Daredevil Debacles
November 13, 2022
MAYBE YOU CAUGHT the footage. On Saturday afternoon at the Wings Over Dallas airshow in Texas, six people were killed in the midair collision of two vintage warplanes, including one of the few surviving examples of the B-17 bomber. Two of the six dead were retired American Airlines pilots. Another was an active Boeing 777 captain for United.
There are a few different videos of the accident, shot by spectators from different angles. You see the smaller plane, something called a P-63 Kingcobra, racing in from behind, nailing the B-17 in the midsection, almost as if it were aiming for it. The bomber instantly splits in half, spewing fragments, then plummets into the ground. As one of those pilots with a morbid fascination with air disasters, I confess to hitting the replay button multiple times.
If you do this, YouTube’s algorithms will send you on a greatest hits tour of previous airshow crashes. Of which there is no shortage. There’s the infamous B-52 crash in 1994, for instance. Or the ghastly footage from 1988 in Rammstein, Germany, when three planes from an Italian aerobatic team collided during a maneuver, sending a fireball into the crowd and killing 70 people. In 2002, 77 people died when a Russian-made Sukhoi fighter cartwheeled into the crowd at a show in Lviv, Ukraine.
Over on Wikipedia, meanwhile, a list of airshow fatalities runs for pages. Among the dozens of listings is a 2018 accident in Virginia that killed a pilot named Jon Thocker, a former colleague of mine who I flew with on numerous occasions.
All of which makes us ask: Has the time come, maybe, to put airshows to pasture? Is it really worth the risk? And is there not something anachronistic about these events? Are that many people still enthralled by the spectacle of planes doing loops and rolls?
Allow me to quote Sideshow Bob, from season seven of “The Simpsons”: “Air show? Buzz-cut Alabamians spewing colored smoke in their wizz-jets, to the strains of “Rock You Like a Hurricane.” What kind of country-fried rube is still impressed by that?”
Fair question.
Still from “The Simpsons,” 1995.
Not me, certainly. I’ve been to a few airshows over the years, but my interest in them is at best halfhearted. On a list of things I’d choose to do on a weekend afternoon, hanging out at an airshow is right up there with cleaning the bathroom. Oh, I might enjoy clambering around the aircraft on static display, but few things bore me more thoroughly than watching aerobatics, be it the Blue Angels, Thunderbirds, Red Arrows, or anyone else. I don’t know if you could pay me enough to attend Oshkosh, the big annual “fly-in” event up in Wisconsin that, for reasons not understood by me, draws hundreds of thousands.
Admitting this makes me feel a bit traitorous. I’m a professional pilot, after all; what’s wrong with me? Is there some visceral thrill I’m somehow immune to? But aviation is a broad field. Different aspects of it appeal to different people. Military aircraft, stunt flying, and so on, has never held my attention. My passion has always been the commercial realm: jetliners. As a kid I put together hundreds of plastic Revell kits of bombers and fighters, it’s true, but it was always the 747s and DC-10s that excited me more.
For that reason, if I were to attend an airshow, make it the one held every two years in Paris. At Le Bourget Airport, the focus is commercial planes. Though even here things can turn deadly. In Paris in 1973, a Tupolev Tu-144 — the Russian Concorde — crashed during a display flight killing the entire crew. This, too, you can watch on YouTube.
Maybe just stick with the static displays. Let kids get their pictures taken next to a B-2 bomber or a KC-10, or in the cockpit of an Airbus. But nix the daredevil fly-by stuff. Instead of risking life and limb, retired pilots can play golf or go fishing.
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24 Responses to “Daredevil Debacles”
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@Charles Lindsey writes, “I’m not convinced airshows are uniquely deadly, and that’s because you haven’t shown the stats proving them to be so.”
Just considering how many more orders of magnitude hours or passenger-miles of commercial aviation there are than airshow aviation, it seems a no-brainer. I’m not up for doing a full calculation of this, but one can do a quick comparison of accident count by going through the “List of air show accidents and incidents in the 21st century” and “List of accidents and incidents involving commercial aircraft” pages on Wikipedia. From 2017 through the present there were 27 accidents at airshows, compared to 84 in commercial flight, of which 19 of the former and 27 of the latter produced at least one death (including passengers, crew, and airfield staff who died of injuries after the accident). I find that to be convincing evidence that air shows produce orders of magnitude more deaths (per hour or per passenger/crew-mile) than commercial flight.
The bigger question I’ve always had is, what attracts businesspeople to the big civil aviation shows like Farnborough or Paris? I see the appeal of the average person wanting to see aircraft fly and to walk in and around aircraft, but what appeal are these shows to airline executives and manufacturer representatives? It’s not like they don’t have the opportunity to observe these aircraft on the flightline at an airport or to visit the manufacturer’s plant to see them, and I can’t imagine there’s much of a “geek factor” for attending an air show if you’re an executive or sales rep.
