What No One Tells You About Air Shows

How safe is an air show? There are an average of over 300 air shows every year in the United States and even though mishaps are extremely rare, they typically involve loss of life. Do air shows pose a huge risk to spectators? What lessons have we learned over the years to make air shows safer to the public?
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[@dmh20002]

Former AH1 pilot. Way back in the 70s I was tasked to do a demo at a local air show. I wasn’t a demo pilot, just a regular line guy. The show managers had no plan, just go out and fly around. I decided to keep it simple and safe. No stunts. I got some flack for not doing anything exciting.

[@AirForceChmtrails]

Better safe and alive than sorry and dead risking the lives of others. You did right 👍.

[@scottlewisparsons9551]

I like boring! You did the right thing. Imagine what the same people would have said if you had screwed up, whether you were dead or alive!

[@aerotube7291]

Next time lol

[@tori8380]

Good job maintaining safety

[@hamishwsmacdonald]

Good for you. So many air show accidents seem to be caused by pilots showing off

[@bollewillem1]

I was at the Ramstein air show with my father. The panic and the screams of the wounded are still vivid in my memory. My dad and I were at a ‘safe’ distance but after the crash the panic caused another disaster, people rushing away from the scene. I stay away from big crowds since that day.

[@Youtubeuser1aa]

Yup one Of my worst fears and I’m a pretty settled guy

[@TruckingToPlease]

Du Hast...

[@michaeltaylors2456]

The absolute horror stories I heard from medical staff who were there on scene, paint an even worse picture than the videos and official casualty numbers even begin to portray.

[@williambowling8211]

What is rarely mentioned is that the base's disaster plan was just that: a disaster.@@michaeltaylors2456

[@AbNomal621]

My brother was a medic at the hospital that many of the victims went to. It was very rough on him.

[@1Cobranut]

My wife was at that Rammstein show with her first husband and young son. They were in the grandstand that got hit, but she got hungry, and they got up and were walking to the food court when the crash happened. They heard a bang and the crowd's screams, and turned around to see the plane hit the ground, and a huge fireball right across where they had been seated minutes before. When we were dating, decades later, I happened on a video of it. I asked if she was in Germany at the time, and she got visibly shaken up recounting it to me. I don't bring it up to her anymore.

[@Likely_Alucard]

final destination type vibes

[@knabdank]

i call bullshit

[@miskatonic6210]

Of course bullshit, he doesn't even get the cities name right. It's "Ramstein"

[@1234KeithB]

@@knabdankyeah she’s making that up

[@thevoiceofreason5467]

I believe him. I once worked with a woman who told me about how she had been a teenager at this show as her father worked at the nearby base. She said she saw the crash and the fireball. And then she lost all expression as she recalled one individual she locked eyes on in the crowd. A young pregnant woman standing frozen as the heat wave hit her. I won't go any further with her story, but no one should try to act like they would be totally calm in a situation like that. Seeing a person become...not a person, in an instant, without warning may be too much for anyone to handle the first time, no matter age, gender, or whatever. Just pray that you never end up in a situation where you find out how you would handle it.

[@karlhoward2737]

My mother was at that tragic Farnborough air show, she felt the heat off one of the engines as it passed just above her…..she was very lucky…many were not, to this day my mother cannot be near jets and often would cower in fear……she is 89 now but remembers that awful day…..very sad….

[@markwgoldsmith]

I believe my Dad was there too: he's never spoken of it, & I won't ask him, I only know from my Mum.

[@FatRescueSwimmer04]

I saw the Ramstein Air Base mishap in 1988 in person, I was 5 years old! My old man was stationed there and took me to the show (he was a Pilot, on the pilots who died was his friend) and man I never seen him cry in my entire life before or after that event. From what I can remember it was super scary, we weren't far from the impact zone and I saw all kinds of hurt and dead people bc we had to walk around to get to an exit and with so many people he had me up on his shoulders. Told me to close my eyes, but I ignored that order wish I would of though. RIP to all the Souls lost.

[@calvinnickel9995]

I was at the Abbotsford Airshow as a 7 year old in 1986 and everyone was absolutely blown away by the Frecci Tricolori. We didn’t know that it was the latent risks that would later lead to their cash.

[@RepJock88]

Currently stationed there now. I'm so sorry you had to see that!

[@tcwheel721]

I taught emergency medicine at Landstuhl right next to Ramstein and taught many of the medical people who cleaned up the airshow. I didn’t know that the Italian pilots were stationed at Rammstein. Because it was three Italians that died. The medics were just about as confused as the populous there.

[@McSlobo]

@@calvinnickel9995 Saw Frecce Tricolori a few years ago, didn't perform that trick.

[@seltonk5136]

It's safer to go to the choo choo shows

[@Wargasm54]

I used to go to the ranmstein airshow every year when my dad was stationed in Germany. We left in 1981 so we were already out of country when the Rammstein disaster took place. I do remember that airshow being truly mind boggling. The stunts those guys pulled off were truly breathtaking. You would literally gasp at some of the maneuvers they were pulling off. It was amazing to watch. I wasn’t surprised when the 1988 disaster happened. But it sure is sad. RIP to all those who lost their lives.

[@413453425]

I almost attended an air show once in Broomfield, CO in 1997. My dad and I were walking towards the airstrip from the parking lot and a plane crashed right in front of us. We were quite far away but I still remember feeling the heat of the fireball. Never felt inclined to try again…

[@CoordinatedCarry]

I was at that air show. The Blue Angles were scheduled to perform. They of course shut it down after the crash.

[@luthiermatt]

I lived nearby but couldn't go that day. Normally I would have taken my young son. It was an F86 and he basically did not have his altimeter set correctly so he came out of a loop too low. That was a bad day.

[@velvetbees]

I went to one air show when I was a teenager, saw the potential for an accident and never went to another one. That was 50 years ago.

