how would you plan your air risk free airshow?
Enough already. Some of the some of the stuff on here is just plain daft. Seriously, is anybody suggesting a "risk free" airshow? Everybody with an IQ north of 20 knows there is no such thing as a "risk free" anything (as Tourist correctly reminds us).
It is equally obvious that society can take objective decisions about the management of risk, the necessity of risk, the mitigation of risk, the assessment etc.
Although I am an ex aviator I am no fan of airshows. Perhaps that has something to do with watching a close friend die in one, along with 6 others, doing something needlessly stupid, and doing it badly. However, and again falling in step with Tourist, I would not see them banned; we live a free country and lots of things we enjoy entail a measure of acceptable risk.
But!
The two recent accidents require a fresh look at the display of vintage jets by part time/amateur/hobbyist/whatever-you-want-to-label them pilots, to ascertain whether or not the risks are being correctly assessed and managed
I'm an ex- Sqn Exec and crew captain, which means, I like many on here, have been formally trained in military flight authorisation...and then spent years applying this training in many environments, including live in combat, which is pretty risky!
But!
Even in combat, risks were assessed and managed. And a MASSIVE part of flight authorisation is checking and qualifying crew currency against a backdrop of statistics and recent training. That's why we call it CURRENCY FFS!!
Whoever is in charge needs to make sure that the pilots currency, on type, in respect of the mission (display flying) needs to be 100% solid, against a backdrop of formal, objective checks.
And if the cost consequences of that curtail such activities, or push up the cost of airshows, then i'm afraid that just comes under the "tough sh1t" caveat.