This pilot had not flown the Hunter very much previously to this airshow. I would strongly suggest that was not current with the aircraft and was not current to perform these manouevers.
In the airline world, we have to have special extra training and clearance to land scheduled passenger jets at Gibralter - which is entirely standard, but a bit short and a bit tight with occasional dodgy winds. Only Captains who have had extra training are authorised to do so and if they haven’t done so for 42 days, it is mandatory to carry a current TRI/TRE either in the RHS or the jump seat to revalidate and ensure the approach is flown correctly.
All well and good. But there at Shoreham, we have a very old aircraft that was maintained by a band of no doubt keen but also not current (on the Hunter) enthusiast engineers. Spare parts are extremely rare, budgets are extremely tight. Rubber seals for example lose their effectiveness over time and should be periodically replaced. I don’t recall if the engine had been properly tested, run, borescoped, or whether engine thrust measurements had been made in the days before the display?
The pilot self briefed. He did not sit in a formal briefing room with other display pilots and a white board and support staff to go through the display, the weather, the performance gates, possible failures and escape manoeuvres and talk everything through.
I am not personally blaming anybody involved in the sequence I have outlined - none of them were deliberately negligent and I am sure they all did their best on the day - but I feel very strongly that the authorities must mandate much stricter rules and processes. Aerobatic display flying should only be performed by current display pilots or current test pilots on properly maintained machines. Proper military style briefings should be carried out. The authorities should go through everything with a fine toothed comb and have a representative there on site before approving aerobatic displays by old aircraft and allowing them to take off.
Cost more money? You bet, but as the old saying goes “If you think safety is expensive, try having an accident”
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