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An air show is an event at which aviators display their flying skills and the capabilities of their aircraft to spectators. Air shows without aerobatic displays, having only aircraft displayed parked on the ground, are called "static air shows".
Air shows are held for a variety of reasons. Some are held purely as a business venture or as a trade event where aircraft, avionics and other services are promoted to potential customers. Many air shows are held is support of local, national or military charities. Military air firms often organise air shows at military airfields as a public relations exercise to thank the local community, promote military careers and raise the profile of the military.
Air show "seasons" vary around the world. Whereas the United States enjoys a long season that generally runs from March to November, other areas often have much shorter seasons. The European season usually starts in late April or Early May and is usually over by mid October. The Middle East, Australia and New Zealand hold their events between January and March. However, for many acts the "off season" does not mean a period of inactivity. Essential maintenance and practicing is often performed over the winter.
The type of displays seen at an event are constrained by a number of factors, including the weather and visibility. Most aviation authorities now publish rules and guidance on minimum display heights and criteria for differing conditions. Aside from the weather, local airspace restrictions are also important considerations for the display organisers and pilots. Most display items will plan "full," "rolling" and "flat" display for varying weather and airspace conditions.
The types of shows vary greatly. Some are large scale military events with large flying displays and ground exhibitions while others held at small local airstrips can often feature just one or two hours of flying with just a few stalls on the ground. Air Displays can be held during day or night with the latter becoming increasingly popular. Shows don't always take place over airfields; some have been held over the grounds of stately homes or castles and over the sea at coastal resorts. "Flying proms" are displays that are held in conjunction with classic music concerts with the aircraft flying to live musical performances.
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Attractions
Before the Second World War, air shows were associated with long distance air races, often lasting many days and covering thousands of miles. While the Reno Air Races keep this tradition alive, most air shows today primarily feature a series of aerial demos of short duration.
Most air shows will feature warbirds, aerobatics, and demonstrations of modern military aircraft, and many air shows offer a variety of other aeronautical attractions as well, such as wing-walking, radio-controlled aircraft, water/slurry drops from firefighting aircraft, simulated helicopter rescues and sky diving.
Specialist aerobatic aircraft have powerful piston engines, light weight and big control surfaces, making them capable of very high roll rates and accelerations. A skilled pilot will be able to climb vertically, perform very tight turns, tumble his aircraft end-over-end and perform manoeuvres during loops.
Solo military jet demos, also known as tactical demos, feature one aircraft, usually a strike fighter or an advanced trainer. The demonstration focuses on the capabilities of modern aircraft used in combat operations. The display will usually demonstrate the aircraft's very short (and often very loud) takeoff rolls, fast speeds, slow approach speeds, as well as their ability to quickly make tight turns, to climb quickly, and their ability to be precisely controlled at a large range of speeds. Manoeuvres include aileron rolls, barrel rolls, hesitation rolls, Cuban-8s, tight turns, high-alpha flight, a high-speed pass, double Immelmans, and touch-and-gos. Tactical demos may include simulated bomb drops, sometimes with pyrotechnics on the ground for effect. Aircraft with special characteristics that give them unique capabilities will often display those in their demos; For example, Russian fighters with Thrust vectoring may be used to perform Pugachev's Cobra or the Kulbit, among other difficult maneuvers that cannot be performed by other aircraft. Similarly, an F-22 pilot may hover his jet in the air with the nose pointed straight up, a Harrier or Osprey pilot may perform a vertical landing or vertical takeoff, etc.
Safety
Air shows present some risk to spectators and aviators. Accidents occur, sometimes with a large loss of life, such as the 1988 disaster at Ramstein Air Base in Germany and the 2002 air show crash at Lviv, Ukraine. Because of these accidents, the various aviation authorities around the world have created set rules and guidance for those running and participating in air displays. Air displays are often monitored by aviation authorities to insure safe procedures remain in place and working
These rules govern the distance to the crowds that aircraft must fly. These vary according to the rating of the pilot/crew, the type of aircraft and the way the aircraft is being flown. For instance, slower lighter aircraft are usually allowed to closer and lower to the crowd that larger, faster types. Also, a fighter jet flying straight and level will be able to do so closer to the crowd and lower than if it were performing a roll or a loop.
