Organising a SMALL military airshow

[Hangar_9]

I live in Thanet and was thinking of approaching the airport (Kent International). I am thinking of starting a small scale Airshow or at least requesting permission to get advice and put through to contacts etc.

Does any body have the slightelst idea on how to go about it.

I dont want all the C**P about current political climate and fuel prices etc.
General interest here! It would be a purely Non-profit event.

[airsound]

Why don't you try the Air Display Association Europe
Welome to Air display association Europe
They are probably exactly what you want

airsound

[Pontius Navigator]

Hangar 9, don't go there. Trust me.

Small airshows don't work.

Airshows cost. You need lots of people to pay. You need days to work it and you also needed to start last year - seriously - even a small airshow is never small.

PM me if you don't believe me.

[The Real Slim Shady]

Have to agree with Pontius: the lead in is 12 months and you need a 6 figure fund in the hip pocket to start with.

If you are serious you can kick off by getting sponsors and talking to the local council / development agency / police / environmental health.

Then you can go to the CAA and NATS etc etc

[Navy_Adversary]

All the best with your venture Hangar 9, as well as the many other problems already mentioned, don't forget the good old British summer.

[D SQDRN 97th IOTC]

not sure about your attitude though

so when someone says "yes, I'll display and it'll cost you £x grand plus fuel"
that's when reality of the fuel cost hits home
so in your 6 figure fund to get the ball rolling, you will need to know what F34 costs

i take it you do know what F34 is?

[Pontius Navigator]

There you are, in a nutshell.

Now an ATC Bring and Buy Sale, Car Boot etc at your local aero club and blag a flypast or too.

Flying Display pilots require approval or a licence to display at an event and have to follow military or civil regulations. OTOH any licenced pilot can make an approach and departure at your airfield.

An off-field event would require a special licence from the CAA for civilian aircraft as, by definition, they would otherwise be doing unauthorised low flying,

[komac2]

"You normally have a whole team of consultants who work with you.

here's an example of a person who tried to organise an Airshow on his lonesome in NZ:

Waikato air show organiser unmasked

By MICHAEL CUMMINGS - Waikato Times | Saturday, 01 March 2008

The man behind the Waikato air show debacle has fled a motel room in Auckland.

Air show organiser Ken Ross was in hiding at an Auckland motel yesterday morning, checking out just hours before the Waikato Times arrived at the motor inn to confront him.
And the Times is not the only one on Mr Ross' trail Hamilton police have joined the growing list of people looking for answers after Wings and Wheels over Waikato was postponed indefinitely this week and Mr Ross disappeared.
Ticket holders, exhibitors, and sponsors had invested millions in the event and many feared they will never see their money again.
Model Patrina Logan, who had done promotional and casual administrative work for Mr Ross, spoke to him at the CT Motor Inn on Thursday morning.
Ms Logan is owed money for a calendar Mr Ross commissioned her to produce to sell at the show and asked him what was happening with the event. From the conversation she learned:
Mr Ross is considering either putting the event company, airshow.co.nz, into liquidation or attempting to hold the show next year.
The money from ticket sales was in a trust account.
When his resource consent application began striking problems, Mr Ross considered moving the event to Taupo, Tauranga or Whenuapai. He met lawyers to discuss his options.
The United States Jet Aerobatic team had been approached about performing at the show but nearly doubled its quoted fee after its attendance had been advertised. Mr Ross was then forced to cancel the booking. The Times reported this week the jet team's captain and booking agent had never heard of Mr Ross or his event.
He had refused to speak to the Waikato Times because the newspaper only wanted to focus on the "negative" aspects of the event.
Mr Ross had never organised an air show before.
Mr Ross is still refusing to comment publicly about the troubled event.
Ms Logan said she was first approached by Mr Ross when she was doing modelling work at a car racing event early last year. He told her he was organising an air show and asked Ms Logan if she would do modelling and promotional work for it, including a television commercial. ``He said it was going to be huge,'' she said.
Towards the end of last year Mr Ross suggested to Ms Logan she produce a Wings and Wheels over Waikato calendar, featuring herself and another model in aviation and car-themed shots.
Mr Ross undertook to finance the project and the profits would be shared between them. Ms Logan invested time and money on pre-production and shooting the calendar, but Mr Ross withdrew his financial support in late January.
Ms Logan is committed to having 5000 calendars printed next week but, with the show postponed, is facing a financial hit if she can't sell them else where. She plans to sell them at other events throughout the year and online at www.wingsandwheelsgirls.com.
Ms Logan said in late January Mr Ross told her there was ``about an 80 per cent chance'' the air show would not go ahead. She already had concerns about how the event was being organised.
She said Mr Ross fled the ``Team Airshow'' office in Abbotsford Rd, Hamilton, on Tuesday with nothing but a briefcase and the clothes on his back.

Waikato air show organiser unmasked - New Zealand news on Stuff.co.nz


Aviation industry `always concerned' about event

By JEFF NEEMS - Waikato Times | Saturday, 01 March 2008
Aviation industry insiders had concerns about the viability of the postponed Wings Over Waikato event and its organiser Ken Ross a year ago.

