I predict a Riat...

2008 poses many challenges for the airshow industry - at a time when costs are rising, the general economy is down-turning, airshow organisers should be rallying together for a healthier, sustainable industry going forward. But it would seem the opposite is happening - date clashes amongst the most important events on the calendar point to an atmosphere of self-protectionism, without any undue thought to the industry as a whole. Gary Parsons looks at the problems and attempts to find a way forward...

Some would debate the notion of an airshow 'industry' - but that is what it is, as many of the airshow acts depend upon airshows for their survival, and traders ply their wares across the country in the summer. Acts may be able to serve more than one venue on a particular day, but traders can't - each clash of dates is at least a day's potential revenue lost, quite often a whole weekend's. With the number of high-profile events diminishing, the opportunities become scarcer and more valuable.

Several factors have influenced this year's calendar, the biggest being the Red Arrows' proposed tour of Canada and the USA in June. Rumours of the tour circulated early in 2007, causing a certain amount of panic within the airshow world - the Reds are still the biggest draw for the non-enthusiasts, and not to have them could dent crowd numbers significantly. It was known that they would be away for effectively the whole of June, surprising given the 90th anniversary of the Royal Air Force, but promises had been made at a high level. As a result, airshow organisers had to decide whether to go early or late - Biggin Hill announced its now regular slot of the first weekend in June, swiftly followed by Waddington, delaying a week from its usual last Saturday in June position. Paul Byram, Airshow Manager for Waddington, explained: "The dates of 5 & 6 July were actually set in January 2007. The dates are determined by a lot of factors, the following being the major considerations; we need over eight hundred rooms to accommodate everybody that supports the show, and because there is not sufficient hotel accommodation in Lincoln and the local area we use the Lincolnshire & Humberside University for most of the accommodation. Unfortunately, the earliest date that the university accommodation becomes available is the end of June - students are using the rooms until then. This means that the show must be held either right at the end of June, or later."

"Every even-numbered year, we try to deconflict the show dates from the knock-out phase of the European Football Championships, or the World Cup Finals. If possible, we also try to avoid the Wimbledon Finals weekend. As you know, this has not always been possible: we clashed with the World Cup Football Final in 2002 and with the Portugal& England Quarter Final in 2006. Because next year the European Football Final takes place on Sunday 29 June, we opted for the 5 & 6 July."

"Finally, we try not to get too close to the RIAT dates. However, this year we will be only a week earlier and despite our best efforts, we clash with the British Grand Prix. Odd-numbered years are less of a problem, but much of the above still applies. Given all of the above, there are not many alternative dates unless we went back to August, which clashes with the School Summer Holidays and, understandably, would not be acceptable to the station."

Hot on the heels of the Waddington date was Yeovilton, opting for the same weekend. Ralph Patel from event organiser AHA: "We had an extensive Senior Management discussion on the 2008 date. It seemed Waddington was hopping between weekends for the next few years due to their accommodation availability - RNAS Yeovilton has decided that we will remain in our usual slot of the week prior to RIAT, so unfortunately there will be a clash and we will have to negotiate assets accordingly. One of the reasons we are remaining in our slot is that we are trying to establish the weekend of 11 July in preparation for Air Day 2009, which will be celebrating 'Fly Navy 100'."

"September was briefly discussed but we have found this date curtails the show - summer leave impacts on the planning process and the clear-up operation is affected by daylight hours. All of these factors increase the cost and the burden on the day-to-day duties of an operational air station in comparison to a July event."

Worse still, a couple of weeks later the second clash in as many weeks was announced when The Fighter Collection confirmed everyone's worst fear that Flying Legends at Duxford would be held over 12/13 July, the same weekend as RIAT, despite the dates for RIAT being published way back in 2006. Jane Larcombe from TFC explained: "Traditionally, and for as many years as I can recall, Flying Legends has been held on the second weekend in July and has been published as such with consistency. RIAT have 'changed' their date due to the collision with Farnborough, which is NOT traditionally held on the second weekend in July."