Pilots can get authorisations for differing types of displays (i.e. Limbo flying, basic aerobatics to unlimited aerobatics) and to differing minimum base heights above the ground. To gain such authorisations, the pilots will have to demonstrate to an examiner that they can safely perform to those limits without endangering themselves, ground crew or spectators.
Despite display rules and guidances, accidents have continued to happen. However, air show accidents are rare and where there is proper supervision air shows have impressive safety records. Each year, organisations such as The International Council of Air Shows and The European Airshow Council meet and discuss various subjects including air show safety where accidents are discussed and lessons learnt.
Historical air shows
- 1909 The "Internationale Luftschiffahrt-Ausstellung" was first held in Frankfurt/Main, Germany from 1909-07-10 to 1909-10-17, later becoming the "Internationale Luft- und Raumfahrtausstellung (ILA)" and as such can lay claim to being the oldest aviation show in the world.
- 1909 Reims Air Meet in France in August 1909. A key aviator was Glenn Curtiss who won the Gordon Bennett Cup. This show inspired John Moisant.
- 1910 Los Angeles International Air Meet at Dominguez Field from 1910-01-10 to 1910-01-20. Participants included: Glenn Curtiss; Charles Hamilton; Lincoln Beachey; and Louis Paulhan. The Los Angeles Times called it "one of the greatest public events in the history of the West."
- 1910 Harvard-Boston Aero Meet at the Harvard Aviation Field in Atlantic, Massachusetts, U.S., from 1910-09-03 to 1910-09-13. It was the first major air event in the Eastern United States and offered $90,000 in prizes and appearance fees. Participants included: The Wright brothers and the Glenn Curtiss exhibition teams; and Claude Grahame-White. This show inspired: Harriet Quimby
- 1910 Belmont International Aviation Tournament offered approximately $75,000 in prize money. Participants included: Count Jacques de Lesseps; Roland Garros; Claude Grahame-White; Glenn Curtiss; John Moisant; Arch Hoxsey; Ralph Johnstone; and Charles Hamilton.
- 1925-1931 Ford National Reliability Air Tour Offering the Edsel B. Ford Trophy, it was inscribed, "This trophy is offered to encourage the up-building of commercial aviation as a medium of transportation."
Major air shows
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- The world's largest military air show is the Royal International Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford, United Kingdom. The RIAT gathers military aircraft and military display teams from all over the world.
- The annual EAA AirVenture Oshkosh air show (Oshkosh, Wisconsin), organized by the Experimental Aircraft Association, is famous for its crowded fly-in of visitors. The air show includes multiple displays as well as talks by influential people in aviation.
- There are several annual air shows in the United States that display a wide variety of modern military aircraft, including the Langley AFB and Andrews AFB air show every spring NAS Oceana Airshow every September, Miramar Airshow every October, and Aviation Nation at Nellis AFB every November.
- The United States air shows showing warbirds include the Planes of Fame air show held at Chino, California each May. A British equivalents is the Flying Legends air show in Duxford each July.
- Two large air and aerospace trade shows are the Paris Air Show (Le Bourget Air Show) in France, held in June on odd-numbered years. The smaller british Farnborough Airshow is held in July on even-numbered years.
- Asian Aerospace has moved to Hong Kong in 2008 after having been been held in Singapore since its inception in 1981.
- Aero India is a biennial air show, held in Bangalore, India at he Yelahanka Air force station. It was first held in the year 1996 and since then has become one of the largest air shows in the world.
- The Langkawi International Maritime and Air Show since 1991, is held at Langkawi Island, Malaysia on odd-numbered years.
- The Singapore Airshow, which started in 2008, will be held in February on even-numbered years, at Singapores new Changi Exhibition Centre which is purpose-built for aviation and aerospace exhibitions.
- The biggest air show and aerospace trade show in Russia is MAKS, held at Zhukovskiy in June. MAKS often features multiple jet display teams.
- The world's oldest air show is the Berlin Air Show aka ILA (Internationale Luft- und Raumfahrtausstellung Berlin), Germany, going back to 1909.
- China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition.
- Australian International Airshow which is held every two years at Avalon Airport.
See also
External links
Air show calendar
Miscellaneous air show websites
- Canadian Air show Resource
- South Africa Air shows
- Flightline UK - UK Airshow Information and Photography
- AirshowBuzz
- Air shows in the UK
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- This page was last modified on 28 November 2008, at 18:34.
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