…and a further post of mine from later in that thread, elaborating on a few points.

Just to clarify, I’m not suggesting that change is needed at British airshows; recent crowd figures have certainly shown the popularity of such events in the UK. There is no need to ‘reinvent the wheel’ as such, but there’s still scope for originality without compromising the attributes that make airshows popular to the general public.

Take Stephen White’s Duxford 2001 airshow. His idea was simple – to present many of the vintage aircraft in set pieces, routines and formations reflecting the way in which they were flown in their historical context. He tied it all together by presenting the theme of the airshow – Air Assault – by charting the history of one particular squadron, using the aircraft flown by said squadron to show the development of ‘Air Assault’ from World War One through to the present day. This also allowed him to tie in a couple of sub-themes, such as a Hawker tribute.

The line-up itself was excellent, yes, but other than the Apaches, there was nothing that hadn’t been seen at Duxford, or elsewhere, before. But it was the way in which the theme(s) of the show were sold to the crowd by the programme, the commentary and the story being told in the air that made it a ‘special’ show, which lives long in the memory. To give a couple of examples, the Hawker tribute saw the Shuttleworth Collection’s Hawker Cygnet flying past the crowd as the ‘prototype’ Hunter roared past, further and higher from the crowd, showing barely 30 years of aviation development in one pass. Then you had the sequence showing the development of fighter tactics, from the aerial combat of WWI to the box-four of Hurricanes (complete with the ‘weaver’) before transitioning to a finger-four arrival and tailchase of four Spitfires. All the while, the commentators put over the ideas – both thematically and contextually – that Stephen had striven to portray. Later in the day, we had a Dakota parachute drop, a 2x Apache & Harrier formation set to ‘Carmina Burana’ and a host of other aircraft, almost all of which fit neatly into the ‘Air Assault’ theme. They even had the Red Arrows flying before the show.

They took what could have been a standard show of solos and the odd formation and turned it into something bigger. An event that told a story – that educated, rather than entertained. Isn’t that something worthwhile for the younger generations? Without being preachy or patronising, they told the story of the development of one particular area of aviation history.

My point is that it is possible to present aircraft in unique and interesting ways without dilluting the content and removing the crowd pleasing acts. Not just so the enthusiasts can see some unusual formations, but to turn a standard airshow into something that will stand out for years to come, that may even inspire people.

It could be argued that families and general visitors would “stay away in their droves”, should an organiser be bold enough to mix things up a little and move away somewhat from the traditional crowd pleasing acts. There are plenty of smaller shows that draw good sized crowds without even having the traditional crowd pleasers. Take Little Gransden and Sywell – two airshows that present primarily vintage aircraft that would be of little interest to non-enthusiasts, yet they always get strong attendance figures. Little Gransden broke records last year with the amount of money raised for charity, so they must be doing something right.

I’m not even saying that organisers shouldn’t book the popular display acts; like I say, why reinvent the wheel? But that doesn’t mean you can’t do something a little different with the other aircraft you have. Biggin Hill, for example, portrayed a Battle of Britain dogfight with the Buchon and Spitfire TIX, utilising air raid siren sound effects to turn a standard Buchon solo into an ‘airfield attack’. It was essentially an ordinary tailchase, but by presenting it as a dogfight set-piece, it adds a little originality to the proceedings. East Kirkby did something similar earlier this month that looked, from the YouTube clips I’ve seen, like it worked a treat. You also have Carolyn Grace’s Spitfire solo and Nigel Lamb’s MH434 displays, the bookends of the show, both flying to music and thus coming across as “more” than just a Spitfire display. The music added that emotional edge to it, in my opinion, and showed how effectively musical accompaniment can be.

