This is the official press release i have been sent……..
On the 16th July 2005 an estimated total of 90 000 people saw Barrow’s second and the North West’s largest FREE Air Show in 2005. It was hailed by Mr. Rob Metcalfe, of the Civil Aviation Authority’s Safety Regulation Group, as one of the safest air shows and site he had visited, having only seen three notable minor observations in the whole day’s event. This spectacularly memorable event was a major boost to the local population’s confidence in delivering a major attraction to the public by a committed volunteer team of enthusiasts, fantastically supported by the local, as well as national organisations and businesses. The air show also delivered a well earned boost to the local economy and tourism.
On retirement from BAE Systems Submarines in December of 2005, I was asked by a senior Director of the Company to organise another air show. Re-grouping the team of volunteers and setting the event plans, and more importantly raising the sponsorship to fund yet another major FREE event was started. The team in place, the cash sponsorship pledged and the event planning documentation well advanced saw on the 5th April a meeting with the airfield Management and Corporate Flight Operations over the 28th July 2007 event.
Barrow Police had no objection to the safety of the proposed event, nor of their own ability to manage any incident that could have happened on or off site, and were very supportive of the committee. However, despite all our efforts a vital document was not sufficiently detailed to meet BAE Systems’ corporate standards required for the show to proceed at Walney Airfield. We were therefore asked to consider taking the event to another location.
The committee has looked at moving the event to the shores of Walney, but felt that the effect on local residents and potential closing of public walk ways were not feasible, as well as the fact that many of the all important safety considerations that would be required could not be delivered as confidently as at the airfield.
Therefore it is with regret that I, on behalf of the Air Show Committee, have to inform you that the “Wings Over Walney” Air Show planned to take place on the 28th July 2007 has officially been cancelled.
The Air Show Steering Committee feels it would be wrong to take any of the company’s resources from its priority business requirement of getting the submarine launched on time. I have also been informed that the company may want to put on a corporate flying event in the future so I am calling a meeting on the 19th April where I will be asking the Air Show Committee to dissolve its operations, and leave the way clear for any further events to take place for the public of Barrow.
On a personal note, may I take this opportunity to apologise to the Barrow community, its businesses and visiting tourists for this failure to put on a third event, and especially to ALL those who have given so much time and effort in putting together two previously fantastically memorable events. I hope that they and their families can forgive me for taking up so much of their time and effort.
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