We are coming to the end of a truly bad airshow season.
A Polish F-16 demo fatality. A mid-air collision between two USN Growlers during a demo. A Blue Angels F/A-18 beach low pass. A USAF F-35A demo near ground impact. A fatal ground impact of a Hellenic Air Force F-4E. And so many more. Accidents, close calls, pilot errors, and willful violations of regulations and safety protocols.
Flying demonstrations and airshows are inherently dangerous, not just risky. I know risk as a test pilot, but I have always said that airshows are a new level of dangerous, with the unplanned chaos and pressure that inevitably arrive on the day. Pilots, even when trying their very best, make mistakes.
What is glaringly obvious this season is the complete void of leadership. Where is the guidance from the Air Bosses and Commanders to the aviators and performers? It should be black and white:
Your only job today is to be safe.
Fly your show as practiced.
Deviation will be met with the harshest consequences.
Be safe for yourself, your crew, your aircraft, and the thousands of fans who came to see you.
I never comment on an accident without all the facts, and the investigation into the September 5 crash of the Hellenic Air Force F-4E at Tanagra is still under way. But I will ask the question every commander should be asking: that morning, did the Air Boss, the Wing Commander, and the Squadron Commander read that crew and the other performers the riot act?
Yes, pilots must fly a safe show. But too many of this year’s accidents and incidents trace back to a lack of leadership and strict guidance. Pilots fly below their regulated minimums, or fail to recover at their prescribed minimum altitudes, because they decided to, not because they forgot. Where were the leaders to make them unmistakably aware that ego would not be tolerated that day?
Commanders, Air Bosses, and senior aviators are responsible for the safety of the aviators, their aircraft, and, above all, the innocent civilians who came to watch. What will it take to wake leadership up, to make them step in with clear guidance and enforce strict adherence to safety regulations? How catastrophic must an accident be before this deviation from the norm stops?
The season is almost over. We have a winter to reflect and clean up this mess before next spring. We cannot afford to waste it.
Recent Comments