As for ground acts, there is scope for development here. The re-enactor encampment at Shoreham is a good example of how effective such ground attractions can be at adding a bit of historical context for the general public, whilst allowing for some evocative photographs featuring period-dressed airmen and the like. It sets the scene and gives that particular area of the aircraft part a unique atmosphere. Looking at some of the ways Goodwood create that atmosphere all over their showground made me realise how simple it would be to do so at a mainstream airshow, with a bit of innovation. I’m not suggesting that all airshows should go for something completely different – not by any means – but if one or two venues decided to create an air and ground experience like no other, I’m sure it’d be popular with general public and enthusiast alike.

To elaborate a bit on exactly what I mean by that, one idea for next year (being the Battle of Britain 70th) could be to create a period Spitfire & Hurricane dispersal, complete with re-enactors, AA guns, searchlights, period vehicles, perhaps mock briefings – like what is seen at places like Shoreham and Goodwood, but on a larger scale. I could imagine it at somewhere like Biggin Hill or Duxford. Then, in the evening, have floodlights (positioned along the crowdline) illuminating the aircraft in the darkness as searchlight scour the skies for enemy aircraft. Throw in some music, pyrotechnics etc and you’ve got a totally unique experience. Sure, many people would run to the exit at the end, but other events – both in the UK and Europe – have proven that there are plenty of people who’d happily stay after the show; particularly if you were the market the day as more than just an airshow. Have a hangar dance in the evening, or live music. Maybe some lectures from veterans (could take place before the show) or pilots in the hangars. If some of the stalls and the food vendors remained open and there was plenty to see and do (maybe even a brief evening display, a la Goodwood 2009), I’m sure enough people would stay to make it worthwhile.

Omaka in New Zealand springs immediately to mind when thinking along this route, as they combine ground battles with aerial set-pieces. To quote from their website:

Classic Fighters is designed to be more than an airshow, our philosophy being to provide visitors with two full days of family entertainment in an event that is distinctly different and with a unique Marlborough flavour. Certainly the aviation theme will dominate, but the flying is combined with ground theatre, vehicles and set pieces to create a spectacle that all will enjoy.

Imagine Fokker Triplanes mixing it up in the sky with SE5as and Sopwiths, while troops fire original Krupps canons and attack from behind a WW1 tank, all amid the smoke and fire of pyrotechnics – and that is just WW1!

A range of exciting antique and classic open cockpit biplanes and vintage cabin airlines of the 1920s and 30s will represent ‘the Golden Age’ between the wars. Names like de Havilland, Percival, Ryan, TravelAir, Beechcraft Fleet and Stearman will be on display.

The warbirds of the Second World War always guarantee the colour, noise and spectacle that make a show a success. 2009 will see the iconic Spitfire, Mustang and Kittyhawk all represented, along with the PBY Catalina, DC3, Harvards, a taxiable Stuka replica and several ‘mystery’ types from overseas, participating in the exciting scenarios.

Formation aerobatics is always a real crowd pleaser. As well as the many privately owned aircraft from around the country, we can also expect the presence of the Air Force to inject some further ‘heavy metal’.

Back from the display line, visitors can take a break from the action and seek out a bargain in the trade stalls or be tempted with a glass of Marlborough wine and sample the delicious food on offer, while the kids explore the playground attractions.

Throughout the show there is a strong sense of fun and humour. To that end, each show is themed to not only give direction and meaning to the air show scenarios, but also to include the public and connect with them across a broader range of interests. Past Classic Fighters have included a North African theme (complete with a pyramid and belly dancers!); ‘France’ with its Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, onion sellers and berets; and also an ‘Aviation and the Movies’ theme, which opened the field wide for famous film scene recreations.

2009 is set for an Italian invasion. Glamorous sports cars will be on display and local providers will serve Italian inspired food. There will be lunchtime entertainment and the whole airfield will have the colour and vibrancy that comes with getting into the spirit of the event.

That is exactly the kind of thing I’m talking about. Families love it, enthusiasts can enjoy aircraft shown off in a different context and it provides a real experience; like being taken back in time, to throw in an old cliché.

Just because airshows are doing well financially, doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty of scope to develop certain areas – which, ultimately, would cater specifically to families and people looking for a full day of entertainment.