Airshows: Yes or No

I watched an Su-30MKI crash and burn at the 1999 Paris Airshow. The pilot ejected and survived. My desire to watch air shows did not. More high-profile accidents with fatalities followed, most notably in Reno and recently in Dayton.

Every accident was troubling, but I watched the news coverage in the mainstream and trade press, and followed the chatter on social media. I’m not going to make a case for or against airshows. But I will make a case against hypocrisy, because many of us seem to want it both ways.

As spectators, we want the thrill of a great show, but not the risk or consequences. As an industry, we welcome the positive attention, but when something goes wrong, we decry any perceived focus on the negative. To wit: Immediately after fatalities in Dayton, I saw aviation people posting about how terrible it was that crash videos had been posted on YouTube because, “now that’s all anyone will remember” about the deceased. Watching the news, I listened as a woman expressed outrage because her children were upset after witnessing the fatal crash. Yes, these things are regrettable. But, honestly, what else would you expect?

If you perform in an air show and things go well, you’ll be part of an elite group and a media darling. If you are involved in an accident, well, that’s all some people will remember. If you attend a show, it’s quite possible that you will see an airplane crash and witness someone’s death. You and your family could also be injured or killed.

When it comes to airshows, we all need to decide what’s right for us. And while our choices will differ, I hope we can agree on just one thing: we can’t have it both ways.