Originally Posted by
mickjoebill
As with most airshows, the full circuit is in front of the spectators, this naturally results in aircraft turning toward the spectators before flying down the line.
In this incident, at the moment if impact, the momentum of the aircraft was *toward* the crowd. The impact was so catastrophic that both aircraft plummeted. But what if the P63 had been partially damaged and then descended on its track, would it have crashed into the crowd?
Would it be inherently safer for the circuit to be conducted *around* the spectators? Not as visually engaging.....
Mjb
Quite by chance I was lucky enough to attend a Planes of Fame airshow at Chino in 2000 - around the spectators was exactly how the groups of aircraft flew, such as P-51s, P-40s, P-38s, P-47s, then Navy types, etc, Worked very well, you had something in front of you most of the time. Individual aerobatic acts (Brian Sanders in Sea Fury "Argonaut", his arrival from on high was possibly the fastest I've ever seen a piston engined aircraft go, not certain that Reno races are quite as rapid out the outset, despite the downhill start!), etc filled in. Day before I'd been at the CAF's Midland display, I don't recall the tear drop race track parades as seen at Dallas, some of the flights may have been but I'm sure most stuff was going down the display line then flying the reciprocal a mile or two further out, still in front of the crowd.