New Zealand's biggest Wings & Wheels Airshow? Yeh Right!
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Australandnewzealandland
Posts: 213
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
This by: 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.
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.
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: Live in Taupiri, Waikato, work in the big smoke, New Zealand
Posts: 545
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Oh dear...I gave it an 80% chance of failure back in November!
Shame....it would have been great to have a successful airshow here...just needed an honest effort at organising it at least a year out instead of a month out...and listening to those that had experience and expertise in the area.
Hope this doesn't reflect poorly on the airport or prospects of other airshows in the area in the future.
Shame....it would have been great to have a successful airshow here...just needed an honest effort at organising it at least a year out instead of a month out...and listening to those that had experience and expertise in the area.
Hope this doesn't reflect poorly on the airport or prospects of other airshows in the area in the future.
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: The World
Posts: 46
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Postponement News
From the airshow.co.nz website...
Postponement News
The Mangement at TEAM AIRSHOW, after very carerful consideration, made the difficult decision to POSTPONE the AIRSHOW for the following reasons:
The original agreement with the airport company was to host the event on the western side of the airport and with a spectator area in a long line as depicted in the printed brochure. This would have provided excellent viewing (and picnic) areas for all attendees. However in October, without our knowledge or consent, this designated area was moved on to the eastern side of the airport, in fact off the airport altogether and on to nearby farmland!
After doing due diligence on this area, we found this location to be highly unsatisfactory for our valued AIRSHOW attendees for a number of very valid reasons:
i. there is NO immediate parking and therefore every single person would need to be bused from either Hamilton or Mystery Creek parking area. This would involve up to 200 tour buses with one leaving every 23 seconds, for 3 hours, to get everyone transferred. And of course this would also have to be repeated each afternoon, back to the car park. A logisitcal impossibility for sure!
ii. that everyone would be required to sit on recently grazzed farm paddocks filled with cow manure and urine!
iii. that everyone would be required to peek through the 12 foot high security fence, to try and see the AIRSHOW!
iv. that everyone would have to stare into the afternoon sun glare of the western sky, to even see the AIRSHOW.
This would cause probable permanent eye damage to children trying to see the AIRSHOW!
and the list goes on, and on and on and on, as to why this was a very unsatisfactory location for our AIRSHOW attendees.
We thereafter entered into lengthy re-negotiations with the airport Company to re-establish the AIRSHOW on the site which was originally agreed. This was confirmed, HOWEVER valuable months in time had been lost for the AIRSHOW planning etc. We could not make application for Council Resource Consent, until exactly where the new designated spectator and parking areas etc, would be!
And now with the AIRSHOW postion re-established on the western side of the airport BUT in a much reduced size from that originally planned and agreed upon!
We were now faced with a dilema of having insufficient space to meet reasonable 'crowd density ratios' for both the attendees ENJOYMENT and more importantly their SAFETY!
Overall, it was becoming very, very clear to TEAM AIRSHOW Management, that with only 6 weeks then available, that one compromise in the event planning, was being stacked upon another compromise, and yet upon another compromise, and all with ever increasing urgency, to meet a wide variety of deadlines.
This folks, was a receipe for a major DISASTER and so the Management made the bold move, however unpopular it would be, to S-T-O-P this insantity and POSTPONE the event!
This would allow time to pause and impliment proper planning and Management Systems, to ensure both enjoyment and SAFETY. It is considered opinion, that had the event proceeded, and with such an extremely high "crowd density ratio" and if an "incident" had occurred (as does at major AIRSHOWS) then perhaps 2,000 to 5,000 people could have been killed and injured! There then would have been serious questions as to why the event proceeded with the prior knowledge that such an extremely high risk was evident. Whilst the event would still have conformed with all the Civil Aviation Regulations and Laws etc, BUT one law would have been obrogated - and that is the LAW OF COMMONSENSE!
It should be noted that there is NO single cause, nor indeed any single entity to 'blame" for this situation. What is most important to both understand and hopefully accept, is that a responsible and firm decision was made, on YOUR behalf to STOP IMMEDIATELY and POSTPONE this event, before a real disaster was allowed to occur.
We take this opportunity to apologise for any inconvenience that ticket holders may have incurred HOWEVER we are confident that given this summary of the expnation, of the real reasons for the necessity for POSTPONEMENT that understanding and appreciation of our honesty will prevail.
We also take this opportunity to reassure all attendees, that despite media speculation, that there has NEVER been and will NEVER be ANY financial improprietory, regarding Sponsorship funding, Ticket funds, Exhibitor fees or indeed ANY aspect of this business whatsoever.
We trust that the above simple but HONEST explanation will re-affirm YOUR confidence in YOUR AIRSHOW event and we look forward to hosting a really exciting event in the near future.
We will post additional information on this website shortly.
THANK YOU
The Management
TEAM AIRSHOW
Well, I'm sorry, that doesn't wash with me! I would have expected that these details were ironed out BEFORE the airshow was even considered, not a few weeks before the show goes to air.