[@flowingafterglow629]

@@luthiermatt Yep, I was there. And that's exactly what it looked like - he was doing a loop and was just too low and caught the ground. I remember walking to the car to leave (no one felt like sticking around) and there were people just showing up to see the Blue Angels. We were like, yeah, that's not going to happen.

[@patsysolatzzo2962]

I have been sporadically watching your videos and always knew you were an expert but didn’t know to what extent. I didn’t know you were a pilot for the airforce. Thank you for serving

[@vicariousjohnson9823]

I flew four demos at air shows as a military pilot. I was just an average squadron pilot. In each, the show line was clear of the crowds by at least 100 yards and direction of travel for all maneuvers was never over or at the crowd. I was fully aware of the crowd and my direction of travel at all times. I was at the 2011 Reno Air Race when that accident occurred. I was with three of my young sons at the time. Seeing those planes come out of that last turn pointed straight at the crowd, there was entirely too much speed and energy pointed at the crowd in my opinion, if even briefly. Luckily we had moved to the farthest point away from the impact area down the flight line a few hours prior. Hope for the best, plan for the worst. Be safe out there.

[@stevelaue1298]

At approx. 8:00, you state there wasn't another airshow spectator fatality in the U.S. until 2011. This is incorrect. In 1972, an airshow pilot attempting to take off in an F-86 from Sacramento Executive Airport over rotated and went into a classic sabre dance. His aircraft flew across the airport boundary, across the perimeter road and crashed into Farrell's Ice Cream Parlor and killed twelve or thirteen people in the ice cream parlor. The pilot survived with a broken arm. This was the only airshow I ever took my wife to, and to this day she will not attend any other.

[@chuckschillingvideos]

No, that was not an airshow incident. The pilot was LEAVING the airshow, nor a part of it. The accident had nothing whatsoever to do with the show itself.

[@nineteeneightyfour3680]

I don’t remember the exact year but in the early 80’s a friend and I flew his coyote hunting Aeronica Chief Tail dragger to Fairview OK to watch an air show. I forget what the plane was but it was a vintage war plane with a large radial engine and he did a loop in front of the stands. Was too low and could not pull it up before nose diveing into the ground right in front of the spectators. The show ended and all who flew in quietly as possible taxied out and flew home. My buddy and I hardly said a word all the way home which was about two hours. Hes gone on to the next life and his plane hasn’t been flown in 20 years but I think it’s still in the barn. I should ask his widow. We had some good times in the old thing. A coyote didn’t have a chance when we found one that had killed a baby calf. The good old days of yesterday. Looking back It’s a wonder we never got hurt. Hed land her in a wheat field if he needed to.

[@tobiasfunke2011]

Not due to a crash, but I seem to recall an accident where a child died at Willow Grove NAS at an air show when he ejected himself from a static display aircraft in which the ejection seat had not been disarmed

[@jensschroder8214]

The 1988 accident at Ramstein Air Base resulted in chaos. The Americans brought seriously injured people to the hospitals untreated and uncoordinated, but the German rescue workers tried in vain to first treat seriously injured people on site and then, after they had been registered, to take them to appropriate hospitals. This not only caused chaos at the scene of the accident, but also caused the hospital to be overwhelmed with injuries. Soon no one knew who had been taken to which hospital, who was on the way home uninjured, or who had lost their orientation in the crowd. The Red Cross had to prepare missing lists and compare them with the surrounding hospitals. Airshows were initially banned in Germany and can now only take place under strict conditions.

[@That70sGuitarist]

Slight correction; the 2011 Reno event was not an air show, it was an unlimited class air race. These races feature extremely modified WWII fighters that can achieve speeds of up to 530 miles per hour. The NTSB determined that the left elevator trim tab broke away from the highly modified P-51, Galloping Ghost, which caused the uncontrollable pitch-up maneuver. Many of the modifications to the Galloping Ghost had been undocumented. Sadly, the NTSB also determined that one of these undocumented modifications had locked the right elevator trim tab in place. Had it been functioning properly, the sccident probably wouldn't have happened at all.

[@bennoakes2477]

don't think it matters, it was for spectators

[@That70sGuitarist]

@@bennoakes2477 It definitely matters. Air races are *not* "air shows." "Air shows," many of which are very militaristic in nature, have a fairly long history of causing large numbers of civilian casualties. Air races, on the other hand, usually only cause casualties among the pilots themselves. What happened in Reno in 2011 was a terrible tragedy, one that should never have happened. It also clearly shows the risks of making undocumented modifications to these 80 year old aircraft. We should hope that there has greater accountability since then.

[@SgtTank]

​@@That70sGuitarist I can assure you that there is greater accountability since then.

[@That70sGuitarist]

@@SgtTank That's good to know, thanks. Frankly, I dislike the practice of modifying classic warbirds for air racing, but unless and until some clever designer comes up with something better, the unlimited class will continue to use up the dwindling supply of airframes and engines. Personally, I'd rather see them restored to original condition to serve as a reminder of a time when the people of the free world rose as one to defeat those who were trying to subjugate the entire world.

[@SgtTank]

@@That70sGuitarist well, it's really getting to the point that it's cost prohibitive for them. There are a lot of stock warbirds racing because it's too expensive. A few of the racing champions, the "Bad Boys of Air Racing" have already been retired and converted back to stock. Just look at Dego Red, I believe September Fury......even White Lightning is now a Red Bull airplane. Really, only Voodoo and Strega remain from the highly modified, but all of Voodoo's stuff was in the Bardahl Special this year. Strega hasn't been there for a while.

[@ItzRetz]

I remember being at an Airshow here in Perth Australia in probably around 2006-07 and a Harrier jet was allowed to hover over the crowd. I thought it was awesome back then, but now I'd be terrified if that were allowed to happen.

