To think we shouldn't have small plane 'airshows'

[JeffsanArsehole]

It seems every year in a small plane at an airshow there's some terrible and tragic accident. 7 people dead so far today.

It's not the same as large commercial craft where out of the thousands of planes every year one or two crashes.

I don't remember a year where one hasn't crashed.

YABU

YANBU. Boring, noisy and occasionally deadly. Fun fun.

I don't think this discussion is appropriate right this second. Perhaps your right, but it seems rather bad taste to me, talking about it before full facts are known. There are people out there who don't even know if their families have been involved yet.

Given how many air shows happen every year compared to accidents the risk is small. You might as well ban flying altogether.

There's less than a hundred air shows a year in Britain, it's not comparable to commercial flights.

So at least one in a hundred chance of an accident. And since by accident we often mean fatality then thats a lot.

I agree with MrsGently - this is thread is in very poor taste today. There well be MNetters who have lost people in this tragedy that have yet to be informed.

This covers all years from 1910 onwards

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_air_show_accidents_and_incidents#2015

It is dwarfed by the number of commercial plane crashes.

Why is it in poor taste? The OP is saddened and concerned about the loss of life. If I had family among those killed or injured today (and my heart goes out to all who have) then I might ask the same question.

The amount of people killed in commercial air crashes is far higher.

We can not ban everything because there are accidents. I have seen plenty of kids injured in soft plays over the years. Don't think they should be banned.

This is terrible, love and best wishes to everyone involved. We have been to the Shoram show regularly. We also go to other shows where the flying takes place over the sea. maybe that is the way forward.

I agree , the rate of accidents is absolutly minuscule compared to car driving, for example.

thats no consolation to those people involved today thoug.

Today's accident was truly awful and my heart goes out to all those involved.

Years ago I was at an air show and saw a fatal plane crash. It was horrible. I've been to another one or two since but I can't relax and always expect it to happen again.

But I expect all the pilots at these shows have very high flying hours, not least in the planes they are displaying. They will have practised and practised manoeuvres for years and been rehearsing this year's display since about March. There's no particular reason to think that a crash is any less likely to happen in rehearsal, so air shows can't really be banned without huge restrictions placed on private flying in general.

YABU. We can't ban everything with a tiny risk involved.

I feel incredibly sad for everyone involved in the tragedy today.

I know it's in bad taste but I can't stop myself. People are terrible at cost/benefit analysis and at working out the difference between the number of deaths and the proportion. If course there are more RTA deaths because there are billions of people on the roads everyday. There aren't billions of people at or near air shows.

Commercial air travel is very safe, per mile traveled. I am willing to bet air shows with small planes aren't. Also, I need to fly for work, to see family and, yes, for vacations. We don't actually need air shows.

Today is not the day, but I think the discussion is needed.

I think from the POV of those flying it is always worth the risk to themselves.

I saw this guy flying last week in a different aircraft. It was epic. We live almost under the flying zone and as I watched the two planes that were performing together depart and fly off into the sunset, they were still messing about and rolling and looping around each other, not for an audience as they were well out of the arena, but for the sheer pleasure of flying.

That memory will stick with me now as a very special moment and I hope to God that he pulls through this and flies again.

Huge condolences to everyone who is, or was, involved.

I think I can say that views among some pilots appear to be fairly negative about the wisdom of performing such a manoeuvre in close proximity to a major road.

YANBU. DH went to one as a child and witnessed a terrible crash. Horrible.

Yanbu, I don't like them. It's tragic what has happened today

YANBU. I agree with you, OP. Even when they pass without incident, they create a raft of totally unnecessary environmental impact.

Yanbu. There does seem to have been too many accidents recently. Just seeing the planes on the ground would be enough. Thought with all those effected by todays accident.

Yabu. There's been 6 fatal crashes in ten years. This is the first one involving non pilots.

Sorry, should say the first one in a long time involving non pilots. Dunno if perhaps there have been any non pilot incidents say 18 years ago.

Can't work out if it's been mentioned as I have a toddler bothering me but this is the first airshow accident in the UK to cause spectator/ground fatalities since 1952.

There have been two air show accidents today; the first, fortunately, did not result in loss of life.
www.wave105.com/news/local/light-aircraft-crash-on-the-isle-of-wight/

Are they more frequent than previous years? Or is the perceived increase due to an increase in the number of flights overall? Whichever, it is tragic and my thoughts are with all the families involved.