Tim Prince, RIAT: "We put our future dates for the Air Tattoo on the website about three or four years ago. Ever since Farnborough moved its date from September in the 1990s it's been essential for us to stage RIAT the weekend before Farnborough to make it work for industry, which supports both events. The Farnborough dates are on its website up to 2016 so you can easily calculate the RIAT dates in those years too. Also, historically we have to be around this time in order to satisfy members of our volunteer force, most of who have indicated that this is the most convenient time for them to help stage the airshow. As you know, our volunteers are critical to our success." So why can't the Air Tattoo be held after Farnborough? "There would be a week where nothing happened, during which time industry would go home. Farnborough starts on the Monday after RIAT, dovetailing neatly. This way industry can get two bites of the cherry."

"The clash with Legends next summer is very unfortunate, but we are talking with each other and neither of us foresees any significant overlap other than the impact it might have on some traders who would traditionally go to both airshows. As far as historic aircraft is concerned, we are confident there are enough historic aircraft around to satisfy the needs of both airshows. Naturally we also sympathise with those enthusiasts who look forward to going to both airshows, and no doubt some will criticise us. However, seasoned enthusiasts will appreciate that airshow dates do sometimes clash. It's not a new phenomenon. In the 1970s, the Air Tattoo would support up to six other RAF airshows from Greenham Common, all taking place on the same weekend. I particularly recall those at Church Fenton, Tangmere, Leeming, Lee-on-Solent and Scampton. We'd be given the Reds, for example, but they would have to take part in two or three other airshows on the same day. It's something we accepted, something we had to live with. Whilst we appreciate it is not ideal, enthusiasts are still able to spend four days at RIAT - three days in park-and-view and visit the airshow on the Saturday - and then go on to Legends. Tiring, I appreciate, but it would make for one memorable weekend!" Expensive, too…

While the public and traders suffer, it also stretches support services - several shows now use the Event Medicine Company for medical support as Service medical support is no longer an option. The company has traditionally supported both Waddington and Yeovilton in recent years, so 2008 is a particular challenge. Dr Brian Robertson, Managing Director: "I am delighted someone is concerned about this issue. We are indeed a major player in the medical cover to the large airshow marketplace - we do indeed have the contracts for both Waddington and Yeovilton, and whilst this presents some challenges it is perfectly manageable, although we would have preferred a different decision. We see no problems staffing the two events but we will have to invest in some additional equipment where the same resources are required at both locations."

Enthusiasts are faced with a particularly challenging early July, with four of the biggest events happening on consecutive weekends. Paul Johnson from Flightline UK: "For the enthusiasts it's clearly not great news. Rumours always abound to what may turn up at RIAT and Legends and there will be some who will want to see both. Yeovilton and Waddington could be very interesting - will the European air arms choose the big Navy show or the RAF one? As for the rest of the clashes it's really caused me to think much harder about where to go and spend my money."

"I feel there are cases of blind ignorance amongst the event organisers. At the 2007 European Airshow Council meeting it was advised that airshow organisers should plan and publish their dates for the upcoming two or three seasons, so they have plenty of time to re-schedule a space for themselves. The only shows that have done this are Biggin Hill, RIAT, Farnborough and Yeovilton. It shouldn't be difficult for the other major shows to have done the same - clearly there needs to be much more communication."

"Clearly there are occasions when a 'clash' does work out, when they are relatively near to each other (meaning they can share items and operating bases) and can cooperate to bring some more expensive exotic acts together, for example Shoreham and Bournemouth this year. However, you have the other extreme where shows at either end of the country will have to compete for acts - a classic example of this will be the weekend of 6/7 September, with Duxford clashing with Southport and Portrush. With Southport's RAF Priority 1 status and relative proximity to Portrush in Northern Ireland I suspect Duxford will be the big loser as far as attracting the RAF displays goes. Given the impact the Red Arrows had on last year's show attendance in September it does seem a bit of a gamble on the IWM's part - it's unlikely the gates will see that crowd number again without the Reds."

"The military displays are not the only side to the story. Clashes such as Southport and Duxford (add to the mix Seething's display as well as the Victory show at Cosby) also pose problems for the civilian and warbird acts, as they could be too far apart to support both, losing valuable income and exposure for sponsors." Typical of the sort of act affected by clashing dates is Guy Westgate's Swift Aerobatic Display Team, one that cannot dash across the country with ease. "The effects are multiple - financial, logistics, flight safety", explains Guy. "We are making the team a more professional entity, with very expensive equipment, a sharper act, better training and a larger, committed team of highly specialist pilots. The only way to make that kind of equipment pay for itself is to fly lots of airshows - the date clashes instantly rule out some of the shows for logistical reasons. It may be possible to fly three to four shows a day in an Extra 300 solo, but it's very difficult to fly the glider between shows - we have tried a few transits before and it's not comfortable for long transit flights. The glider and Extra tug are not well matched for that kind of flight - however, our commercial and contractual pressures dictate that we have to commit to some of these transits. The glider is best moved by road, but the de-rig and rig process takes time."

