European Airshow Convention 2010 : the human side of airshows

" You sell a unique experience and memories in an air event package, not just the airshow itself ", said Golazo Sports-Media-Entertainment Director at the EAC Convention 2010. Once more Hasselt city in Belgium - near the Sanicole Airshow Hechtel airfield - gathered most european airshow managers and display teams from Europe into this unique meeting point : the European Airshow Council's Convention (EAC) www.european-airshow.com , held from February 26th to 28th 2010.

 

There are several tactics to attract visitors in airshows and raise their interest in the many different aerial and festive activities an event can provide. That's what the Convention is all about : inventing the future of these shows, a hard job mixing air safety experience with specialists, marketing, sponsorship, and a bit of creativity to get people in and have them come back the year after. It explains why public care became a main topic for this year's EAC forum, and most airshow organisers are rather more interested in those matters than they used to. There has been ongoing reduced military airplanes participation in airshows during the last ten years, but public attendance kept going up during the same period. Though Display Safety issues are always one of the EAC's core interests, new topics appeared in 2010 such as crisis management with big crowds. The 2010 EAC Convention also centered on another theme that - to my own opinion - is the most important thing to do in airshows : making emotion.

As explained by two UK and one German show speakers, the best way to succeed with en air event is to raise emotion. ". A speaker has to interact with his crowds instead of explaining flying aircraft characteristics ", said Uwe Ramerth, a german commentator www.flugtag.org . Make people feel they participate in the action, and make interactive actions between pilots and visitors all day long should become a new guidance. Airshow organisers who are not aware that only 9% of airshow visitors are real aviation enthusiasts, may fail soon in their tasks... Do always keep in mind that glamorous girls flying Extra 300s or wingwalking girls, speaking on the podium - once hey have displayed - do sell the show as much as a Mach 2 jet can do with its own blast.

It appears that a way to build passion and hope was well shown in Hasselt by Pablo Gonzales, organiser of Vigo ang Malaga airshows : Patrulla Aguila (Spanish National Team) aircrews paid visit to chlidren in Vigo hospital and this was much advertised with the local news and TV broadcasts. Periferic aviation themes and festive activities do improve the airshow impact in the local area. Create hope and emotion for the young or little ill ones; that is strongly encouraged by Sky-Lens'Aviation'. It happened to be the newest aspect ever reported in an EAC Convention. Watch www.festivalaereovigo.com

Flying performers are always represented in Hasselt as well. Breitling Jet Team www.breitlingjetteam.com Leader, Jacques Bothelin also creates " positive emotion ", as explained by himself there, in Hasselt. Breitling display program is all about precision, aesthetic, music and rythm, says Jacques. The european public is familiar with the Jet Team's specific signature and talent. Pioneer Aerobatic Team www.pioneerteam.it , are other civilian display flying actors. These fantastic young guys fly four Pioneer 300 Hawk airplanes. They are imaginative and are to be granted for being the only amateur team of the kind having participated on all continents, from Al Ain to South Korea last year....Three 2010 Team Pioneer pilots attending EAC 2010 illustrate this News Post.

What else did Sky-Lens'Aviation' pick up back from Hasselt 2010 ? What was in my plastic bag ? I noticed several unusual photos appeared to illustrate the excellent presentations overall. But which what the best shot ? Propably it was that incredible picture of a Boeing Stearman having lost and dropped its engine while in flight during a South African airshow. Incredible. Worth the sight but not glorious, with no fun at all..., as it was a tragic end for the Steaman pilot. This sight was illustrating that display flying in airshows has to be given to qualified vintage airplane owners and pilots only. (Beware of a Stearman owner who used the original small bolts to install a heavier engine, instead of big bolts). The serious Air Show South Africa Organisation runs all safety aspects that air displays must comply with, and even matters that involve photographers as me. This pattern presented by Rykus Erasmus - Chairman Air Show South Africa  www.airshowsa.org.za - may be a way forward to improve things in Europe, as a serious system that all air events have to comply with in South Africa.

French Air Force Rafale Solo jet fighter www.rafalesolodisplay.com successfull display season presentation as made by its pilot Capitaine Cedric Ruet filled the rest of the bill as a real kind of airshow right stuff act. Interestingly, Cedric had to train a few hours on French Air Force EVAA Extra 300, and with Patrouille de France, so as to be acquainted with aerobatics flying constraints and conditions. And then he was back to train - and design - his display on Rafale in his St Dizier Air Base Squadron. He flew 25 different training flights - all in all totalizing 7 hours. These flights with Rafale started at 5000 ft, and going down progressively as skills were coming, to fly 1000 ft, and to conclude the training program at 500 ft. As a result Cpt. Cedric Ruet performed in no less than 25 different airshows in 2010 : that represented 75 displays when airshow rehearsals are included. So events organisers listening to Cedric could understand how physical and difficult the job is, so that they must care of aerobatics and military pilots flying at their shows, having good facilities for performers to rest perfectly. Cpt Cedric Ruet Rafale will be flying the Rafale Solo Display for a second airshow season in 2010. Emotion is coming again.