Celebrating safety

Having memorized wind speed and direction before takeoff, the pilot knows it is an “on-crowd” wind, so that will affect the geometry of the routine: The airplane must stay within the airshow box and clear of the 1,000-foot crowd line, no exceptions—and the FAA inspector in charge will be carefully watching. Cross it and he will be told to terminate the routine and land. Diving into the box, he must hit a minimum of 250 knots by 500 feet agl before the maneuver can begin. That’s what this 10,000-pound Corsair with 2,700 horsepower needs at this density altitude. Checkpoint hit, he smoothly pulls until a minimum of 4 Gs are attained while simultaneously watching the left and right wing tips to know exactly when the aircraft passes through vertical. There’s 2,000 feet—now simultaneously scanning airspeed, altitude, and heading to hit 2,500 feet minimum and 150 knots maximum when inverted at the top of the loop. He smoothly applies back-stick pressure until 4 Gs are attained on the downline and manages the pull and heading to arrive back at show center with 250 knots, no closer than 1,000 feet from the crowd, and correctly positioned to enter the second loop.

From the spectator’s perspective, it’s just another loop. From the pilot’s perspective, it is a complex series of maneuvers requiring fierce attention to detail—hit the speed and altitude at every checkpoint or abort that maneuver. Airshow pilots are carefully trained, briefed, and regulated to hit specific checkpoints, make exactly the right adjustments and decisions “on the fly,” and always remain clear of the crowd line. There’s a lot more to flying precision airshow aerobatics than meets the eye.

Airshows are big business in North America—and thankfully, they are a vital part of helping the citizens of this nation see and understand the importance of general aviation. According to the International Council of Air Shows (ICAS), the industry group responsible for training and certifying airshow professionals and organizers, 147 airshows are scheduled this year, 80 of which occur before EAA AirVenture Oshkosh. The fun starts in Buckeye, Arizona, in mid-February with the Buckeye Air Fair and AOPA Fly-In and ends with the Ocean Reef Airshow in Key Largo in December.

Having been involved in the warbird industry as a T–6 owner and formation pilot for 20 years, I usually attend the ICAS Convention held in December every year in Las Vegas. This year’s conference drew 1,592 attendees—only a few short of the record, which was 1,603. This event is the lifeblood that sustains the airshow industry. It brings together U.S. and Canadian government regulators, individual performers, military jet teams, air bosses, city and county airshow organizers, and all sorts of vendors peddling everything from crash-fire-rescue services to flight line jumbotrons and sound equipment. Everything at the convention is focused on improving the safety and quality of the airshow experience.

ICAS, led by John Cudahy, has racked up an impressive record of accomplishments, especially in airshow safety. ICAS works closely with the FAA and is the organization responsible for training and certifying performers and air bosses. Airshow performers must successfully complete an Aerobatic Competency Evaluation through its Statement of Aerobatic Competency (SAC) program. Air bosses must satisfactorily complete a training curriculum to receive credentials under the Air Boss Recognition Program. Airshow organizers attend this convention to learn everything about planning and safely executing an airshow, including tips on how to design the best aerobatic box and crowd line and how to maximize social media engagement prior to and during the show.

Thanks to ICAS, the safety record in the airshow industry has been steadily improving for the past 35 years. In the late ’80s, it was common to see 11 to 14 airshow accidents each year. In 1991, ICAS took over the certification of airshow pilots in the United States from the FAA and the annual number of fatal accidents dropped sharply. When the industry invested its deep knowledge and expertise into the training program, with professional airshow pilots performing the certifications, the results spoke for themselves.

In 2007, ICAS continued these improvements by implementing a culture that put safety at the forefront of professionals’ minds. That effort resulted in the ICAS “Safety First” program which had another marked impact on the accident rate. According to Hollowell, “the accident rate from 1991–2007 was 3.88 fatal accidents per year. From 2008 to 2024, the accident rate dropped to 1.81 fatal accidents per year.” That’s what a successful culture of safety looks like.

Hats off to our friends at ICAS for keeping this vital segment of GA vibrant and safe. I’ll see you on the flightline at the next airshow.

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Mike Ginter spent 27 years in the U.S. Navy, retiring with the rank of captain.