Airshow over water cancels Tiffie Display after boaters refuse to come ashore

The RN represented by the RFA……..

What is the world coming to.

My parents’ near neighbour was a first Officer of a RFA vesssel in the 70’s and 80’s. He would have been very pleased with that

The crew will be ok as long as they wear the correct colour hard hats.

Interestingly, The Navy will be represented at the Bournemouth Airshow. by RFA Argus a fleet auxiliary vessel anchored offshore.

I understand that each member of the crew has completed a risk management assessment. With that implied guarantee, it is assured that all will survive to draw their pension.

Tony I see your point.

My sister lives at Hounslow underneath final approach to 27L – along with a million others. I’ll advise her that during Heathrow opening hours she should vacate her home on the grounds of probability and good risk management practice !

I cannot see a problem with boats there if unoccupied, the local show I go to the approach etc is over the car parking area and that is a closed off sterile and no one can leave while the flying display is operating. The road, I would have thought coast road will not be in the display area, but then you will know better than me as you have attended, however they may possibly transit to and from the display area over it, but then the risks are exactly the same as any aircraft flying across country, remember the risk assesment is to determine the risk, the perifery is probably deemd a low risk, while sitting on ones boat centre square is probably deemed the highest.

If the unthinkable should happen and somebody on a boat were killed. The tabloids would again be calling for a total ban on airshows,
wherever they were held. Aviation experts would be on every TV news programme, telling us what went wrong, and eye witnesses
telling everyone what they thought they saw. I don’t think we really need that………again.

I agree. In which case, if that is the sensible and popular view, then all boat mooring should not be allowed adjacent to, or within, or alongside the flightline.

In addition all traffic and pedestrian movement including public transport along the coast road within the orbit of the display should be stopped.

How far should we go to balance risk of all kinds ? I know that every time I jump on my bike I’m putting myself in the way of a lot of risk of injury or worse. Ditto, but less so – my car.

I’ve held a licence to fly for many years. Some would say – huge risk there ! Tony, this is a thorny question to which there are no completely satisfactory answers. You please some, you offend others. I just pray that the attitudes under discussion do not roll over to the Armed Forces – there are signs of that happening – or, we are in big trouble.

True but remember things do go wrong and the last thing as pilot needs to be worrying about is trying to steer his stricken aircraft clear of boats and their spectators when he should in all reality be about 500 foot above it watching the crash unfold into clear waters. it is totally unfair to put a pilot in the position of possibly giving his life to save others that should not really be there, the Spit in France comes to mind.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jThMA3Qy-TQ

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-462038/How-Spitfire-hero-sacrificed-save-airshow-crowds.html

Yes, of course they do but, it’s their choice ! There are too many would-be policemen trying to exercise control over every aspect of our lives.

Practically since they began, I’ve attended both Eastbourne and Bournemouth airshows. As far as I’m aware there has never been a hint of a problem to do with offshore boat mooring at either venue. Once or twice, no more than that, I’ve seen the spectator boats that had strayed too close to the shore approached by another boat at which point both moved back into the main spectator line up.

So, apart from what we’re told in the Press, what underpins the problem at Dartmouth ?

There are road signs such as Road Closed flooding, or road closed between… and …(insert dates times), or signs Danger do not enter unsafe…and they are ignored by some. So thats it, idiots exist.

If there’s never been a problem with parking offshore at Eastbourne why should one arise at Dartmouth or, anywhere else ? If the show organisers are determined to flex their muscles, get the boat owners to sign a disclaimer. That’s not too difficult.

And if they refuse too…. That is one thing that is part and parcel of an airshow ticket, so in a way you can argue the logic of pushing the display away from the crowd over these people is illogical as those attending have accepted the risk and signed up to a disclaimer.

I do wonder with that attitide how many rescuers in Houstion had a gun pointed at them recently?

When I’m told by persons with whom I have no connection that they wish to protect me, I reach for my gun ! There are far too many bossy boots around telling me it’s for my benefit.

If there’s never been a problem with parking offshore at Eastbourne why should one arise at Dartmouth or, anywhere else ? If the show organisers are determined to flex their muscles, get the boat owners to sign a disclaimer. That’s not too difficult.

I could say that the typical anti-social south coast Yotties sense of entitlement is the issue here…..

But since I don’t like stereotyping people and I have been sailing small and not so small yachts out of the Hamble and Portsmouth/Gosport since my teens I wouldn’t be so silly, especially as I can understand the almost impossible situation the organisers and display pilot were put in.

Agreed though you do end to have a plod or two on site for shows, and even if released once processed, it has removed them from the scene and probably leaves them with a good hike back to their vehicles. But a few well placed signs saying anyone found in this area will be arrested may prevent them ingressing into the area in the first place.

Yes, I understand but, who will do the arresting ? You can never find a copper when you want one. Not only that but according to the way ‘crime’ is graded these days, I would guess that the ‘crime’ in question has a very low priority !

Tony,

Bringing in an exclusion zone and then enforcing it – impractical !

Probably so John, but I watched the organisers at one show spend a lot of time moving people on for them to return when they left, being a civil offence they are powerless to prevent that, however if by creating a sterile display area under the ANO etc you can then ask the people to leave, take a happy snap of them as proof, and also tell them if they return they will be arrested, simple choice then isn’t it, and you now have the legal powers in place to enforce it.

FFS, they aren’t telling all the boaters to ****** off, just the ones in the display area. The Blues manage to display over the water in SF Bay because the Coasties & USN tell the boat owners where they can anchor or moor… This way they don’t end up cancelling the display because of one or two sanctimonious jackasses.

On the other hand, being right under the flightline is probably the worst place to view from.

Tony,

Bringing in an exclusion zone and then enforcing it – impractical !