[@skullsaintdead]

Hey, Im from Perth too! Remember in 2016-ish that crash on the Swan River, the pilot was essentially showing off to his GF but he killed them both tragically. Used to work at Salvos & an older gent would come in, he was a pilot for Red Bull and was impressed a young girl was interested in aviation, he said it reminded him of the JFK Jnr crash, just pilots outside of their expertise, pushing limits that will eventually break. Good analogy, I said. Nice chap, he was Iranian or something. We always chatted about aviation.

[@johnnunn8688]

@@skullsaintdeadthat was a dentist in his new amphibian?

[@skullsaintdead]

@@johnnunn8688Nah, he was a mining exec from Fortescue Minerals - "Peter Lynch, 52, and public relations manager and girlfriend Endah Cakrawati, 30" (taken from ABC website), apparently in a Grumman G-73 Mallard flying boat and it was 2017 Australia Day (I was close), just looked it up. There's footage of the crash, it's an obvious stall, too low to the ground. He wasn't experienced in doing fly overs of the Swan and didn't have experience in doing tricks in the air, was supposed to follow behind another plane who had more experience but failed to do so (supposition was: showing off for the GF/crowd).

[@timesthree5757]

I would still think it's awesome. I don't think in "what it's". I've also come to terms with my mortality. If it's my time it's my time. At any time anywhere from anything can kill me and I'm at peace with it.

[@MikeFraley-w7k]

@@timesthree5757 I get that kind of thinking, but I also have certain ways I'd rather not go. Like I'm not going to walk a tightrope over a pungi stick pit for example.

[@yankeetango]

I was in Germany at the time of the Ramstein Air Show disaster but stationed in Wiesbaden about an hour from RAB. I had plans to go but ended up not going but knew plenty of people who did. Thankfully, no one I knew directly was killed or injured.

[@TruckingToPlease]

Du Hast...

[@knabdank]

omg i was in another coutnry 100,000km away during that day what a coincidence i too was no where near it and nothing i say is relevant to the situation just like you! maybe if you had of gone you would have a story!

[@1234KeithB]

Yes thankfully it was only people that other people knew. Thank GOD.

[@yankeetango]

@@1234KeithB Are you daft? Obviously, all loss of life in such events is a tragedy, but surely you understand it's more impactful to lose someone with whom you have a personal connection versus a total stranger? Think it through.

[@sharkbitesback2749]

@@knabdankare you stupid he had friends there

[@erintyres3609]

In the two air shows that I have seen, no jet flew an actual loop. The rule is that the energy of the plane's motion must never be directed towards the crowd. (But a glider did several loops, and it was really pretty cool.)

[@prichardgs]

I was in Wurzburg Germany, 3ID when Ramstien happened. Sad day.

[@malcolmmarzo2461]

Perhaps the "infamous" slip was referring to the 1982 Thunderbird practice disaster at Indian Springs, Nevada. Four jets hit the ground in a follow-the-leader manner.

[@somercet1]

No, he's just a moron who doesn't know what the word "infamous" means. Hint to the yootoober: it goes with "infamy."

[@libertine5606]

It was the Blue Angels at the Chino Airshow, in California, that inspired me to start taking lessons at 14 years old. That was in 1977 and I have been flying since.

[@thehobgoblin9790]

IIR, It was after the Farnborough accident that the UK introduced many of the current laws re Flightlines, crowd lines (Flying over the crowds, flying towards the crowds) , minimum heights (At RIAT one year, an RAF Typhoon display pilot went lower than he should have, and he was ordered to land straight away.)

[@hb1338]

One of the most grisly details about the Farnborough crash was that after the ambulances had taken away the victims, the show continued ... The pilots were folk heroes of their time, dashing men who flew these new fangled jets, so there was considerable public interest and concern about what happened.

[@thehobgoblin9790]

@@hb1338 yes. First pilot to take off was Neville Duke in the record breaking and red painted Hawker Hunter.

[@pjotrtje0NL]

Yep, that RIAT was uneventful, aside from this incident. I was actually shooting pics all the way through the downward part of the loop as I did not expect this to fare well…

[@randemness2680]

I grew up in Oshkosh, and my grandma worked at the air museum. I attended every year from 85 to 97(including working a few years in the merchandise warehouse) out of the many crashes(most on arrival during the chaos,) the millions of people that have come through, thankfully its rare to have severe crashes. I wouldnt be surprised to see a stat where more have died flying to oshkosh than at the show itself.

[@michaelhankes7587]

I have been at Oshkosh EAA Fly-in several times. I was there with my son one year. 2 P51s crashed when they were landing in formation. I think one of the pilots died. But yes, everything seems to happen safely and like clock work. I helped design the narrators' F-15E, my dad flew the "hump" in WW2, and my son flies tankers in the USAF.

[@davebutt9303]

In 1972 I was a spectator at one day of a nine day long event called the U.S. International Transportation Exposition, or "Transpo '72," a D.O.T. sponsored airshow at Dulles Airport in Virginia. One of the reasons for holding the event was to showcase advances in aviation safety. As I remember it there were accidents on all but one of the days, and in 3 of them demonstrators died. On the one day I attended it was one of the Thunderbirds in his F-4 Phantom; in a steep climb, fanning out and from nearly ground level the fourth of five planes stalled. The pilot ejected, but sadly he and his parachute were blown into the fireball from his wreckage, his 'chute melted and he fell around 200 feet into the debris.

[@PRH123]

I had forgotten about Transpo, though I was living in the area as a kid, and I recall it was a really big deal…. back when people still thought the future promised good things….

