Farnborough ends public weekend

It was just announced that the Farnborough Airshow has ended the public weekend and its flying displays, starting at the show next year. The trade week will still occur, with its flying displays. Increased flying display regulation after the Shoreham crash, and buildings encroaching on the airfield were cited as major reasons the decision was reached, as well as complaints about ticket prices. Show organizers say they're going to create a more engaging event on the Friday ending the trade show for the public. The last day of the trade event will be open to the public.

thisisflight.net...

Declining popularity, attendances and a move to place a "renewed focus on engaging young people" have been cited as the reasons behind a move to end the biennial event.

The week-long global aerospace, defence and space trade event, which has traditionally included a public weekend, will instead become a five-day trade event ending on a Friday.

Farnborough International said there would still be an air display each day during the week to showcase the latest commercial and military aircraft, but the multiple displays that take place over the weekend will not take place.

www.getsurrey.co.uk...

a reply to: Zaphod58

I guess we're not allowed to admire our military strength anymore...

I can see more Airshows being scrapped after this. It doesn't sit well with me at all....

a reply to: Wide-Eyes

With the new regulations put in place after Shoreham, there's not much point in flying displays anymore in the UK. Even the Red Arrows were limited to flyovers at the last two Farnborough shows.

The Shoreham trial is underway as well.
Trial begins

I was just discussing this with a friend on FB who lives in the UK now. Standard idiotic reaction from lawyers just worried about litigation. Shorham happened because of p*ss poor planning by the airshow organizers, the area not being suitable for more daring airshow displays and a pilot who was stupid and fell into the old airshow display pilot trap, whereby they become focused on pleasing and impressing the crowd and forget altitudes, sensible behavior and potential safe emergency ditching sites. In short with a modicum of planning and the aforementioned sensible behavior it would never have happened, nor need happen in general at other airshows.

Farnborough dropping the public weekend will see it fall from public favour and possibly support from some companies and Government. I love the line

Declining popularity, attendances and a move to place a "renewed focus on engaging young people" have been cited as the reasons behind a move to end the biennial event.

, sorry WTF? Its surely a guaranteed way to NOT encourage young people into aviation and give them some exposure to it. This is a monumentally stupid move, and my prediction is the backlash will eventually see it dropped with at least some dedicated public day being reinstated.

a reply to: thebozeian

Great post but in my opinion, there is no "stupid" involved here.

I think Shoreham has been manipulated to fit an agenda that makes us dependant upon the European Army.

Far fetched? Maybe...But this is a conspiracy site after all.

a reply to: Wide-Eyes

There's long been a movement, small but persistent, to cancel flying displays, which will cancel airshows in general. The regulations put in place after Shoreham have dm gone a good ways towards that happening in the UK.