Airshows 2016

For the airshow boys amongst us new for this year 2016 the Gazelle Sqn Debut at Cosford,

www.gazellesquadron.co.uk/news/gazelle-s...raf-cosford-air-show

Regards Ian

Since the CAA announced there ridiculous plans to double their fees to airshow organisers this year the organisers of the airshows at Manchester, Dawlish, Llandudno, Bridgenorth have already been forced to throw in the towel as they simply cannot now afford to stage shows. Old Warden has had to cut it's shows down from 12 a year to just 6 main shows this year & now Sywell, another very popular airshow which like most of the others also raises much for charity has now been forced to cancel as it's simply not viable to continue. Gutting news as it's being growing with each event & has attracted record crowds at the last couple of events. Sadly more shows will go as well...Little Gransden have announced that this years show will almost definitely be the last if thyese plans by the CAA become a reality. -

From the SywellTwitter page -
Sadly we can now announce there will be no Sywell Airshow in 2016, due to various factors including the likelihood of much higher CAA fees.
Sign the petition, write to your MP, reply to the CAA consultation - Keep Airshows Airborne! www.facebook.com/groups/KeepAirshowsAirborne …


From the Sywell Airshow website www.sywellairshow.co.uk/
Sywell Airshow 2016 CANCELLED
Following many enquires it is with regret that we would like to confirm that the biennial Sywell Airshow will not be taking place in 2016.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank all those that have supported us over the years and helped us raise many thousands of pounds for the Air Ambulance and other deserving Charities.
Hopefully Sywell Airshow may return at some point in the future but in the mean time we hope that there will be a smaller, more intimate, event in August. Keep an eye on the Sywell Aerodrome website for details.
With best wishes from the Sywell Airshow Team.
- See more at: www.sywellairshow.co.uk/#sthash.5omdiLEU.dpuf

What the heck is that all about? Is it a result of Shoreham?

Have the CAA stated why fees have doubled and what do the fees cover anyway?

It won't be long before we are all attending the last airshow ever.

Then with no airshows the government will have a excuse to stop spending money on the Reds & the BBMF.

Peter, Airshows are the most popular public outdoor events second only to football in the UK.

Dietmar wrote:

What the heck is that all about? Is it a result of Shoreham?

Have the CAA stated why fees have doubled and what do the fees cover anyway?

It won't be long before we are all attending the last airshow ever.

Do you remember us talking about starting an airshow 2016 thread Dietmar? This wasn't the content we where planning for it to feature eh? (perhaps we should start a separate thread as it's a BIG issue & certainly not just relevant to just Sywells cancellation). Basically all Civilian organised airshows are under threat...& aircraft operators.

Here's an article courtesy of the Peoples Mosquito that explains things www.peoplesmosquito.org.uk/2016/02/05/po...d-of-the-uk-airshow/ -



Last Monday, 1st February, the Civil Aviation Authority released a consultation document – CAP1373b ‘Statutory air display and low flying permission charges – Consultation on proposed amendments to charges for 2016-17‘ which could potentially spell the end of many UK airshows and flying displays, particularly the smaller ones, and curtail others.

The document outlines proposals to hugely increase charges relating to air displays, partly as a result of the ongoing Air Display Review and partly in “mitigation of existing under-recovery of costs”. While the tragedy at Shoreham last year clearly invites tougher safety regulation in some areas, which would inevitably result in an increase in costs to the CAA, the proposal to increase charges almost to breaking point seems an unnecessary and unwarranted blow to an already highly regulated and costly area.

To illustrate the sort of increase we are talking about – if in 2015 an airshow had between 25-30 display items they paid £2,020 for the CAA permission. For the same display in 2016 they will pay £14,040 (including an entirely new Flying Display Post-event Charge). The CAA needs to break down and justify for the public, aircraft operators and airshow organisers this 595% increase in charges (in our example – the new charges work on a sliding scale). In our opinion this level of increase is unreasonable.

From the CAA website:

“This consultation contains the proposed amendments to air display charges contained within the CAA General Aviation Scheme of Charges.