[@elizabethbottroff1218]

You mentioned show lines. Blue Angels always get in early to practice their sight lines to find their reference marks in each new area. In SF, there's no runway. The airshow is over the SF Bay. They line up USCG vessels to create the centerline for the performance. One year, one of the early test passes was a bit too low. They blew out one of the vessel's windows. Oops. The airshow wasn't only worried about distance from the spectators on the shoreline. They also had multiple USCG and other marine LE craft keeping the spectators out of harm's way that were watching from their vessels. It's always one of the busiest days on the water. When I lived there, they'd bank so close to the ground that I'd look up from the back patio and see the detail in the side of the Blue Angels pilot's helmet. No cell phone cameras back then. Just my memories of the awe.

[@BlyGuy]

What platform were the Angels flying back then when you saw them?

[@JackWMatrix]

I remember standing on Marina Green and looking up and seeing what looked to be 200 feet above me a blue and yellow F18 and reading the painted lettering under the canopy saying something like "Emergency Release". That was in the late 80s. I just saw them again in October '23.

[@57appel]

The Blue Angels used to have the worst reputation because they took too many risks and pilots died. A few years ago I watched them group together and fly in what seemed fifty feet above me and I understand your helmet comment. About three weeks later, one of those pilots crashed and burned in Tennessee at an airshow. Incredibly sad.

[@davidcole333]

The Bay Area doesn't deserve to have the blue angels fly there any longer. They need to pull the plug on that show and send them to a community where they are embraced.

[@elizabethbottroff1218]

@@BlyGuy I lived in that location '97 to 2000. Whatever the database says they flew in that era. 😁 I admired the artistry and the skill. I had yet to become an AvGeek then.

[@mariogaeta8911]

From sunny England here, I’m on the south coast and there was a pretty terrible disaster here in 2015. Shoreham air disaster. Although it wasn’t spectators, the accident plane hit a bypass. Can’t remember how many died.

[@FrozenAfricaPrincess]

Yup, I remember that, it hit cars standing on the A27 and killed 11 people. Terrible accident and really scary.

[@ironlionzion1380]

I remember watching videos of this crash and thinking to myself, this is a rural area. What were the odds of the plane scraping that busy road? And not anyone in the many open areas around. Really bad luck.

[@johnnunn8688]

11 and cannot believe that the pilot survived that impact. There are huge objections at the moment, as the pilot has applied to get his licence back. Very cheeky if you ask me.

[@OFFtheCHIZANE]

IIRC it was due to a loop manoeuvre without the appropriate starting altitude. That the pilot survived (there was no ejector seat, he was thrown free of the fireball still strapped into his seat) is nothing short of astonishing.

[@willjdeanie]

Yeah, it was a hawker hunter iirc.

[@zooblestyx]

I saw the Frecce Tricolori at a local airshow as a kid in the early 80s. Had no idea they had such a horrific crash just a few years later.

[@The2wanderers]

I'm surprised you didn't mention the Air France flight 296Q crash, where, as part of the introduction of the brand new A320 line, they took a fully loaded (136 occupant) plane to do a low pass over an air show. Only 3 fatalities in the end, but seems like a crazy stunt that could have been much worse.

[@cmaylo]

A320 fits more than 136.

[@The2wanderers]

@@cmaylo Yes. "Fully" loaded was an error. There were 136 SOB that particular flight. Still a completely absurd situation for a passenger flight.

[@IceTTom]

Was it 3 of the 136 sons of bitches on board that died? or spectators? And how did they die?

[@johnnunn8688]

Yes, it flew along then runway then serenely into the trees.

[@wraitheful]

demo flight with passengers right into the trees.

[@jonathanhill6064]

Can't speak to any experience, but I do love planes. Glad I found this channel. Tragic stories of course, but I learned a few new things. You are an EDUCATOR , not a content creator, and that is the best. Keep it up.

[@STROONZONY]

Why is Steve O anywhere near an aircraft?

[@royharper9472]

You win the best comment of the thread, if only a few of us know what you are talking about 🎉

[@billmadison2032]

he does look like him lol

[@MS-ho9wq]

You had to be THAT guy

[@MindBodySoulOk]

Well in the 80s the thunder birds would fly right over the audience when they did their surprise low pass from behind the crowd. Now that same maneuver is lack luster because it takes place nowhere near the audience.

[@bradsanders407]

To siphon the jet fuel out to do more jet fuel angels.

[@wraitheful]

I’m not an acrobatic fan at air shows, knowing the history. Years ago at my local show, there was an F-14 doing constant maneuvers in between scheduled performances, just constant and it was great but totally unnecessary. I wasn’t shopping for planes and it was a living legend so it made no sense to me. F-14’s, 15’s & 16’s are legendary aircraft. I’m completely ok with a nice slow fly-by followed by a fast one if warranted; no flips, stalls or maneuvers required plus nobody dies in front of young civilians.

[@stickyfox]

Rammstein told you about it. "a man burns/the smell of cooking meat is in the air/a child dies/the sun shines"

[@tonwort]

I have witnessed two deadly crashes at airshows. One of these crashes was a very close call. The plane crashed into the forest in a steep bank in a high speed stall. The plane, an experimental self built spitfire crashed close to the landing strip, heading towards where I stood. Had the plane been in the air for two more seconds there would have been lots of casualties.

[@kidwave1]

Dont let Pilot Debrief fool you, ...airshows are ENTIRELY UNNECESSARY, flying funerals! People, or pilots die at OVER 50% of them. Step right up and take your chances.

[@silentsven1]

​@@kidwave1the rate of incidents at airshows, in the US at least is 31 incidents per 1000 shows. Don't lie, the facts are easily checked and passing off shit like that is how people who don't fact check end up believing something entirely incorrect, like vaccines causing autism. Basically, fuck off and do better.

[@ComeJesusChrist]

One would think that after the first crash, you’d stop attending these pointless shows!