Irene King, chief executive of the Aviation Industry Association, said there were fears within the industry about the viability of Mr Ross' event due to his apparent lack of contacts and experience in the industry, and the apparent lack of aviation advisers to offer guidance.
"You normally have a whole team of consultants who work with you. From about 12 months ago, there was always concern," Ms King said.
"He (Mr Ross) wasn't known in the industry, and so he did not have the networks most people who are doing these sort of events have. He didn't have any of the things one would normally see in an event organiser."
Groups which were involved with Mr Ross' event, including the New Zealand Warbirds Association, had "eyebrows raised quite some time ago," she added.
"They were making noises that they didn't think this would come together."
Ms King felt Mr Ross may have been too optimistic about his ability to pull off an event of the magnitude he had planned. Asked if Mr Ross had "bitten off more than he can chew", Ms King replied "most definitely".
"You've got to be the right sort of person to be able to put these things together. You've got to understand there are a whole series of `back of house' functions you have to do," she said.
"You've got to get the right people, settle a whole lot of contracts, and pay money up front. It's a complex event."
Ms King said anyone who wanted to hold an air show needed to make a substantial investment to get it off the ground.
The successful Warbirds Over Wanaka air show was a "niche" event which attracted a specific market interested in war-time aircraft. Other successful air shows held in New Zealand were "themed" she said.
"The show being put on in the Waikato was not themed, and really was about aircraft flying around and that doesn't spin too many people's wheels anymore," she said.
Smaller air shows were usually run by trusts, and "that indicates to me these are not highly speculative ventures, these are events that require a lot of goodwill and co-operation from the airport, and the people who are flying the aircraft".
"A lot of volunteer work goes in," she added.
Rea Wikaira, now chief executive of the Auckland Rescue Helicopter Trust, was president of the organisation which put on the last successful airshow in the region, 1995's War-birds Over Waikato.
"It took nearly two years to put together. There's a heck of a lot of work involved, and you can't do it on your own," Mr Wikaira said.
That event had an air show manager, as well as volunteers who had needed to be co-ordinated. He said the budget was not too far short of $1 million.
Mr Wikaira agreed with Ms King that a major underwriter was needed, and he suspected Mr Ross did not have one to finance his event.
"The reality was we just broke even (in 1995). We were going to do one again in 1997, but we pulled the pin on it after six months. It's a very risky business."
Carlton Party Hire managing director Geoff Porter was air show manager for Warbirds Over Waikato, and said airshows involved the investment of "scary money".
"It was logistically quite difficult," he said of putting on the event.
Mr Porter said his company was contracted to supply corporate marquees to Wings Over Waikato, but he hadn't spoken to Mr Ross in the past week, and as yet no money had changed hands. He had been surprised Mr Ross had approached him so late to book the marquees, just a few months out from the original planned date for the event.

Aviation industry `always concerned' about event - Local News - Waikato Times

[Romeo Oscar Golf]

Many years ago in another life, I was Secretary to the MOD Participation Committee, a body which was responsible for the participation of all military aircraft in all public air shows throughout the world. In real terms it meant that I assisted the air show organisors with most of the aviation issues. This was in the era of relative freedom of flying activity and the military had aircraft to display (seven B of B displays from Leuchars to Manston on the same day) There were over 300 shows in UK which had military flying participation and every show organisor had a wealth of experience or a large influential organisation behind them. That was in the early 70's and it required unimaginable time effort and money even then!
My friends tell me that things have changed, and not for the better.
I read the Air Display Europe website, and suggest you do. If you still want to go ahead, I suggest you bottle and market whatever it is you are on , 'cos it'll be worth a fortune!

[talk_shy_tall_knight]

"It would be a purely Non-profit event."

You'd better believe it.

[D SQDRN 97th IOTC]

how much does it cost to get the vulcan out for a display?

[airborne_artist]

The Abingdon air show is ten years old, and quite successful - ask them how they got going:

Abingdon Air & Country Show 2008

[RAF_Techie101]

FYI - Thanet already has a small airshow. It was on about 4 weeks ago along the coast and featured all the small RAF stuff (Tutor, Tucano, Hawk, BBMF etc...) and some other small types, including a Venom...

[Background Noise]

He does say 'military' show so replies about fuel costs and Vulcan costs are not necessarily appropriate.

If it's not on military land you'd need a CAA permission - they will only give a permission for someone with suitable experience.

['Chuffer' Dandridge]

Does any body have the slightelst idea on how to go about it.

If you don't know how to do it before you start, I may suggest that learning 'on the job' is not the way to go

[Rocket Chucker]

I did the event safety planning for this:

SOPARA

It was, as can be seen a relatively small event at Old Sarum and was heavily supported by the very deep pockets of some extraordinarily generous individuals and corporate sponsors in support of the Parachute Regiment.

I'm not sure about the initial funding levels but they were 'very' substantial before the commit button was pressed.

If you want to get an overall picture of what will be required from an event safety perspective get in touch with the Emergency Planning Officer at your local council and he'll be able to give you a steer on what you'd need in place as far as CAA, HSE and licensing conditions are concerned.

Good luck

[PPRuNe Pop]

It is my view that you should avoid such a venture. You have neither the experience or I suspect the finances or the set-up to undertake it. You would NEED all three in abundance.

And in needing all three you would be required to pay substantial deposits to Manston, aircraft owners and the knowledge to deal with police, fire and other services.

Get some experience by working with an established organisation - 3 years would do it.

Sorry, but you did ask.

[dead_pan]

From personal experience on the UK airshow circuit I wouldn't go there - even big shows like RIAT only turn a relatively modest 'profit' on an average year (their latest accounts are on-line). Things like public liability insurance can be difficult and expensive to get and of course you are at the complete mercy of the British weather as someone has already pointed out. There's also the problem of finding an appropriate slot in the calender when the other big shows aren't taking place and drawing away your prospective audience (as the organisers at the RAFA Shoreham show will testify).

That said, if your intent on trying to run something you may want to have a chat with the guys at Kemble Air Services who run the various Kemble air shows - they'll give you a heads-up on what's involved.