"On a perfect summer day, an airborne transit is stressful at best - with the typical summer weather we can expect in UK, the pressure to press on through foul weather is not a prospect I am looking forward to. One way round this problem has been for our team to broaden its base, to include more aircraft and pilots, all flying under the same team banner - this enables the pilot(s) to commit and concentrate on a single venue, having multiple benefits - reducing stress, increasing performance and improving safety. The downside is invariably financial - you're committing to supporting more aircraft."

"Clearly if our target shows were conveniently placed over consecutive weekends throughout the summer, that would be great. Whilst we can hope for 'pie in the sky', airshow organisers must understand they have a wider responsibility to many other individuals and teams down the food chain - the easiest way around this is for the big players to commit to their future dates with a rolling plan, so other venues may fit in accordingly."

Income is not just important for airshow acts - the myriad of traders that follow the airshows throughout the summer are a vital source to the airshow organisers, paying premium prices for pitches at the major events. Mark Roland of MR Army Surplus explains: "The biggest increase for 2008 is RIAT. Last year it cost us almost £1,200 for a pitch measuring six metres (front) by ten metres depth. They now want nearly £1,500 for the same pitch - it's getting far too expensive. The organisation is not good - no-one seems to know anything if you ask them. Theft from the stands overnight is bad - I'm sure they will always be able to fill the space with perfume, garden furniture, sunglasses, etc., but surely this is missing the point. We will be giving RIAT a miss this year and attending Flying Legends, which is less than half the cost." Despite the lack of enthusiasm for RIAT, it's still an important trading weekend lost to Mark.

The cost of mounting an airshow is really beginning to bite hard - this year has already seen cancellations, the most notable being that of the 'Great Yorkshire Airshow' at Elvington, a venue that had become a regular on the calendar. "We are taking a 'year out' in 2008 for work to be carried out on the airfield, and to re-appraise the situation and try and get some financial sponsorship", said event organiser Ken Cothliff. "There will be something on that third weekend in August this year, but it won't be to the same scale - we plan to be back with a big show in 2009!"

Some sanity could be found towards the end of last year when Air Displays International, organisers of the Biggin Hill International Air Fair, moved the airshow back a week to avoid the clash with Cosford. This will mean losing the Red Arrows, but gaining full RAF support and Priority 1 status was thought to be more important, and it would have been no contest head-to-head with an official RAF airshow. It will enable the full RAF 'circus' (less the Reds) and Role Demonstration to happen, plus the hoped-for attendance of the Vulcan should fill some of the void left by RAFAT. But no more good news was to come, as despite protests and appeals TFC refused to reconsider the Flying Legends weekend.

So, a testing year in prospect, and one that could see financial pressures escalate to breaking point for many. The 'industry' needs to begin to work together, the first steps being to finally sort the calendar once and for all. It's already been raised by the European Airshow Council, but maybe we need a UK Council with some 'teeth' to bang heads together. Some shows can't move much - Waddington, for example, and Farnborough will continue to dictate the mid-July scrum. But maybe it's time to re-think tradition - there are plenty of free weekends available, especially late June, unusually bereft of top-quality events, even though the light is at it's longest. We see no reason why Flying Legends couldn't move to a Midsummer's weekend slot, dovetailing neatly between Kemble and Waddington.

Here then is our proposed 2010 airshow calendar - it can, and should, be possible...

16 May - Duxford Spring Airshow 23/24 May - Southend 30/31 May - Biggin Hill 6 June - Cosford 12 June - Kemble 26/27 June - Flying Legends 3/4 July - Waddington 10 July - Yeovilton 17/18 July - RIAT 24/25 July - Farnborough 28 July - Culdrose 29/30 July - Lowestoft 31 August/1 Sept - Sunderland 14/15 August - Eastbourne 21/22 August - Bournemouth 28/29 August - Shoreham 4/5 September - Duxford 9 September - Guernsey/Jersey 11 September - Leuchars 18/19 September - Southport

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