Not wanting to be a stick in the mud, but it seems to me that every year we have at least one air show crash. Isn't it about time we stopped this? I'm all for entertainment and fun and am fascinated by aerodynamics, but the close proximity to the public of these air shows is a recipe for disaster as was proven yesterday. In my opinion, performing loops and barrel rolls in a densely populated area is foolhardy at best.
Or possibly saves some!! You obviously have an attitude issue. My comment was to create debate. If you want to argue, find someone who is interested in what you have to say or at least say something interesting and not offensive. Bye.
Then Sheff the question becomes what else you would ban. There are hundreds of other unnecessary activities that are statistically much more dangerous than air displays, and with much lower safety standards. The casualties are usually the pilots alone, and surely they are allowed to choose to do it, yesterday's incident is extremely unusual.
Post disaster talk will always include blame culture IMO. Things like the circstances shock us all into pointless debate ... my thoughts go to people who have lost lives and love ones Sorry but it's an accident There are many more accidents waiting to happen today just by getting into a car. Prevention IMO leads to nothing but total fear. Where do you stop?
I was going to post a thread on this as I was just a couple of miles away at the time of the crash. I had visited Drusilla's Zoo Park with my grandsons on Saturday morning. On the way I knew there were major delays on the A22 at East Grinstead and opted to head down the A23/M23 and then drive from Brighton via the A27. I remember passing Lancing College where the plane came down just outside. We arrived just after 10.00 and after a few hours in the Zoo which was jam packed decided we'd head out for Brighton, luckily the local radio reported major congestion on that road towards Brighton and we opted to go the other way to Eastbourne. I noticed just after we joined the A27 that there were quite a few police cars and ambulances racing in the opposite direction probably half a dozen by time we reached the A22. By time we were in Eastbourne the first reports of the crash came over the radio. I must say when they said it had come down hitting traffic on the A27 it really sent a chill down the spine, although it would have happened before we left the zoo it still makes you think 'when your number's up', 'what if we had left half an hour earlier?' you really think the worst. Must be horrific for the families involved and my sympathies go to all involved. I believe two of the fatalities were footballers who play for Worthing. As for airshows, they have been around a very long time and are major summer attractions, I was at Eastbourne last weekend for the 'Airbourne' show which featured the Red Arrows, most of the displays are out over the sea but Shoreham Airport is a couple of miles inland so a loop-the-loop is a bit surprising in such an area, although I remember seeing many at the Biggin Hill Shows in the past. I think it's likely such manoeuvres will be banned inland and it may be that airshows will be limited to coastal displays before too long...
A dreadful tragedy that. When you look at the footage, out of all the green fields he could have come down in, he landed right in the small bit of roadway where everyone was. Anywhere else and it would've only been the Pilot who was killed. Was he purposely trying to go as low as possible to swoop right over the heads of the motorists?
Barrel roll over a duel carriageway? EX RAF, EX BA pilot. Something went wrong lets wait and see what the investigation turns up. Some young people with big futures have lost there lives. RIP
I was a party last night in West Sussex 12 miles from accident sight This morning at breakfast about 30 people were discussing the accident ( loads of blame culture) then one woman received a call to tell her that two lads killed were her next door neighbours ... She has known them from toddlers ... Blaming people after that stopped I only met her last night but she was devasted and now has to tell her own sons the news as they are both touring in Australia . Sad old day really The group had just started on the pilot ... Before the phone call I said what do we know about anything it's an accident and I doubt if he makes a full recovery he will say sorry about that I will try that loop again. Terrible accident
Living in Norfolk as I do I used to take my boys regularly to the Mildenhall and Lakenheath open days/airshows. These were attended by quite literally thousands of people who had a great day out watching the displays and being served burgers and Buds by the servicemen's wives. My point is this, these and dozens of other airshows take place each year and are enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of people and generally go off without incident. Of course yesterday's events are nothing short of tragic, but if we try to remove all elements of risk from our lives we may as well all curl up and die now.
I was NOT suggesting anything you dullard, hence 'Isn't it about time we stopped this?' (please note the question mark). What I was attempting to do was garner opinion and debate. The posts following your drivel have achieved that. YOU TIT.
The Bournemouth Air Show has run for the last four days. Nearly all the 'stunt' flying takes place on the one mile stretch between Boscombe and Bournemouth piers and is over the sea. The days of flying directly over the crowds went many years ago after a big crash at Farnborough. Land-based displays usually take place over empty farmland, I thought, so I wonder if the Shoreham pilot was permitted to loop so close to the A27?
I thought there was some sort of rule that applied to aerobatics. No wonder most of these displays appear to be on the coast. As for the people that have tragically lost their lives, may they rest in peace.
