The Apple Blossom weekend should fly by next year.

Local organizers met Wednesday morning to finalize their plans to bring an air show to Rosecrans Memorial Airport the first weekend in May. It will coincide with St. Joseph’s traditional parade. For an encore to the floats, candy and marching bands, the Missouri Air National Guard hopes to cap the weekend with the Blue Angels — the Navy’s flight demonstration squadron.

Two members of the Air Guard and the president of the St. Joseph Area Chamber of Commerce, Ted Allison, met with the Buchanan County Commission to pitch their plans. Their goal is to make the air show a biennial event. The Guard asked for $15,000 from the county for the show, which will be free to the public.

The county donated $15,000 to St. Joseph’s last air show in 2006 — an event that did not feature the Blue Angels. After deducting expenses, all revenue generated from concessions, donations and sponsorships will go toward multiple charities and a seed fund for the 2012 show.

Organizers plan to establish a board with representatives from the Air Guard, county, city and chamber to decide how to divide up the money. The 2006 show generated $9,950 for charity.

“It’s that exposure,” said Presiding Commissioner R.T. Turner, who believes the show will draw people from surrounding cities like Omaha, Neb., and Kansas City, as well. “You can’t put a dollar figure on that.”

Organizers originally planned their show for July, but the Blue Angels said there would be no chance they could come that month. As it is, the Blue Angels aren’t a guarantee, and Northwest Missouri won’t know for sure until the squadron releases its 2010 schedule in December. Last year, Cape Girardeau believed it had landed the Angels, only to find out otherwise at the schedule banquet, according to members of the Air Guard.

Still, Byron Newell of the Air Guard said the Blue Angels told him, “Your chances are very high.” Mr. Newell added the group is attracted to St. Joseph because of the organizers’ flexibility with scheduling dates, the fact they haven’t flown here in quite some time and the greater opportunity for public interaction at a smaller venue.

If the Angels did come, they likely would fly a practice show Friday for children’s and special-needs groups, with a formal, public event to follow that night. The Angels then would stage public shows Saturday and Sunday.

Wednesday’s meeting played out like a brainstorming session. The commissioners, chamber and Air Guard toyed with the idea of linking the air show to anything from the 150th anniversary of the Pony Express to the Chiefs’ training camp facility to the city’s annual barbecue competition.

Traffic and weather seem to be the biggest concerns initially. Mr. Newell and Michael Reinert, the 139th Airlift Wing’s chief flight engineer, pitched the idea of using military buses to transport people from the Apple Blossom Parade to the airport, which can be reached by only one, two-lane road.

Organizers could purchase insurance, should rain wipe out the performances.

“What sounds like fun ends up being a lot of work,” Mr. Allison said as the meeting closed.

Mr. Nelson and Mr. Reinert said they would need the county’s money in their fund by December so they could finalize contracts and begin with the marketing and preparations for the event. Mr. Turner said the county still needs to find the money, but is confident it can come up with the total.

R.J. Cooper can be reached at rjcooper@npgco.com.