[@tcg1_qc]

@@ComeJesusChrist air shows are amazing. I'd never been to one until this summer and man, it was incredible. The Thunderbirds were there, and not only could you see and hear, but you could feel those F-16s as they passed over you. As a plane fan who never had the chance to fly, this was a dream. I was even able to get inside the Pratt & Whitney 747 testbed

[@skoto8219]

@@kidwave1 I agree that air shows are completely unnecessary and that they could be banned tomorrow and it would have literally zero effect on the aviation industry despite Pilot Debrief’s suggestion to the contrary but…50%? What are you talking about lol

[@lftdblazer]

Noticed SJ on the wall behind you. My Aunt and Uncle were stationed there through the 90's. Went to many airshows there as a kid. Lots of good memories.

[@pilot-debrief]

Yep, those are Shady J tail flashes from when I was stationed there. Lots of great memories for me as well! Thanks for sharing!

[@NiirTheRaccoon]

The Sknyliv Air Show Disaster was quite horrific, the jet mowed through the crowd level, after it had picked up a barbed wire fence, and it dismembered a lot of people. You can find the full-length video easily online, but if you have a weak stomach, don't watch it. Some of the scenes feel like they are from a movie, but then you realise it is entirely real, and it's truly horrific.

[@frankpecenka5606]

One of my fondest airshow memories took place in the 1970's when the Blue Angels performed at the Kelowna BC Regatta summer festival. One of the Blue Angels accidentally went supersonic over Kelowna shattering about 10 million dollars of glass in the downtown core of the city,

[@KevinWellard]

I was at Mountain Home for that air show. It was really stunning and stressful until we found out the pilot was okay. My sister watched an F-16 pilot eject off the ground due to a fire at Hahn Air Base in West Germany. My father worked on ejection seats his entire life ending with the ACES II in the F-16. He never saw one deploy. He did have letters from pilots thanking him though.

[@erato1]

I had friends at the Rammestein airshow. Some were safe but a few were injured and some died.

[@danpreston564]

My friend’s brother died in the shoreham air show disaster in south England a few years back. He was driving down the main road and was hit by a plane.

[@movienut710]

That's about as bad of luck any person could ever have. I'll always Remember this comment and that poor chap. He won't be forgotten, at least by me. May he be in Paradise

[@boiledelephant]

I'm sorry for your loss. I sincerely hope that prick of a pilot comes to his senses and abandons all ambition of resuming flying planes. He needs to either take responsibility for what he did or get in the sea.

[@sofializzy4519]

I grew up near Barksdale. I have VERY fond memories of the air shows. Thank you for your service. ❤ 🇺🇲

[@grumpy3543]

I love airshows. I worry about the pilots and spectators. I never want to see anything happen. I have already seen 4 people die in a Piper Malibu when he lost control of the plane after takeoff when he went into the clouds. He came out of the 1000’ overcast inverted near vertical. I was a copilot in a DC9 waiting for takeoff and it came down just across the runway from me. Just a very sick feeling to watch.

[@tonyradmilovich3154]

I recall the Mt. Home/Thunderbirds mishap. Word had it that the pilot had somehow neglected to set his altimeter before takeoff. Ain't it always the "little" things.

[@jennif9999]

I was in Ramstein at the airshow with my Father. I was 16. We were just leaving and in the parking grass area. I was born in Konstanz Germany and moved to America in 1997. But I never forgot the Ramstein Kaiserslautern crash.

[@0101-s7v]

I attended an air show in the early 80s when I was 14, where the blue Angels were performing. While one of the planes was flying a low, high-speed flyby down the runway… essentially distracting the crowd… while another circle behind us and made a low, high-speed approach right over our heads. It scared the crap out of all of us. It was awesome. I loved every minute of it.

[@timecowx]

I had that same experience, and it is one of my favorite air show memories. The announcers are in on it too, keeping everyone focused on the rest of the team, and that one sneaky SOB comes from behind at what feels like 20 feet overhead when that bang hits ya! That was a fun part of the routine. If you were at Moffett Field, we were at the same show, though I am sure they did that same move at all of their shows. At Moffett there was also that giant airship hangar, so that added to the "out of nowhere" effect. Good days, good air shows!

[@0101-s7v]

@@timecowx Nellis for me. Glad we got to experience that before they stopped allowing flyovers of the crowd.

[@debbie4503]

I'm kind of jealous. I would have loved that!

[@bobm2410]

A standard for both the Blues and T-Birds. Called a "sneak pass."

[@wraitheful]

I’ve experienced that so many times, looked for it endlessly at each successive show after that first and it got me every flipping time. Do I love it or miss it? Nope.

[@leovolont]

yeah, Hoover, when I was a young enthusiastic teenager taking flying lessons, I never missed any air show within 100 miles of home. I like the vintage planes, the Stearmans and the Mustangs and Spitfires and anything else they could repair and make flight worthy. Heck, I recognize your name Hoover, from Bob Hoover, who had been an Air Show Superstar during the Sixties and Seventies.

[@penelopelopez8296]

I worked at Grumman on Long Island and got to see air shows often….whenever the pilots came out test the new F-14 Tom Cats. Everything came to a halt and everyone stopped what they were doing when it was test flight time. I certainly miss those days.

[@Youtubeuser1aa]

Amazing birds

[@elskid206]

I find it difficult to believe those pilots blamed the organizers of the air show and cited lack of training for their problem. The captain of a ship has the sole and final responsibility to fly/not fly. I would expect more out of a pilot than that.

[@boiledelephant]

Agreed, saying "they didn't give us enough training time" is an admission of guilt. It's as good as saying, "I went out and flew knowing we hadn't had enough training time and knowing it wasn't safe."

[@BS-vx8dg]

I've never seen your channel, but this was a solid video. I saw the Thunderbirds in 1973 and have seen the Blue Angels several times, and I appreciate your advice to people not to stay away from air shows. (Only one minor correction: Check out the definition of the word "infamous"; the Thunderbirds are most definitely *not* infamous.

