The American Heroes Air Show, the only para-public-focused airshow that is focused primarily on Police, Aerial Firefighting, Military, and other rotary-centric helicopter operations, has been forced to cancel their more than 25-year consecutive run in the Los Angles area at the Hansen Dam complex after the Los Angles Recreation and Parks Department requested a lengthy and costly environmental survey be done before the show, scheduled in less than six weeks on November 16, 2024.
According to an email viewed by AerialFire, the move to force the environmental survey was requested by the landowner of the Hansen Dam Complex, the Army Corps of Engineers, who requested the survey ahead of the show on October 11, 2024.
American Heroes organizers, after consulting with several companies, were unable to find one to complete the survey ahead of the show’s scheduled date of November 16. They were also quoted prices from $18,000 USD to $68,000 USD to complete the survey, which is well beyond the reach of the not-for-profit entity.
American Heroes organizer Jim Paules said in a statement, “We extend our relentless appreciation to our many passionate volunteers, public safety organizations, and military teams who have supported this admission-free community event at the Hansen Dam Sports Complex since 1996.”
In the past years, the show has been attended by the Los Angeles County Sheriff, CAL FIRE, San Bernardino County Sheriff, Orange County Fire Authority, and dozens of other para-public operators involved in aerial firefighting in the LA basin and surrounding areas.
While the future of the American Heroes Airshow in the Los Angeles area is currently in doubt, the 25-year-old show’s legacy will be fondly remembered by the many thousands of attendees should it not continue at the current venue.
