Dartmouth Air Display cancelled

[TYPHOON3]

Dartmouth air display has been cancelled because of safety fears concerning the boats.Typhoon was due to display and a Reds flypast.The announcement was greeted by boos from the crowds according to Facebook.

[Reds Rolling]

Yes, the Typhoon turned up yesterday but then had to cancel due to boats being in an area that was now deemed unsafe.

[craig.mason]

On bbc website
A regatta's air display was cancelled after boat owners ignored advice to leave their vessels and watch from land.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-41060141

[Dan O'Hagan]

The Yellowjacks were happy to perform run and breaks over built-up areas of Norwich on Thursday.

Any excuse the RAF can find not to display, and they'll find it.

[Reds Rolling]

A run and break isn't exactly a close formation display that lasts 20 mins though.

[paullangford]

The Yellowjacks were happy to perform run and breaks over built-up areas of Norwich on Thursday.

Any excuse the RAF can find not to display, and they'll find it.

According the to the BBC story, the Regatta Flight Director cancelled it.

[CJS]

Indeed, come on Dan, don't RAF bash without checking the facts first, not very journalistic of you.

Whoever cancelled it, if the boat owners were asked to move and didn't, they are to blame. Is this the first case of a secondary crowd not dispersing leading to the cancelling of an air display?

[effects]

The Yellowjacks were happy to perform run and breaks over built-up areas of Norwich on Thursday.

Any excuse the RAF can find not to display, and they'll find it.

...and you find any excuse to bash the RAF, how you can call people who regularly deploy to areas, where you would never go, cowardly is beyond me. This all from the bloke who only a few days back was 'defending our Air Force'!!

[Wrexham Mackem]

The Yellowjacks

Is that supposed to be derogatory Dan?

Anyway, the Red Arrows displayed, only the Typhoon canned, as stated above at the FDD's order. He owns the risk. And in this ultra risk-averse culture, he daren't risk the consequences should the worst happen.

[pbeardmore]

"Anyway, the Red Arrows displayed" did they?,

[paullangford]

"Anyway, the Red Arrows displayed" did they?,

think theirs was just a flypast .........which is less risk averse to boat owners

[Binbrook 01]

A brief look at the old historic aviation reading matter, shows just what your average Joe, loose while on his boating trip can cause....It only takes one boat in the wrong place!

Maybe the RAF didn't want a repeat of the events that caused XX262 to go for a swim back in 1980..

Just a thought.....

[TIGER TIM]

A brief look at the old historic aviation reading matter, shows just what your average Joe, loose while on his boating trip can cause....It only takes one boat in the wrong place!

Maybe the RAF didn't want a repeat of the events that caused XX262 to go for a swim back in 1980..

Just a thought.....

That's when Steve Johnson's jet took seven foot off the top of the mast of a French owned yacht.

[Gonzo230]

I do wonder if those who are hasty to criticise decisions like this have ever held safety accountabilities regarding third parties.

[Alanko]

So... air display ruined by selfish arseholes, and somehow it is the RAF's fault.

[effects]

I do wonder if those who are hasty to criticise decisions like this have ever held safety accountabilities regarding third parties.

The answer to that is almost certainly no.

[John_E]

Was reading that the organisers spent 3 hours trying to clear the area before the Typhoon had to bin it. I'm not sure what more could be reasonably expected of them in terms of them trying to get the display on. As others have pointed out, the responsibility here sits solely with the idiots who refused to leave the area. Selfishly sitting it out in hope of getting the ultimate view has ended up with them getting no view whatsoever. Brilliant.

[st24]

Must admit I've always thought displaying over water far too risky - all those boats and bloody seagulls (sorry Caper) getting in the way. Now, if only there was some other medium over which to display aeroplanes, somewhere that's been used for a hundred years or so..erm.....

[AlexC]

The Red Arrows carried out a fly-past yesterday morning at Henstridge just as I was arriving.

[Harvo266]

The Yellowjacks were happy to perform run and breaks over built-up areas of Norwich on Thursday.

Any excuse the RAF can find not to display, and they'll find it.

Another classic naive, un-informed response so congrats! The Typhoon pilot had a phone call from the FDD in the morning prior to the display warning him that there was a chance of cancellation, and the boats that were in the wrong areas wouldn't co-operate so the pilot had to simply abide by what the FDD said. After being with the pilot yesterday evening, he said that his display at Dartmouth was probably the best fun he had ever had in a jet in his career, so it's not him or the RAF that caused Friday's cancellation, so get your facts right first.

Ultimately, the FDD has a job to do and if a large amount of people congregate in the wrong areas, he is under a legal obligation as the FDD to cancel the display.

[boff180]

The FDD also spent 4 hrs out on the water aboard the Police Boat trying to convince people to move before making the (right) decision to Cancelled the display.

Sadly notices to mariners aren't as enforceable as notams or next year I'd make the entire water a no go zone (only a stretch was this year, the rest was advisable) and prosecute any idiot that ignores it.

[qwerty]

Some boat owners/renters are the most stroppy people I have had the misfortune to encounter, they cause the coastguard and RNLI many wasted hours with ill advised trips because they are not regulated,licenced in any way. Common sense is not common and you only have to watch videos of them obstructing larger commercial vessels to see why .

[SalFish]

So... air display ruined by selfish arseholes, and somehow it is the RAF's fault.

I had been reading only the XH558 thread prior to joining the forum, and I had the impression Dan was an open minded, fair poster. Joined because I couldn't find the thread one day, and started reading a lot more (and a lot more interesting) threads, and realise now he is actually nothing of the sort.
Especially in regard to the RAF.
Can you imagine the fury that would be unleashed if they had said 'nah we'll ignore the issues and carry on' and something had happened?
I imagine some would then post about the arrogance of the RAF and thinking they knew better than anyone else.

[PeteM]

The FDD also spent 4 hrs out on the water aboard the Police Boat trying to convince people to move before making the (right) decision to Cancelled the display.

Sadly notices to mariners aren't as enforceable as notams or next year I'd make the entire water a no go zone (only a stretch was this year, the rest was advisable) and prosecute any idiot that ignores it.

Could be difficult, the event is essentially a regatta. Perhaps the two aren't compatible in the current climate?

[MicrolightDriver]

...Is this the first case of a secondary crowd not dispersing leading to the cancelling of an air display?

People insist on watching from the wrong place = Show cancelled.

It does seem like a precedent that others may follow.