I still enjoy going to air shows, although I admittedly spend more time gawking at the military aircraft and warbirds on static display than I do watching the headliners. The sad thing is, the plots killed in this accident weren’t even performing anything particularly daring – from what’s come out so far, it sounds like for all the precautions and rules the Wings Over Dallas organizers had, you had two aircraft trying to share the same spot, and whether it’s an air show, private aircraft at a smaller field, or airlines at a major airport, that’s never going to end well.
As far as ending the flight demonstrations? End those and you might as well do away with them entirely – without them, there’s no real draw for them except for aviation geeks like me, and I could do that at a good aviation museum. In the back of my mind, I’ve always wondered if air shows’ appeal was something Iike that for auto racing – some folks go for the thrill of seeing these beats go all out, but you find yourself wondering how many go hoping there’ll be a crash or at least a near-miss.
There can be a lot of boredom at air shows, but some great memories too e.g. the end-of-the-world roar of a Soviet Backfire doing a take-off and fly-past, also a formation of Harriers hovering above the flightline at 50 feet or so and simultaneously dipping their noses in a salute to the crowd. Both of those memories were from Farnborough. And while I’m not into aerobatics, any display by the Red Arrows is memorable. I did see the Frecce Tricolori (the one involved at Ramstein) at Baldonnel (EIME) once, and they were pretty impressive too. That said, there is an annual display half an hour from where I live, but difficulties with parking and public transport make it more of a hassle than it’s worth.
I enjoy watching the Blue Angels over Lake Washington, but the last actual airshow I enjoyed was at Joint Base Lewis McChord sometime in the late 90s. It was pretty static, as I remember, except for the paratrooper demo. But watching my kids crawl all over a Hercules made my day, and there’s nothing more fun that a trip to the Museum Of Flight — getting up close and personal with a Concorde and a B-52 is my idea of an airshow.
“almost as if it were aiming for it”
Yes, it reminded me of 911; it certainly *Looked* intentional.
I’d do anything to go to an airshow when I was a kid. By my 20s I’d seen three planes crash & one skydiver die. (One of the crashes was the Tu-144 — I simply couldn’t believe what I was seeing; you know how it is.)
Maybe my very presence is a jinx.
In the past 40 years I’ve rarely been to one. Not only have I seen it all before, but these things serve as a pretext for flagrant militarism. Maybe it is time to call it quits.
I’m glad I’m not the only one. I’ve been to a bunch of airshows and always felt a bit bored, although I never had the nerve to admit it to anyone. Thanks.
I used to like it as a kid, but honestly it just makes me sad now. I guess that’s growing up. I just want the audience not to be traumatized because I realize the pilots do what they want and that’s not a bad thing either.
Keeping the old planes flying has it’s place. The RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight has a small fleet of WWII planes. But to the best of my knowledge, they don’t perform aerobatics. The planes are simply flown by on ceremonial occassions, including over Buckingham Palace. Just seeng a Spitfire in flight is enough of a thrill.
The most recent catastrophe was partly the result of too many planes in the air at the same time. If you look at the film, there’s a B-24 a short distance from the B-17. That should never happen.
I’m a little prejudiced, I suppose, because I’ve flown on a B-24 and B-17, and had scheduled a lift on a B-25 that was cancelled after the B-17 crash in Connecticut.
I volunteer at the Cradle of Aviation Museum, so I see vintage planes in static displays all the time, and delight in them. But airplane’s natural setting is the air. In “Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines” the rickety ancient planes on the ground are more than a little silly, but once the race begins and we see them in the air where they belong, they’re grand.
Perhaps a solution would require a far more sedate performance by the planes in the air. Limit them to basic fly-bys. Only one formation in the air at the time. No maneuving in formations. Or even no formations at all. Etc.
You’re not alone. Aviation’s a broad field.
I like seeing planes up close, but I don’t need the acrobatics. The planes are hard to see up there anyway (hence the colorful smoke). The kinds of things I’d love to see would be getting up close and personal as a 747 takes off (or a B-52!). I’d go see a supersonic flyby any day. I just like seeing planes fly up close – especially when they take off. The aerobatics I can do without.
I admit, I like air shows (even fake ones https://www.scifiairshow.com). I went to Oshkosh 2005, and thought it was fantastic. Saw a couple of billionaires, SpaceShipOne on the ground, and Rutan’s Voyager in the air, on its way to NASM. I won’t forget seeing — and hearing — a line of P-51s idling before taxiing to the runway.
I can think of better uses for the last of the oil. Air shows are like car racing, wasteful to be polite.
I’m not convinced airshows are uniquely deadly, and that’s because you haven’t shown the stats proving them to be so. How many planes crash, and pilots die, under ordinary, non-show circumstances? For instance, you cite the Tu-144 crash as an airshow disaster, but don’t mention the 2000 Concorde crash at CDG, which was a routine flight. The B-17 disaster at Wings Over Dallas took place during an airshow, but the even deadlier B-17 crash at Bradley International in 2019 was a simple tourist flight–and the culprit was shitty maintenance and lack of oversight. Czar 52 crashed during practice because the pilot was a reckless idiot, not because there was a show. I don’t see the link between bad flying, and bad fliers, and airshows.
