Council leadership needed over Airshow
80k cash fisaco has to be sorted out
I have to confess I am a bit of a sucker when it comes to those air crash investigation programmes on the documentary channels.
And no, it’s not some kind of ghoulish obsession.
I just find it fascinating how the air accident investigators can trace the tiniest fatal flaws from hundreds of tons of twisted and usually incinerated metal.
And intriguing just how many of these aviation catastrophes have been caused - or at least exacerbated - by a breakdown in communication between the men at the helm.
In any major aircraft, the left seat not knowing or trusting what the right seat is doing - or vice versa - is usually a recipe for disaster.
And that’s exactly where we are with our own accident waiting to happen - the 2020 Scottish International Airshow.
Yes, there’s some comfort in knowing no- one is going to die if Flight No. SIAS 2020 explodes before take- off.
But hundreds of thousands of potential Ayrshire tourists are going to be very hurt. And it will bleed a possible £ 7m to £ 10m from the local economy. I’ve already started my own Ayr Crash Investigation - and my preliminary findings are that last week’s front page headline - Axe Threat to Our Airshow - was easily avoidable. And that the 2020 Airshow is compellingly viable.
The obvious problem here is not the left seat - the captain - not knowing what the right seat - the first officer - is doing. The problem is the right seat thinking it IS left seat!
The captain here is the Airshow organising team. They’ve got all the “flying hours” experience and a flawless track record. They are the ONLY people who can actually get a successful Airshow off the ground.
South Ayrshire Council do the first officer’s role - which is to support the captain. It’s a pretty vital role in that their support includes the £ 250,000 funding needed to make the whole thing financially viable And from my sources on both sides - there is a genuine acceptance and understanding that each partner appreciates what the other half are doing. All this turbulence appears to have started when an invoice to cover part of the 2020 Show was submitted - and paid - ahead of the “agreed” payment schedule. Should it have been submitted? Probably not - but there is no malice here. Should it have been paid? Again, probably not - but I understand it is more of an accounting procedural error that any financial recklessness.
The bottom line - which I think both parties will agree on - is that there has been no deceit here.
It involves a genuine invoice that would, inevitably, had to have been paid.
But if the misdemeanour isn’t that serious . . the fall- out certainly has been.
The 2020 Air Show needs the front page headline “Up In The Ayr” like Prince Harry needs career advice from Prince Andrew!
I’ve already met one local hotelier who’s now sweating - hopefully unnecessarily - over bookings for the September 4,5 and 6 event.
And I can only imagine how the organisers are dealing with the reaction from suppliers and sponsors who will now want to stall on any investment until the Airshow gets the official “all clear”.
It’s time for SAC leaders to show some leadership here.
They have to underline their commitment to the 2020 Air Show and its organisers, state emphatically that the event is definitely ON . Then investigate the case of the “mistaken” payment.
Even better, they should be drawing up a contract that will financially underpin the Airshow for the next four of five years and cement its future on the Scottish and UK tourism calendar.
When a row over an £ 80,000 bill taints an event that’s worth up to
£ 8 million to the local economy - something’s gone badly wrong.
It needs put right - right now!