Airshow

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The UK Utterly Butterly display team flying Boeing Stearman PT-17 biplanes at an English airshow
The UK Utterly Butterly display team flying Boeing Stearman PT-17 biplanes at an English airshow
Aviation Nation 2006 at Nellis Air Force Base, USA
Aviation Nation 2006 at Nellis Air Force Base, USA

Airshows are held for a variety of reasons. Some are held purely as a business venture or as a trade event where aircraft, avionics and other services are promoted to potential customers. Many airshows are held is support of local, national or military charities. Many military air airms also organise airshows at military airfield as a public relations exercise to thank the local community, promote military careers and raise the profile of the military.

Airshow "seasons" vary around the world. Whereas the US enjoys a long season that generally runs from March to November, other areas often have much shorter seasons. The European season usually starts in late April or Early May and is usually over by mid October. The Middle East, Australia and New Zealand hold their events between January and March. However, for many acts the "off season" does not mean a period of inactivity. Essential maintenance and practicing is often performed over the winter.

The type of displays seen at an event are constrained by a number of factors, not least the weather and visibility. Most aviation authorities now publish set rules and guidance on minimum display heights and criteria for differing conditions. Aside from the weather, local airspace restrictions are also important considerations for the display organisers and pilots. Most display items will plan "Full," "Rolling" and "Flat" display for varying weather and airspace conditions.

The types of displays vary greatly. Some are large scale military events with large flying displays and ground exhibitions while other held at small local airstrips can often feature just one or two hours of flying with just a few stalls on the ground. Air Displays can be held during day or night with the latter becoming increasingly popular. Shows don't always take place over airfields either. Shows have been held over the grounds of stately homes or castles and over the sea at coastal resorts. "Flying Proms" are displays that are held in conjunction with classic music concerts with the aircraft flying to live musical performances.

Contents

[edit] Attractions

Air racing at an air show in England: the Red Bull Air Race heat held at Kemble Airfield, Gloucestershire. The aircraft fly singly, and pass between pairs of pylons
Air racing at an air show in England: the Red Bull Air Race heat held at Kemble Airfield, Gloucestershire. The aircraft fly singly, and pass between pairs of pylons

Before the second world war, airshows were associated with long distance air races, often lasting many days and covering thousands of miles. While the Reno Air Races keep this tradition alive, most airshows today primarily feature a series of aerial demos of short duration.

Most airshows will feature warbirds, aerobatics, and demonstrations of modern military aircraft, and many airshows offer a variety of other aeronautical attractions as well, such as wing-walking, radio-controlled aircraft, water/slurry drops from firefighting aircraft, simulated helicopter rescues, etc.

Specialist aerobatic aircraft have powerful piston engines, light weight and big control surfaces, making them capable of very high roll rates and accelerations. A skilled pilot will be able to climb vertically, perform very tight turns, tumble his aircraft end-over-end and perform manoeuvres during loops.

RAAF F-111 performing a dump-and-burn fuel dump at the Australian International Airshow.
RAAF F-111 performing a dump-and-burn fuel dump at the Australian International Airshow.

Solo military jet demos, also known as tactical demos, feature one aircraft, usually a strike fighter or an advanced trainer. The demonstration focuses on the capabilities of modern aircraft used in combat operations. The display will usually demonstrate the aircraft's very short (and often very loud) takeoff rolls, fast speeds, slow approach speeds, as well as their ability to quickly make tight turns, to climb quickly, and their ability to be precisely controlled at a large range of speeds. Manoeuvres include aileron rolls, barrel rolls, hesitation rolls, Cuban-8s, tight turns, high-alpha flight, a high-speed pass, double Immelmans, and touch-and-gos. Tactical demos may include simulated bomb drops, sometimes with pyrotechnics on the ground for effect. Aircraft with special characteristics that give them unique capabilities will often display those in their demos; For example, Russian fighters with Thrust vectoring may be used to perform Pugachev's Cobra or the Kulbit, among other difficult maneuvers that cannot be performed by other aircraft. Similarly, an F-22 pilot may hover his jet in the air with the nose pointed straight up, a Harrier or Osprey pilot may perform a vertical landing or vertical takeoff, etc.

Six F-16 Fighting Falcons of the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds aerobatics team fly in delta formation in front of the Empire State Building in Manhattan during a photoshoot preceding the 2005 Jones Beach airshow.
Six F-16 Fighting Falcons of the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds aerobatics team fly in delta formation in front of the Empire State Building in Manhattan during a photoshoot preceding the 2005 Jones Beach airshow.

[edit] Safety

The Frecce Tricolori aerobatics team of the Italian Air Force, flying at the Royal International Air Tattoo, Fairford, England in (2005)
The Frecce Tricolori aerobatics team of the Italian Air Force, flying at the Royal International Air Tattoo, Fairford, England in (2005)
Frecce Tricolori at RIAT 2005
Frecce Tricolori at RIAT 2005

Airshows present some risk to spectators and aviators. Accidents occur, sometimes with a large loss of life, such as the 1988 disaster at Ramstein Air Base in Germany and the 2002 airshow crash at Lviv, Ukraine. Because of these accidents, the various aviation authorities around the world have created set rules and guidance for those running and participating in air displays. Air displays are often monitored by aviation authorities to insure safe procedures remain in place and working

These rules govern the distance to the crowds that aircraft must fly. These vary according to the rating of the pilot/crew, the type of aircraft and the way the aircraft is being flown. For instance, slower lighter aircraft are usually allowed to closer and lower to the crowd that larger, faster types. Also, a fighter jet flying straight and level will be able to do so closer to the crowd and lower than if it were performing a roll or a loop.

