This is my first post on this thread and I have followed it closely. As ESG's post #464 of the 2nd September remains unacknowledged I thought I would add this and share his concern for the unfortunate pilot.....
I wish AH (and his wife and family) all the best and that A makes as good a recovery in time as is possible. What no one has said is that every pilot takes off on a flight expecting to land safely and go home after a day in the "office" and it makes no difference if it is a routine hop in a puddle-jumper, a flight in an Airbus or Boeing commercial jet or a combat mission in a fast jet or an air show display.
Whether the jet was "vintage" or not is irrelevant if the jet was serviceable and properly maintained which I believe will be clearly established by the AAIB so blanket bans based on the age or the aircraft is pretty irrelevant. (The Hawks flown by the Red Arrows are over 30 years old and have used up much more FI (fatigue index) than this unfortunate Hunter had - the RCAF Tutors used by the Snowbirds team are even older - should they be grounded too?)
This was a tragic accident and lessons will be learned. All I would ask is that a thought be spared for the pilot involved; he didn't set out for this flight to end the way it did: may he get fit to fly again as soon as possible and be spared everlasting guilt and anguish. And before anyone asks, I don't know AH or his family, but I did spend 10 years in the RAF and met a few "bona mates" along the way...and I've been lucky, so far my tally of take-off's is = to my landings.
Get well soon AH.
MB