate the annual air show to the Peoria/East Peoria Riverfront June 8 & 9, 2012.   See full a nnouncement below.  Jim McConoughey apoke at the press conference regarding the econoimic impact of the show:

Average time spent at the Air Show is 5.6 hours
Each group (3.77 people per group) spends avg of $98
35% travel more than 40 miles to attend
Last year 30,000 people attendeed with a regional economic impact of over $750,000
Expect a 50% increase in 2012 because of new location and no admission fee.
2012 economic impacted expected to be $1.2 Million

                           
PNC Air Show 2012 Set to Take Flight in June on the Riverfront

PEORIA, Jan. 24, 2012 – The PNC Air Show 2012 will take flight on Friday and Saturday, June 8-9, at the Riverfront with several exciting changes, including free admission.

PNC Bank will return as the sponsor for the annual show, which is conducted by the Prairie Air Show Inc.

“Air show volunteers and city officials from both Peoria and East Peoria have been working hard for the past several months to bring the air show to the Riverfront,” said Brett Krause, Prairie Air Show director.  “The Riverfront is a great location and we know the new location is more convenient for many people.”

New for this year’s air show will be an evening performance on Friday, June 8. Planes specially equipped for night shows with lights and pyrotechnics will light up the sky.  On Saturday, the traditional afternoon performance will be a slightly longer than the Friday evening show, allowing the pilots to perform longer aerobatic performances.

“The show’s new location and free admission will make the program more accessible to many of our friends and neighbors in Peoria, East Peoria and throughout central Illinois,” said Doug Stewart, PNC Bank regional president for central Illinois.  “As the sponsor, our goal is to make sure that we can continue to have this kind of unique and exciting entertainment in our community.”

Some of the performers at the 2012 PNC Air Show include:
AeroStars             John Klatt             Skip Stewart
Jacquie B            Mike Vaknin            Clyde Zellers
Bill Left             U.S. Army Black Daggers

For more information about the show, visit www.prairieair.org
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Prairie Air Show, Inc. is a non-profit, 501(c)3 organization run solely by volunteers.  Prairie Air Show Inc. is proud to give back to the community through local charitable groups and to support our local men and women in the military through service organizations.

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