Farnborough Airshow public weekend axed -BBC
 

Farnborough Airshow public weekend axed

The Farnborough International Airshow will no longer host a public weekend after "negative and vitriolic" feedback for displays, it has been announced.

Organisers said the Shoreham air crash had "expedited" the decision, which comes amid a "dwindling number" of spectators. A spokeswoman said organisers could "no longer provide an airshow the public want".

The event will focus on its five-day trade show. The Farnborough Airshow will still include trade flying displays when the biennial event takes place in July 2020. In a statement, organisers said the exhibition halls would be open to the public on the Friday of the airshow, while it would "focus on inspiring the next generation and showcasing the technologies driving new products and manufacturing processes".

Spokeswoman Mary Kearney said the airshow appreciated the affection plane lovers had for the public weekend, but it received "very negative and vitriolic feedback from 2018". She added the effects that the Shoreham air crash had on air displays "certainly had an impact" and "expedited this decision". At the 2015 Shoreham Airshow in West Sussex a Hunter Hawker jet flown by pilot Andy Hill crashed in a loop manoeuvre on the A27, killing 11 people. As a result of the fatal crash, safety measures for airshows were enhanced by the Civil Aviation Authority. Ex-military jets are restricted to flypasts over land.

Ms Kearney said the public expected "fast aerobatic displays as part of the weekend", but teams like the RAF Red Arrows could no longer perform aerobatic stunts at shows like Farnborough.

Farnborough International chief executive Gareth Rogers said: "Removing the public weekend will disappoint some, but for our exhibitors and trade visitors the focus is on business and accessing the talent they need to sustain global competitiveness."

Last year the trade show saw £145.7bn ($192bn) worth of deals, with more than 1,500 exhibitors and 80,000 visitors from 112 countries.

Disappointing to see that once again, as is so often the case these days, idiocy prevails!

Having attended more Farnborough shows than I care to remember, both as a member of the public and an exhibitor, I can vouch for the fact that the latter consider the public days a PITA.

'Negative and vitriolic feedback' from who?

Should save them a fair amount of money. Whatever the takings, it's a lot of outgoings.

A little surprised at this announcement. I was at Farnborough last year on the Saturday (and many years ago at an earlier one). It was certainly well attended by the public and I saw no signs of negatives or vitriolic comments. Was puzzled and slightly annoyed that the Red Arrows could only do fly pasts - then went off to the Olympic park where presumably they did a full show. But we had the Red Bulls who did some remarkably spectacular displays which were probably just as much an accident risk. I expect and hope they will change their decision, although I guess I must now remove the date from next year's diary.

Quite a bit here on PPRuNe at the time, I seem to remember.

I have been at Farnborough many times but only on trade days. As they seem to have built houses all around the place there should be no surprise that noise complaints go up.
Glad I did see the Vulcan fly there.

Well at least I have happy memories from my misspent youth. Shame. Hope the BBC will cover the trade days and present highlights of the flying and the exhibits for those now unable to attend ... and those who would have liked to but are in the air elsewhere at the time.

Having attended more Farnborough shows than I care to remember, both as a member of the public and an exhibitor, I can vouch for the fact that the latter consider the public days a PITA.

Likewise, and I totally agree. Personally, I think it's the thin end of a wedge to eventually close down all air shows.

If no more PR work towards the public is done aviation will be even less accepted in the future. It's not the single high tech industry it used to be. From the world's Googles to biotech companies a lot more industries are looking for young talent.

Better bring back the fascination of flying until it becomes a pure drone exhibition anyway.

Lawyers and Health and Safety, if unrestrained, will eventually shut down society. Hopefully the backlash will begin before then.

Surely not. :O

PPRuNe: Anybody else think Farnborough's Cr*p?

and that it makes downunder.

Was it ever? The people who fly planes tend to not be the people who pay for them. :}

FARNBOROUGH MEMORIES
 

We lived in Cove just to the north of Farnborough in 1950 and all the aircraft from the airshows would provide a fantastic sight from our back garden. When we moved away we always went to the public days to watch from the crowd line whilst sitting on the the roof of the car. You needed to get in early to get a good spot. Lucky enough to display at Farnborough on 3 occasions but the last one was a flypast only due to change is display rules. The only way to reinstate public days is to relocate the show to a suitable airfield. That will never happen in my opinion as probably too many vested interests in play.

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....476a4b8d43.jpg

My UK colleagues describe it as inevitable - higher and higher prices for less and less

The last one was a parade of identi-kit airliners doing nothing - "a procession of Ford Focuss's" was one comment

And anything interesting disappears after trade days because ,suddenly "we have to maintain the test program" leaving the public with the Battle of Britain Flight, the Red Arrows and the USAF (who have always seemed to take Farnbro' seriously)

I understand it but to me it's another sign that aerospace is now a routine, boring , manufacturing operation and the romance has been squeezed right out.......

I guess RIAT and Duxford are all that's left really......