Having digested the latest missive from the AAIB, the CAA’s response yesterday and the CAA’s recent engine directive, I’d say that vintage jets are pretty much done in the UK. This is based on the tone of the report and the comments made by the CAA yesterday in their response saying that the temporary restrictions (presumably meaning that jet aerobatics are still banned and the Hunters grounded) are staying in force until the full report is published.
The 2013 Bronco crash will also be used to justify draconian increases in display line distances from the crowd. Having been to an airshow in Germany a couple of years back, I can say that this will make a huge difference to the view from the public area at airshows in the future.
It seems that the two jet crashes last year and the Bronco crash in 2013 will between them change the face of UK airshows forever. I counted up, off the top of my head, 13 historic jet crashes in the UK claiming 25 lives, and I’m sure I’ve missed some. On top of that at least nine more have been involved in serious accidents, in most cases destroying the aircraft. As there have probably been no more than 30 or so vintage jets operational at any one time, even at the peak of the movement, I’d say it’s no bad thing that the damn things are being legislated out of existence. I know that the jet fanboys out there will disagree with this, but their horrendous statistical accident record goes to prove that they have no place in the hands of private operators.
(Ducks and waits for incoming fire!)
Sign In