[@laurasalo6160]

I think im starting to understand why, when my dad took us to airshows, he always parked along a side road near the highway and far away from the airport grounds. I always thought it was just too expensive.

[@plmarshall30]

Oh that's sad. At 6:54 you show the B-29 "909" that crashed in 2019. I had bought my dad (retired commercial pilot and USAF Pilot B-57) a ride on the plane and he loved it. I enjoy your video breakdowns and hope you continue to keep up the great content.

[@smark1180]

B-17, not B-29.

[@plmarshall30]

Yup, that's what I meant but not what I tyoed. Thanks for the correction.@@smark1180

[@jbratt]

My dad was a WWII pilot and flew until the 2000s. He got to where he really didn’t like air shows. He said it wasn’t entertaining knowing all the things that could go wrong.

[@alexandermair3944]

how do you only have 290 subs !?!?!? you are amazing! better than most big youtubers!

[@pilot-debrief]

Thank you! I just started this channel and look forward to growing a great community with people like you!

[@DBrisky37]

290 to 470,000 in a year. Wow! Nice work.

[@Bearwithme560]

@@DBrisky37 476K, four days later. Remarkable. 👍

[@saltiestsiren]

Niche subject, probably. But it certainly found its audience eventually. I don't watch many videos about aviation at all, and unfortunately the ones I watch are about recent Boeing stuff and past disasters. This one was in my sidebar and caught my eye

[@thetek2006]

I witnessed a crash at the Biggin Hill airshow in Southern England in 1980. A Douglas A-26 Invader tried to perform a barrel-roll or wing-over after a fast and low pass down the runway. Beyond the runway is a valley and the aircraft effectively went near vertically into the bottom of the valley killing the pilot and six passengers. It crashed into farmland but by luck the only field that hadn't been opened up to the public by the farmer for watching the event. I was 5 and in the next field with the whole of my family and felt the heat from the huge fireball. it's one of my earliest memories and I still remember it remarkably clearly. A number of ordinary heroes watching from the surrounding fields ran into the flames hoping to save people.

[@TFitz]

My mentor Gary Boucher flies airshows...super cool maneuvers with ground clearance. He has told me about some of his friends no longer with us from accidents.

[@colonelkurtz2269]

Yesterday at the Ft Lauderdale show, members of the Ghost Squadron touched wings and the show was briefly paused. Mig 29, A10, F18, Red Bull team, SOCOM jumpers, and the Thunderbirds= incredible show. It wasn't lost on me what it takes to make it possible and Ft Lauderdale beach is a great venue. ⛱️

[@Jabber-ig3iw]

I was at RIAT in ‘93 when the 2 Mig 29s collided in mid air, fortunately it was over the far side of the airfield away from the crowd, even so there were some near misses with debris and crews on wings of a Hercules and people in a field, airshows can be dangerous, and as Shoreham shows you don’t even have to be attending the Airshow for you to be in danger.

[@bengonzales1182]

Went to an airshow when I was a kid, to this day it's still one of the worst experiences I've ever had in my life.

[@buruhbruh6]

Student Pilot from Germany here, a couple months ago while flying Night VFR my flight instructor told me about how he always attended the Ramstein Air Shows and on the Day the tragedy happened his son had a soccer game which was the first time he did not go to the Airshow at Ramstein. Mad Luck. However his colleague went and got hit by the fire of the crashed jet. He threw himself under a truck in attempt to save himself. Luckily he is alive but back then his life was hanging on a thread because he suffered severe burns from the crashing jet.

[@markvolpe2305]

I witnessed the 1985 Blue Angels Air Show accident at the Niagara fall Air Force Base, I was 8 years old at the time and i remember running with a crowd of people behind a concession stand to protect myself from flying debris, a very scary event.

[@fivestringslinger]

It is a major pet peeve of mine that the general public assumes that due to the age of most GA aircraft that they are somehow too old and unsafe. I'm a pilot and an aircraft maintainer. I've flown and worked on aircraft that are 50 and 60 years old that are in better mechanical shape than most 10 year old cars on the road. In order to maintain an airworthiness certificate, aircraft are subject to annual or phase inspections and maintenance based on time, hours flown or flight cycles. There is a great deal of hard work and care that goes into assuring that aircraft are safe and airworthy.

[@bhatkat]

B-17s and B-24s weren't pressurized, meaning the airframes could last much longer like DC-3s.

[@SgtTank]

Thank you for sharing how safe our aerial events really are. I'm the Director of Operations for two aerial events, one of which you mention in this video. After each event we have an after action review / lessons learned including feedback from our FAA representatives. We start planning for the next year's event about a month after the previous event. I was at the 2011 crash in Reno, and about 150 yards from the impact with clear line of sight. The pilot, Jimmy, was a good friend. It was a sad and tragic day, but I would never stop going due to that. I've unfortunately worked two other fatal accidents at aerial events, but I still wouldn't stop going. At no time have I ever felt like I was in danger at these events. The safety precautions we take are thorough, designed to mitigate as much risk as possible. Thanks again for the good coverage.

[@VickersDoorter]

The Shoreham Air Crash of 2015 was a shameful episode. Vintage aircraft pilot Andrew Hill was the pilot who got off scot-free after killing 11 people who had no connection with the air display event. He exibited no contrition and looking bemused when going to and from court. It is reported he recently re-applied for his pilot's licence. If that had been one one of my relatives consumed in the resultant huge fireball and hi-speed debris, I'd have dealt with him and done the time.