I wonder who collects the interest on 'Trust Account' money while the airshow is 'postponed'? I wonder if the 'sponsorhsip' money is refundable? I wonder if vendors get refunds? I wonder if ANY aircraft were actually coming? I wonder if ANY 'wheels' were actually coming? Was the airshow EVER going to happen?
Mr Ross should stop blaming everyone else and look inward for some faults!
Postponement News
The Mangement at TEAM AIRSHOW, after very carerful consideration, made the difficult decision to POSTPONE the AIRSHOW for the following reasons:
The original agreement with the airport company was to host the event on the western side of the airport and with a spectator area in a long line as depicted in the printed brochure. This would have provided excellent viewing (and picnic) areas for all attendees. However in October, without our knowledge or consent, this designated area was moved on to the eastern side of the airport, in fact off the airport altogether and on to nearby farmland!
After doing due diligence on this area, we found this location to be highly unsatisfactory for our valued AIRSHOW attendees for a number of very valid reasons:
i. there is NO immediate parking and therefore every single person would need to be bused from either Hamilton or Mystery Creek parking area. This would involve up to 200 tour buses with one leaving every 23 seconds, for 3 hours, to get everyone transferred. And of course this would also have to be repeated each afternoon, back to the car park. A logisitcal impossibility for sure!
ii. that everyone would be required to sit on recently grazzed farm paddocks filled with cow manure and urine!
iii. that everyone would be required to peek through the 12 foot high security fence, to try and see the AIRSHOW!
iv. that everyone would have to stare into the afternoon sun glare of the western sky, to even see the AIRSHOW.
This would cause probable permanent eye damage to children trying to see the AIRSHOW!
and the list goes on, and on and on and on, as to why this was a very unsatisfactory location for our AIRSHOW attendees.
We thereafter entered into lengthy re-negotiations with the airport Company to re-establish the AIRSHOW on the site which was originally agreed. This was confirmed, HOWEVER valuable months in time had been lost for the AIRSHOW planning etc. We could not make application for Council Resource Consent, until exactly where the new designated spectator and parking areas etc, would be!
And now with the AIRSHOW postion re-established on the western side of the airport BUT in a much reduced size from that originally planned and agreed upon!
We were now faced with a dilema of having insufficient space to meet reasonable 'crowd density ratios' for both the attendees ENJOYMENT and more importantly their SAFETY!
Overall, it was becoming very, very clear to TEAM AIRSHOW Management, that with only 6 weeks then available, that one compromise in the event planning, was being stacked upon another compromise, and yet upon another compromise, and all with ever increasing urgency, to meet a wide variety of deadlines.
This folks, was a receipe for a major DISASTER and so the Management made the bold move, however unpopular it would be, to S-T-O-P this insantity and POSTPONE the event!
This would allow time to pause and impliment proper planning and Management Systems, to ensure both enjoyment and SAFETY. It is considered opinion, that had the event proceeded, and with such an extremely high "crowd density ratio" and if an "incident" had occurred (as does at major AIRSHOWS) then perhaps 2,000 to 5,000 people could have been killed and injured! There then would have been serious questions as to why the event proceeded with the prior knowledge that such an extremely high risk was evident. Whilst the event would still have conformed with all the Civil Aviation Regulations and Laws etc, BUT one law would have been obrogated - and that is the LAW OF COMMONSENSE!
It should be noted that there is NO single cause, nor indeed any single entity to 'blame" for this situation. What is most important to both understand and hopefully accept, is that a responsible and firm decision was made, on YOUR behalf to STOP IMMEDIATELY and POSTPONE this event, before a real disaster was allowed to occur.
We take this opportunity to apologise for any inconvenience that ticket holders may have incurred HOWEVER we are confident that given this summary of the expnation, of the real reasons for the necessity for POSTPONEMENT that understanding and appreciation of our honesty will prevail.
We also take this opportunity to reassure all attendees, that despite media speculation, that there has NEVER been and will NEVER be ANY financial improprietory, regarding Sponsorship funding, Ticket funds, Exhibitor fees or indeed ANY aspect of this business whatsoever.
We trust that the above simple but HONEST explanation will re-affirm YOUR confidence in YOUR AIRSHOW event and we look forward to hosting a really exciting event in the near future.
We will post additional information on this website shortly.
THANK YOU
The Management
TEAM AIRSHOW
Well, I'm sorry, that doesn't wash with me! I would have expected that these details were ironed out BEFORE the airshow was even considered, not a few weeks before the show goes to air.
I wonder who collects the interest on 'Trust Account' money while the airshow is 'postponed'? I wonder if the 'sponsorhsip' money is refundable? I wonder if vendors get refunds? I wonder if ANY aircraft were actually coming? I wonder if ANY 'wheels' were actually coming? Was the airshow EVER going to happen?
Mr Ross should stop blaming everyone else and look inward for some faults!
The statement from the Airshow organiser has a few holes in it.
Have to wonder what sort of agreement he actually had if the airport gods could make a change like this and he didn't have to right to challenge it?