To accommodate the timetable for the 2016 air display season, these proposals are planned to be effective as from 1 April 2016.

The proposals consider cost recovery of the planned increase in resources, following the actions required from the Air Display Review and potential recommendations from the Air Accident Investigation Branch’s report, and partial mitigation of existing under-recovery of costs.

Consequently, the air display charges are proposed to increase significantly for the larger events on a sliding scale pending a full review of the changing regulatory requirements and effect on charges in time for industry consultation for the 2017-18 Scheme.”

While we strongly support and encourage the CAA’s aim to continually review airshow safety, we feel that the proposals to increase the charges related to airshows, by the figures suggested, is a step too far, and will have limited direct safety benefits. They will however have a huge effect on the organisations and individuals involved within the airshow community. And the general public will not be unaffected. Airshow entrance charges will inevitably rise if organisers are forced to pay more, thereby making what is hardly a cheap day out as it is, even more inaccessible to a greater number of people.

Apart from the spectating public, the list of people and organisations potentially affected, both financially and otherwise (e.g. in terms of charities: public awareness), by the CAA proposals contained in CAP 1373b is depressingly long and varied. Here are a few for starters:

Service and civilian charities, and this will include some airshow organisers (it’s not clear whether charitable income from airshows has ever been assessed, but it is fairly safe to say that it will be a very significant amount. This is certainly true for TPM); specialist engineering companies; aircraft restoration firms; fabric suppliers and fitters; individual pilots; flying schools; flying clubs; formation flying teams; airfields; veterans’ organisations; military and aviation museums, aviation support services – fuel suppliers etc; independent traders – and if you’ve been to an airshow you will know this includes: fast-food outlets; drinks suppliers; ice-cream vans; retailers: clothing; model aircraft; aviation art; books; toys etc., etc..

And then of course, there is the potential impact on the local business community – so: hotels; restaurants; pubs; shops; petrol stations; bus companies; the rail networks – the list goes on.

Then there is the likely contraction/loss to the aviation media sector, with specialist magazines like FlyPast and the Aeroplane being badly hit. Added to that the sale of specialist DVDs and other media would take a pounding. ‘Planes TV’ and other web-based channels such as GAR and Xtended must also not be forgotten, they will have a greatly reduced content source, nor the many talented aviation photographers and artists.

All of the above rely on airshows as a significant part of the income stream – whether for profit or not, as in our case. These companies and organisations also employ many individuals who will be personally affected if the CAA’s proposals are implemented.

But the damage wouldn’t stop there. Another possible consequence – and nightmare scenario to many of us – could be an out-flowing of historic aircraft from the UK. If owners find their economic base being threatened then they will go to France or Germany or Switzerland or even the US – or just get out of the business entirely. Prices of historic aircraft would plummet, making the restoration sector even more fragile – to say nothing of the major auction houses being hit.

An example of the impact an airshow can have on a region comes from the experience of one of our own team members – Ross Sharp – who was for some time during the 1990’s heavily involved with the display events at, what was then, RAF Finningley. With the help of local businesses, he worked out the financial impact of the main event weekend was a staggering £6.3 million. Hotels for a 30 mile radius were fully booked, petrol stations had to order in extra fuel, local supermarkets had to work hard to keep the shelves stocked and British Rail (as was) sold more than 12 times the usual number of tickets. Even the local newspaper tripled its run. When the show was moved to Waddington, the loss of income in the area was felt by many.

At the last Finningley Air Show, the organisers handed over a cheque to the RAFBF for no less than £250,000! (in 1993 terms). This represented a significant annual contribution to their funds. Given the fact that Service men and women need support now more than ever, a major reduction in the amount generated for Service charities is unacceptable. (Not forgetting many civilian good causes that benefit from airshows, either).

An increase of this scale in the fees associated with running an airshow is not a viable proposition. It is very likely to see the end of many of the smaller shows – and potentially some of the larger ones too. The smaller events, such as East Kirkby, Shuttleworth etc., would surely be particularly vulnerable due to the smaller audiences they can cater for, as would the many free seaside shows – e.g. Eastbourne, Dawlish, Southport etc. – that have limited funding but are so popular with the public.