[@davidcole333]

I saw a fatal accident at NAS Lemoore back in 1981. A biplane did a loop without sufficient altitude to pull out and he flew it right into the ground, causing the aircraft to explode. I also remember the Ramstein crash very well, it made front page headlines around the world. Brutal, brutal crash. I sometimes wonder if airshows are really worth it. The cost of even a single fan fatality is too high. As far as the warbirds go...the B-17/P-63 crash taught us that it can go bad very, very quickly. While it's nice to see those beauties fly, it's not worth losing them to future generations. We are caretakers of them, nothing more.

[@bizjetfixr8352]

The problem for people selling airshow tickets? An airshow with totally safe distance from the crowd is boring as he'll. As far as his assertions about warbird maintenance...... I've dealt with pilots/operators who don't want to pay to fix stuff on their old bizjets. In fact, I'm pretty well convinced that there are a bunch of guys running around in old bizjets that never do the Chapter 5 inspections. The plan seems to be: buy it as cheap as possible, and don't bother fixing anything, because it will be sent to the boneyard when the first engine or life limited component times out. Or worse....ignore the TBOs and life limits Can't see how warbirds are any better, given that radial and V-12 engine guys are even fewer and far between, and an even bigger parts problem

[@shadowscall7758]

Air Shows are the main way they get money to be "caretakers". It's a lot of money to maintain planes.

[@davidcole333]

@@shadowscall7758 air quoting caretakers? I don't follow...ask any owner of an antique/classic aircraft and they will call themselves the same word. People who own these pieces are largely financially well off. No one is out there buying these planes that can't afford to maintain them.

[@davidthomspson9771]

My dad was transferred to Luke AFB I'm 1976 at the beginning of the F15 eagle program .He was CBPO for 15 years there,we got to go to every air show there until he retired.It was awsome, and we got special seats and access to planes and the Thunderbirds.Good times

[@kneel1]

I will never forget the relatively recent-ish one where the girl was standing on the wing while pilot was knifing sideways, and pulled them both right into ground somehow

[@rothbj1]

I was at the November 2022 ‘Wings over Dallas’ CAF show where a P-63 and B-17 collided, killing all 6 crew. I don’t know if I’ll be able to go to another….

[@101perspective]

03:20... I was asked if I wanted to volunteer for that 1988 Open House. I almost went but instead decided to get some extra work done. I knew people though that attended. Luckily none of them were hurt. I did speak to many people who said there were injured civilians walking in to random buildings and stuff seeking help. The military gives you combat first aid training. I suspect this help save several lives that day.

[@lytnin88]

Hoover, I can't believe it. You just gave us your real name. Hope you don't get into trouble with the airline you work for.

[@andrewhancock7812]

I was at an air show today, it was very cool but I couldn’t help but think how if anything went wrong the speeds are so fast there would be ability too react

[@parrotraiser6541]

There's a phenomenon known as airshowitis; a tendency for pilots to get excited and try new things. Nothing new to the pilot or machine should be done at a show, especially if they haven't been to the location before. Altitude mistakes have caused disasters.

[@joshuapatrick682]

"the Infamous US Air Force Thunderbirds" and something about the Navy....

[@Dav-S5658]

I witnessed a fatal bi-plane crash at an airshow as a child in 1962 at Davis Monthan AFB in Tucson, AZ. I was only 4 years old, but I remember it vividly! I've only attended 3 airshows in my life.

[@rikk319]

I remember a Thunderbird going down at an airshow when my family was stationed at Hill AFB in Utah in the early 80s. One of the last times they flew T-38s, the pilot died riding it down into a farm field so it wouldn't strike any populated spots.

[@johndefalque5061]

I've been to a couple of airshows and the highlight was a tour of the interior of a Catalina flying boat. Best plane in the BC Aircraft museum in Victoria is a Bristol Beaufighter.

[@memberwhen22]

Hoover have you ever been to the "Royal Canadian warplane heritage museum" in Ontario Canada? They have a lancaster there that they still fly along with a bunch of other ww2 planes. There's a whole team of vets and mechanics that keep them airworthy and they have an entire shop to fabricate the parts they need. It's really cool and worth seeing. You can walk right up to the planes, they are just roped off to prevent people from getting in them, although the employees always seem very happy to bring people into the cockpit for a look when they see them looking. As far as I know, there is nowhere else a person can actually touch an airworthy lancaster, or get to go inside if they ask nicely. I really like the "chipmunk" trainer plane that they have there.

[@memberwhen22]

they even have flight packages where they will take the public for a flight. very not cheap though

[@Boomer045]

I’ve always been kinda against the idea of air shows. I don’t think it’s worth a pilot risking his or her life for other peoples entertainment.

[@chuckcawthon3370]

You have earned my respect for sober and fact based critiques of aviation mishaps and DC investigations. Well Done Sir.

[@toughenupfluffy7294]

"Hey, Honey? Would you like to risk our lives and go to the air show?"

[@jwm6314]

The ejection seat from the Mountain Home crash sat in my office for like a year. So glad he got out.

[@chrisclermont456]

Hoover, I really enjoy your videos!! Intelligent and informative. I am not an aviator, but I do a lot of air travel. At one point in my life, I wanted to learn to fly a plane a close friend of mine. He has been an aviator for several decades now. Keep it up, mate!!

[@technowelliebobs4779]

Very cool footage of that ejection. You can see the Viper activating its last-ditch max-pitch function on the FBW right before they pulled the handle. This suggests that the Viper knew it was dead before it died.

[@gagepalmer6234]

i was at an air show as a kid and a dude did a triple loop and on the second one it was already looking risky and the 3rd one he smacked into the ground. i didn’t even really realize what happened really cause i was so young.

[@SnizzleWOG]

Remember seeing a Sopwith camel crash pretty spectacularly at Old Rhinebeck, pilot survived and walked away waving. As a kid, I didn't realize he nearly got killed.