I thoroughly enjoy seeing WW II aircraft flying around, and I especially enjoy hearing them. When the Collings crew would come around every Memorial Day, I loved seeing an actual B-24 cruising over San Jose during my afternoon commute. Full disclosure: I was a thrilled paying passenger on the Flying Fortress Nine-O-Nine just a few months before it crashed, and it was a peak moment. And my wife will never let me near a warbird again, unless it’s safely on the ground.
There are far more amazing air shows everyday at any big city commercial airport.
I forgot to add that in spite of all the drawbacks, you still can’t beat the Flying Farmer’s act!
Dennis
I’m with you Patrick. When I was learning to fly I went to a few local airshows and thought “meh.” The thought of wasting good vacation time at OSH seemed crazy then and even crazier now. Although sleeping under the wing of your plane has it’s own strange appeal (NOT!)
Dennis
I lost all interest in air shows on Sunday, Sept. 24, 1972. I grew up in the so. area of Sacramento, California. I had just started as a sophomore at John F. Kennedy Sr. High. Many of my friends gathered to celebrations at Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlor. Now, I am more a Gunther’s fan than Farrell’s, but I attended many birthday parties and events at Farrell’s. A good ten of my friends were there that fateful day when a Canadair Sabre Mk. 5 jet, piloted by Richard Bingham, failed to take off while leaving the “Golden West Sport Aviation Air Show” at Sac. Exec. Airport just across the street from Farrell’s. The plane didn’t manage to take off, skipped across Freeport Blvd. and slammed into a crowded Farrell’s filled with kids, teenagers, and parents. Some 22 people died that day, about half of whom I knew, one very well. Another 1 person was killed when they were struck by a car as they crossed Freeport Blvd. Some 27 others were injured, some with horrible burns from all the spilled jet fuel. The next day, my school was abuzz with who was missing, who was dead, who should have been there, who was on their way there. All of us were affected. The pilot survived, but died in another plane crash about a year later.
Farrell’s never re-opened. The other locations lasted about a year before they, too, had to close, brushed with the tragedy. The PD now occupies the building and there is a memorial. For more info: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1972_Sacramento_Canadair_Sabre_accident
I was a regular air show attendee and participant. Dad was a commercial Hot Air Balloon pilot and we flew at them regularly.
Best air show/fly-in moment was at Luke AFB in the early 80s when I actually managed to land the F4 simulator – with significant coaching and on a 10,000 foot runway. Watching the Naval Aviators do it when I was on the Enterprise was great!
The last air show where I watched the flying was at Miramar Naval Air Station in 1976. The only reason I saw the show was that I was on duty that weekend and had to be there anyway.
My job was maintaining the radar, computers, and related components in the fire control system on the F4J. I was, and still am, interested in how the plane is put together and how all the parts work together to make a functioning machine. In a squadron you see everything in and on the plane and how they work (or don’t work). I’d much rather look at the inside of a plane than watch it fly.
I go to local air shows from time to time to see the planes. I don’t care about the flying.
If you want to see some impressive flying watch an F4J doing a carrier landing at night, in the rain, no moon, overcast sky, and pitching deck. In the navy, pitching deck means the landing area has vertical movement of more than 20 feet as well as rolling and yawing. That is pretty exciting.
That’s crazy. And the F-4 was a big plane. How they got that thing on and off carriers…
I took a ride in an F-4 once, down in Texas. Story for another day.
Airshows are bit of a guilty pleasure for me. I am fascinated by machines and getting to see and hear them up close and in action has a strong pull on me. I also like to hang out under the Logan flight paths for the chance to see aircraft in action. Yes, Airshows have a lot of cheesy and jingoistic bits that are cringe-inducing; but despite that, getting to experience everything from Sean D. Tucker to a low pass by a C5 is an opportunity that I relish. I don’t know how to account for it, I guess I’m just easily impressed by machines. But then, I am also a Sonic Youth fan ;D.
I attended my one-and-only Paris Air Show in 2005. The highlight for me, a 172 pilot, was landing a 737 simulator (with much coaching over my shoulder) without breaking anything.
During the lunch breaks I got to see an Agusta Westland helicopter do things that I did not know were possible. (I got to meet the pilot, quite by accident in Yeovil a few days later. He looked so normal)
I saw a glider demonstration accompanied by soaring music that I could have watched all day and, finally, got to see a Russian fighter walk on it’s tail, about 6ft off the ground, across the runway.
You’re not alone feeling like a traitor not enjoying air shows. I’m a flight test engineer working a fighter program and I don’t really enjoy watching the aerobatics at air shows. When I’ve taken my family to them, we get there early, walk around and enjoy the static displays (I love looking at old aircraft and my daughter loves sitting in the cockpits – one of my favorite photos of her is sitting in the captain’s chair of the B737-800 that took us from Florida to California when I was relocating to EAFB), but when the flying portions start, we’re done and head home. While I wouldn’t want to see them banned, I still do not understand the fascination with them.