Lastly we mustn’t forget the small child whose first sight, like that of many of us, of an aircraft flying at an airshow sparked an interest that lasted a lifetime. How many pilots and aviators have you heard of who were inspired to fly or otherwise find a niche in the aviation world by what they saw as a child visiting an airshow for the first time?

So we ask for your support to keep alive this important sector – one that not only contributes millions of pounds to the economy, but is enormously popular with the public – second only to football as a spectator event – and an important starting point for many an aviation career.

The closing date of the consultation is 29th February and you can add your voice by completing the submission form on the CAA’s website, here. You can also sign the petition which has been launched here. It would also be a good idea to write to your MP. Details on how to do this are on the petition site.

Let’s not stand by and watch the Great British airshow be consigned to history. It would be such an enormous loss.

The People’s Mosquito

Speechless!

Dietmar wrote:

Speechless!

...Not looking good is it? & we've not got all these new safety rules in place yet so expect even more show cancellations. big restrictions, cut backs & who knows what else.

Here's a list of the Shuttleworth events for 2016 at Old Warden. It would seem that the format has been changed & whilst the main full blown displays remain as normal, they've now done away with the Saturday Evening Shows & replaced them with 'At Home With Shuttleworth' events which as I understand it are relaxed open days with aircraft flying & displaying throughout the day (not to an exact running order) & if the weather is 'Old Warden friendly' they'll continue into the evening.
(Obviously the aircraft participation lists will get larger nearer to the individual display dates)

MAY -

08 - Shuttleworth Season Premiere Airshow
Including
Red Arrows (Full display apparently..that will be good at OW),plus
Visiting Aircraft
BBMF Lancaster
Global Stars aerobatic team
Calidus (Peter Davis)
B17 “Sally B”
P51D Mustang (Pete Teichman)

Collection Aircraft
Westland Lysander
Avro Anson (BAE)
Polikarpov PO2
Gloster Gladiator
Hawker Sea Hurricane 1b
Hawker Hurricane R4118 (HH)

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21 - At home with Shuttleworth

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JUNE -
05 - Fly Navy

Skyraider (Kennet Aviation)
Seafire 17 (Kennet Aviation)
Wasp (Terry Martin)
BBMF Dakota and Hurricane – flypast

Hawker Sea Hurricane 1b
There's a rumour that the Sea Vixen may be attending also (fingers very much crossed for that)

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18 - At home with Shuttleworth

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JULY -

03 - Military Pageant

Hawker Hurricanes x 4 plus R4118 and Collection Hawker Sea Hurricane 1b
Buchon
Yak 3 (Mark Davy)
BBMF Lancaster – flypast

Hawker Tomtit
Hawker Demon (private owner, based at OW)
Gloster Gladiator

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16 - At home with Shuttleworth

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AUGUST -
07 - Shuttleworth Edwardian Pageant

Fokker Triplane DR1 (Breighton)
BE2E (WAHT)
Albatros (WAHT)
Sopwith Snipe (WAHT)
Percival Mew Gull (David Beale)
Calidus Autogyro (Peter Davies)
Pitts S2S Special 'Muscle Biplane' (Richard Goodwin)

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20 - Flying Proms

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SEPTEMBER -

04 - Wings & Wheels

Visiting Aircraft

Little and Large
The Blades (aerobatic display team)
Hang Glider aerobatic display
Mew Gull replica (David Beale)
DH60G (Mel Saggers)
Turbulent
Stearman
Percival Parade
CAP 232 (Emily Todd)
Jackaroo (Trish Neville)
Pitts (Lauren Richardson)

Collection Aircraft
DH88 Comet
Mew Gull
Westland Lysander

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OCTOBER -

02 - Season Finale: Race Day & Roaring Twenties

Miles Messenger (Matt Boddington)
Ballerina
P51D Mustang (Pete Teichman)


McRobertson Mock air race
DH88 Comet
Mew Gull

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Roll on May