[@alexmeyer7307]

I had luck to survive that crash in Lwiw/Ukraine with that SU-27 back in 2002, when I was 16 years old. I was standing just before the cockpit's door of IL-96. Later I realised that there nothing left from that cockpit, as it was also hit by SU-27. First no one could understand what happend and everyone thought that the plane just flew low to the ground und pushed all the dust up. After I left the plane I was in the epicenter of hell.. pictures of burned body parts are still in my memories.. It was just one moment..

[@michaelannen4168]

Why are the thunderbirds infamous?

[@stuartgoldberg8825]

In 1976 we were at an airshow at the former Willow Grove Naval Air Station. We were standing under the wing of a fighter jet to get out of the sun. As we were standing there a child was sitting in the cockpit while the ejection seat was armed and enabled. He triggered the seat and was blasted out of the plane and was killed when the seat came down on a car parked near the plane. Fortunately my 2 young daughters and i were able to get clear of the plane and avoided and injuries.

[@NuncNuncNuncNunc]

I just read about that. According to a comment on one site, someone admitted to giving the young boy instructions on how to eject.

[@williamshepherd1531]

I've been to more air shows than I can count. Every since I was a kid. And I've never seen A disaster. Which I'm glad. William s

[@mixter7x7]

Little problem with airshows is that aircraft accidents generally span a large uncontrolled area. A&P since 1985. Don't go to airshows.

[@bobflannagan7262]

Infamous Thunderbirds? Why infamous?

[@markrix]

Cuz they had cool planes and cool puppets, i loved that tv show

[@DanielVagg]

I think he just meant famous. I don't think there's any controversy or anything. As far as I know anyway...

[@James-dg6xe]

Inflammable means flammable? What a country!

[@psaunder1975]

@@James-dg6xe "If something is flammable it means it can be set fire to, such as a piece of wood. However, inflammable means that a substance is capable of bursting into flames without the need for any ignition. "

[@Accurize2]

@@James-dg6xe Infamous means the same globally.

[@dream431ca]

I'm going to see the Frecce Tricolori for the first time in a few months. I've wanted to see these guys live for over 35 years. So excited.

[@simonagree4070]

Always gave me the willies when the Blue Angels warmed up or practiced over San Francisco a few days before fleet week in October. It shook my apartment. I worked nights and slept afternoons, but not that week.

[@SniperTrader7733]

I was at airshow in Lake Charles Louisiana in 1973 and witness a Blue Angel crash. Pilot ejected and was ok.

[@jimcurt99]

As a kid in the 60's i remember the Thunderbirds in the F-4s doing supersonic passes over the runway (DM AFB)... was awesome seeing that beautiful jet fly by with NO SOUND- then the sound would catch up- LOUD. was amazing

[@AudioFreqx]

Former Navy SAR swimmer at CNATRA and I can relate. Those are great tips!

[@user-po3mh4dy9r]

I witnessed a crash at an airshow at Davis Monthan AFB, in 1966. I was a young kid, but I still remember it clearly. It was a tiny bi-plane, and the pilot attempted a loop very near the ground. The plane stalled coming out of the loop, and fell like a rock. He did not have enough altitude to gain speed and pull it out. The pilot, Dallas Taylor was killed.

[@CraigCholar]

Also in 1966 I was just a kid when I saw Shelby Kritser fatally crash after a hammerhead stall at an airshow in Amarillo, TX. I can remember it clearly to this day. Thankfully it's the only time I've seen a crash despite attending many airshows in the decades since. Once was more than enough.

[@user-po3mh4dy9r]

@@CraigCholar Yeah I remember looking at the plane on display before the flight. It was a tiny plane. It almost seemed like a toy. You are right that I sure didn't want to see it crash, and I sure don't want to see anything like that again. These things stay with you.

[@celieboo]

My dad was in the US Air Force. I went to a lot of airshows as a child. I never realized how dangerous they actually are.

[@jmfs8738]

I have great memories of Blue Angels’ Shows. I was so inspired that I joined the USAF. Then, my mother found out…😊. -40 years later, I still show up for the shows. Can’t afford cable, but I’m ready when I see an advert!

[@Yssgqvwgewgshsydsys]

Ukrainian pilots trained on a different su27 prior to airshow, using not more than 2-3 tons of fuel, and when the time came to perform they were provided with a fully loaded su27 they weren't used to

[@alk672]

I'm a private pilot, and I'm not going anywhere near an airshow if I can help it. They are designed to ignore bullet proof safety rules regarding minimum safe altitudes, separation, etc. Just a lot of unnecessary risk in close proximity to a huge crowd where hundreds of casualties are guaranteed in case of a mishap. As this video states, there's a huge financial incentive, which is why these things keep happening. No, you should not be afraid to go if you're really into that kind of stuff, it's not any less safe than your average drive to work, but by aviation standards the safety is just not there, and I don't want to be there when the next airplane hits.

[@SandraHof]

My brother lives near the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. One year when I was visiting him, the Thunderbirds were practicing their routine in preparation for the upcoming graduation of the Academy cadets. We sat on the balcony of his house and watched as they practiced. It was exciting. Thanks for highlighting that air shows are generally safe. Because in my mind they always equal someone dying. I guess because I am in my late 60s and have heard all the news reports over the years anytime there is a crash at these events.

[@thedacardea416]

But you've never taken a tally of how many air shows were never reported on because nothing unusual happened, right?

[@SandraHof]

@@thedacardea416 No, because it doesn’t really matter to me personally and I have more important things to do in life.

[@stenic2]

I am a huge aviation fan (I am also a tower traffic controller) I have been to every air show close to my home, well at 57 now I don’t feel so comfortable going to air shows any more

[@tugginalong]

This is the only video on which I’ve heard you use your name. I’ve been to one air show and it was cool.

[@Grivian]

Imagine ejecting and knowing that your jet killed 70+ people. Those pilots are probably still haunted by that.