Pilots can get authorisations for differing types of displays (i.e. Limbo flying, basic aerobatics to unlimited aerobatics) and to differing minimum base heights above the ground. To gain such authorisations, the pilots will have to demonstrate to an examiner that they can safely perform to those limits without endangering themselves, ground crew or spectators.

Despite display rules and guidances, accidents have continued to happen. However, airshow accidents are rare and where there is proper supervision airshows have impressive safety records. Each year, organisations such as The International Council of Air Shows and The European Airshow Council meet and discuss various subjects including airshow safety where accidents are discussed and lessons learnt.

[edit] Historical airshows

[edit] Major airshows

Royal International Air Tattoo, England
Royal International Air Tattoo, England
  • The world's largest military air show is the Royal International Air Tattoo (RAF Fairford, Gloucestershire, England, United Kingdom), held annually in July. The RIAT gathers military aircraft and military display teams from all over Europe, and sometimes Asia and the United states.
  • The annual EAA AirVenture Oshkosh airshow (Oshkosh, Wisconsin), organized by the Experimental Aircraft Association, is attended by more people and by more aircraft than any other airshow. The week-long event, typically in late July or early August, focuses on experimental aircraft, such as homebuilts and warbirds, but will also feature aerobatics acts, military aircraft, and airliners. The airshow also includes talks by influential people in aviation, as well as a large area with booths where aircraft, aircraft parts, aircraft services, and aircraft memorabilia are traded. The other major yearly airshow organized by the EAA is "Sun 'n Fun", held every April at Lakeland, Florida.
  • Airshows in the United States that display a wide variety of modern military aircraft (helicopters, jet fighters, bombers, cargo aircraft, stealth aircraft, etc) include Andrews AFB every May, NAS Oceana every September, Langley AFB every spring,MCAS Miramar every October, and Aviation Nation at Nellis AFB every November. Each of these airshows feature nearly all frontline aircraft in service with the U.S. armed forces. The annual airshow and open house held every October at Edwards AFB also features prototypes, spaceplanes, proof-of-concept demonstrators, rarely-seen stealth airplanes, and other futuristic experimental aircraft, in addition to most frontline aircraft types in service with the US Air Force.
  • The US airshows showing warbirds include the Planes of Fame airshow held at Chino each May, and the "Thunder Over Michigan" show at Willow Run each August. The British equivalents are the three or four airshows held in Duxford throughout the year, especially the Flying Legends airshow in July. The Oshkosh airshow, mentioned above, also features a large number and variety of warbirds.
  • The two largest air and aerospace trade shows are the Farnborough Air Show (Farnborough, Britain), held in July on even-numbered years, and the Le Bourget Air Show (Paris, France), held in June on odd-numbered years. In addition to displays for the general public, these two shows have important showcases and display halls for professionals. They are one of the occasions when aerospace companies announce deals.
  • Asian Aerospace, previously the third largest in the world, has been held in Singapore since its inception in 1981, although disagreements over a movement of the exhibition venue will see it move to Hong Kong in 2008. A new show, the Singapore Airshow [1], will take its place in Singapore from the same year in February.
  • The Singapore Airshow [2], slated to be Asia's largest airshow, will be held in February on even-numbered years, at the new Changi Exhibition Centre which is purpose-built for aviation and aerospace exhibitions.
  • The biggest airshow and aerospace trade show in Russia is MAKS, held at Zhukovskiy in June. MAKS often features multiple jet display teams from western Europe, and Russia alone has an Su-27 team, a MiG-29 team, and an L-39 team, all of whom perform demos at MAKS.
  • The world's oldest air show is the Internationale Luft- und Raumfahrtausstellung Berlin (ILA) in Berlin, Germany going back to 1909.
  • Airshows held at the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome display the largest collection of flying antique airplanes in the United States, including several aircraft from World War 1, a handful of aircraft from the 1909-1913 period, and many aircraft from the 1920s.
  • The Battle Creek's Field of Flight Airshow & Balloon Festival held in Battle Creek, Michigan every July (June-July) is known as America's largest 4th of July Airshow normally displaying Great Stunts, Aerobatic Performances, Military Jets and normally a Jet Team.[citation needed]
  • China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition, largest airshow in the People's Republic of China.[citation needed]
  • Sunderland International Airshow held in Sunderland, England is the largest free airshow in Europe [3].

Southend Airshow, Essex England is Europe's longest running free airshow, it started in 1986 and boasts some of the largest attendance figures for any two day airshow in the UK.[citation needed]

LIMA Langkawi International Marintime and Aerospace airshow: Langkawi Malaysia

  • FIDAE This fair is held in Chile in even-numbered years, it features more then 300 expositors and is the major one in Latin America. The fair is located near the Arturo Merino Benitez international airport, and is over 30 years old.

[edit] Other notable airshows

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Main article: List of notable airshows

[edit] External links

[edit] Airshow calendar

[edit] Miscellaneous airshow websites

[edit] See also

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International Airshows
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