I understand that the change was made after serious concerns were raised by several operators on the western side of the airfield about the dramatic effect Mr Ross's plans would have on their operations and the fact he had not bothered to consult the operators.
Do the numbers on this one. Did he really expect 25,000 spectators every day for 3 days?
If it was very clear 6 weeks out that the show needed to be "postponed" why did they wait until a week out from the show to make the announcement?
The original agreement with the airport company was to host the event on the western side of the airport and with a spectator area in a long line as depicted in the printed brochure. This would have provided excellent viewing (and picnic) areas for all attendees. However in October, without our knowledge or consent, this designated area was moved on to the eastern side of the airport, in fact off the airport altogether and on to nearby farmland!
I understand that the change was made after serious concerns were raised by several operators on the western side of the airfield about the dramatic effect Mr Ross's plans would have on their operations and the fact he had not bothered to consult the operators.
This would involve up to 200 tour buses with one leaving every 23 seconds, for 3 hours, to get everyone transferred.
Overall, it was becoming very, very clear to TEAM AIRSHOW Management, that with only 6 weeks then available, that one compromise in the event planning, was being stacked upon another compromise, and yet upon another compromise, and all with ever increasing urgency, to meet a wide variety of deadlines.
This folks, was a receipe for a major DISASTER and so the Management made the bold move, however unpopular it would be, to S-T-O-P this insantity and POSTPONE the event!
This folks, was a receipe for a major DISASTER and so the Management made the bold move, however unpopular it would be, to S-T-O-P this insantity and POSTPONE the event!
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: The World
Posts: 46
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
You know...the more I think about it the more angry I become...the guy is lashing out against the airport company, but I believe it was Warbirds who made the decision to shift the show to improve the variety of aircraft that could attend (by leaving the crosswind grass runway open for WW1 and WW2 aircraft)...maybe fairly late notice, but I don't believe they were asked to co-ordinate the airshow until pretty late in the piece also!
Mr Ross also blatently lied about attending performers...he advertised the Partriot Jets without even having contracted (or even contacted) them, his advertising material suggested F111's - they were never coming, and as late as January he had "confirmed" the USAF C-17 - well that was never even considered by the USAF (although I believe they were at least contacted). I know I for one (in a rash moment) considered purchasing tickets just to see the Globemaster, until I heard there was going to be one in Wanaka too.
Seems Mr Ross is now going to profit from the interest on money collected, and may never put on another show...I don't know of anyone who would touch him with a bargepole!!
Mr Ross also blatently lied about attending performers...he advertised the Partriot Jets without even having contracted (or even contacted) them, his advertising material suggested F111's - they were never coming, and as late as January he had "confirmed" the USAF C-17 - well that was never even considered by the USAF (although I believe they were at least contacted). I know I for one (in a rash moment) considered purchasing tickets just to see the Globemaster, until I heard there was going to be one in Wanaka too.
Seems Mr Ross is now going to profit from the interest on money collected, and may never put on another show...I don't know of anyone who would touch him with a bargepole!!
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: New Zealand
Age: 72
Posts: 12
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Someone who did actually buy and recieve tickets has posted elsewhere that they then discovered that only Gold Pass ticket holders were going to be allowed inside the C17! Also elsewhere the Airport Company has denied his claims about their actions precipitating the postponement . I believe that many in the aviation community did a great deal to try and save this event dispite the obvious ineptitude of the organiser. Interesting to note there is now a management team , I was led to believe this was all the work of one idiot working out of an office set up in a garage attached to a flat .
Lets be realistic , with this guy in charge nobody is going to buy tickets to the next one , and none of the reputable aircraft owners are going to want to be involved either .
Lets be realistic , with this guy in charge nobody is going to buy tickets to the next one , and none of the reputable aircraft owners are going to want to be involved either .
I strongly suspect a bit of eneptitude from the airport gods as well. They would have been keen to have a high power airshow to raise the profile of their precious airport and probably never gave a thought to what impacts any such show might have on airfield operators until these operators raised their concerns.
NDB/A
I understood that the move from the western side to the terminal side was prompted by the concerns raised by other operators.
I did hear that Warbirds wanted the crossing grass open as well but this was after the airport co made the change.
As for the star attractions you summed it up well. Most were never even asked and certainly not confirmed. Understand Warbirds were never asked to start with, it was assummed by Mr Ross that they would be there as a matter of course.
NDB/A
I understood that the move from the western side to the terminal side was prompted by the concerns raised by other operators.
I did hear that Warbirds wanted the crossing grass open as well but this was after the airport co made the change.
As for the star attractions you summed it up well. Most were never even asked and certainly not confirmed. Understand Warbirds were never asked to start with, it was assummed by Mr Ross that they would be there as a matter of course.
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: The World
Posts: 46
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I see someone is putting together a list of those out of pocket....
http://www.nosedive.co.nz
....apparently confidential, not connected to either airshow or airport comapny management, and non binding.
http://www.nosedive.co.nz
....apparently confidential, not connected to either airshow or airport comapny management, and non binding.
