Tim Loughton MP (East Worthing and Shoreham) welcomes CAA report into the future of Civilian Airshows following airshow accident.
The CAA have today published their final report into changes to the future of operation of civilian air displays that contained 13 recommendations. This is not the final report by the AAIB into the causes of the accident itself, which is now expected late in May or early June 2016.
Tim commented:
“I welcome this report form the CAA and it is important that we have a proportionate response to what was a terrible but fortunately very rare accident that happened at the Shoreham Airshow in August 2015.
“Whilst some have called for greater regulations, it should be remembered that in the US where the equivalent of the CAA issue far more stringent restrictions, involving many officials attending every airshow, the accident rate is actually much worse than in the UK.
“I do have concerns about the increasing fees that the CAA instituted before making these final recommendations and I am aware that this may affect the viability of some of the smaller airshows up and down the country.
“Given that there are more than 200 civilian airshows alone each year, attracting more than 2 million spectators, it is important that we do not regulate them out of existence and hence I welcome the balanced approach the CAA has taken in this report.
“Clearly there are sensible, common sense recommendations, including banning jets from performing below 500ft, designating a wide area between the air display zone and spectators, which is crucial in the case of Shoreham, particularly the inclusion of outside the airport perimeter, and there now needs to be more rigorous air assessments appropriate to the individual linked manoeuvres linked to some of the high powered jets in particular.
“The last point is at the crux of the CAA’s earlier report which suggested that appropriate risk assessments were not as exhaustive as should have been the case. It is also important that there is going to be a far better reporting mechanism so that risks associated with airshow performance displays, particularly where things went wrong, are now routinely reported to the CAA and knowledge shared and lessons learned.
“However it is important that this is only seen as work in progress and I welcome the CAA’s commitment to reviewing how these new regulations have bedded in after the airshows still scheduled to take place this summer have gone ahead.
“Ultimately, great responsibility rests with two key people, namely the pilot and Flying Display Director, who is the person licensed by the CAA to hold an airshow in the first place. Whilst we have benefited from very experienced flying display directors in Shoreham, for whom safety is absolutely paramount, I think there are still questions over how we assess the abilities of those directors and what ongoing training and tests they are subjected to in order to ensure that they are fully competent and equipped to make the most thorough risk assessments.
“I have taken these and a number of other points up with the CAA, but I was surprised to learn that there is no registered list of approved flying display director candidates and the requirements for ongoing CPD are sketchy at best. This clearly is an area for further work and I welcome the CAA’s openness in looking at these and others in the future.
“First and foremost, our thoughts remain with the families of the 11 men, who so tragically lost their lives on that fateful day in August 2015 and we owe it them above all to get to the bottom of why the accident happened and do everything possible to make sure those in the air and on the ground at future air displays are kept as safe as possible.”