Every times I pick up a paper it seems that someone else has died at an air show.  The horrific accident in Reno this weekend is certainly one of the worst I can recall.  Even being a spectator at airshows and auto racing can be not just hazardous but also deadly. 

The images captured on video were something from a violent horrible movie that you won’t let your kids go see.  To date, 9 people have died.  many others have life altering injuries.  Eye witnesses spoke of limbs and other body parts being severed.  That is too grisly to even think about.  Meanwhile, in Martinsberg,  West Virginia, another pilot died when his plane crashed onto the runway after performing a perfect maneuver in the sky.  No one was injured other than the pilot and the show was not close to spectators. 

 

At what point do we decide perhaps airshows aren’t such a good idea?  How many people have to die? 

Should airshows and auto racing enact industry standards to at least keep spectators far enough away so they don’t become part of the risk?   What is the final injury count in Reno? 

 

17 Thoughts to “On airshows in general”

  1. Second Alamo

    Well then, perhaps we should do away with automobiles, and trucks. These kill more people than all the planes, and wars combined. How about electricity. Now there’s a dangerous thing to have in (almost) every household in the nation. No, at some point humans must be allowed to enjoy those things which may carry some bodily risk, otherwise we will all turn into house plants. Sitting in the corner fearing to venture outside for we don’t know what danger lurks around the corner. Heck, they’ve already taken the monkey-bars out of the playgrounds! Besides, going to air shows is one of my favorite outings.

  2. Big Dog

    Remember the sad day of May 19, 1998 when the pilot of a SU-29 crashed
    and died in an annual DARE air show at Manassas airport. Many area students
    were at the event as a reward for completing a Drug Abuse Resistence
    Education program.

    After the crash, the event was stopped, in large part for safety reasons.

    1. I had forgotten all about that, Big Dog. I am wondering how much longer air shows are even going to be held. Every time I watch the news I see where someone else has been killed doing air stunts.

  3. marinm

    If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.

  4. @marin, are you suggesting that we tax the hell out of air shows? That might not be a bad idea. Anythiing to have fewer of them.

  5. Big Dog

    The Confederate Air Force also use to hold shows at Manassas Airport.

    Remember while boarding a B-25, for an aerial tour of the area,
    observing some wing repair work that looked like it was done with duct tape.
    A ground crew member later told me that it was indeed — duct tape,
    but “not to worry”. That was my last WW II plane ride.

  6. Slowpoke Rodriguez

    The legislation should certainly drop everything it’s doing (ha-ha) and get to work writing regulations for air shows. No doubt about it!

  7. Slowpoke Rodriguez

    legislature should drop….

  8. Slowpoke Rodriguez

    @marinm
    That’s an AWESOME line!

  9. Slowpoke Rodriguez

    Some video from the last Confederate Air Force show:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7OJvv4LG9M&feature=related

  10. Second Alamo

    Borrowing from the current administration, It’s the Wright Brother’s fault!

    1. @SA, so do you think air shows are even safe? How many people are killed annually at them?

      I guess if the Wright Bros had borrowed the money to finance 2 wars and initiated 2 hugely expensive social programs without funding it would be very appropriate to blame them. However, I think those home-boys were operating on a shoestring budget. It was harder to get financial backing in those days.

  11. marinm

    Every 3 minutes an American is injured by a fall. More American’s die due to falls than any other cause.

    Let’s ban gravity. Think of the children..

    Slow, I appologize. It’s not my quote. It was that liberal Reagan 👿
    [Marinm, I fixed your devil. It is evil inside 2 colons. MH]

  12. George S. Harris

    Old ai rplan es and old pilots are not a good mix for high speed airshows.

  13. Second Alamo

    Moon, according to reports only 20 pilots have died at the Reno air races in the past 47 years. I think the odds are it is far riskier driving to an air show than viewing one. Accidents happen. It’s all a matter of risk. None of us are going to get out of this world alive anyway, so you might as well enjoy it while you’re here. If you want to see planes with no risk of injury, then go to a museum. Just don’t stand under the ones suspended from the ceiling!

  14. NoHype

    There are risks that occur just from being born and new ones appear everyday. I for one do not plan on wrapping myself in bubble wrap and wear a helmet while walking around the house. Sometimes crap just happens.

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