SAFETY TOP PRIORITY AT CNE
Air show director says event held to ’high standard’
The organizer of the Canadian International Air Showat the CNE says the annual aerobatic display on the waterfront will meet a “high standard” of safety set by the city and the federal government regulators.
The Star reached out to the CIAS in the wake of a deadly air show crash in England on Saturday, where at least 11 people were killed when a vintage Hunter Hawker fighter jet slammed into a congested highway and exploded. Two planes collided, and one pilot died in a separate incident at a show in Switzerland on Sunday.
While there are several air show accidents around the world every year, the 66-year-old CNE show hasn’t seen a fatal crash since 1995. Responding to questions by email, CIAS executive director Jennifer Brown said the show customizes its safety procedures every year, based on the aircraft and manoeuvres that will be on display.
“All shows in Canada are held to the same high standard of safety; risk is the same as with any air show of any size in the country,” Brown said. “We can’t speculate on the overseas air incidents this past weekend, however, all of our safety procedures and plans are reviewed throughout the year and co-ordinated according to civilian and military aviation regulations.”
Witnesses of the crash in England who spoke with the BBC described a harrowing scene when the airplane crashed on the A27 highway near Shoreham Airport on the country’s south coast. Vivian Ayling told BBC radio that she veered her car away from the oncoming plane, and when it hit the lanes on the other side of the road, “it was like a bomb exploding.”
Another man, Nicolas Hair, told the broadcaster of the crash’s aftermath: “Strangely enough, the first thing that happened was silence . . . I’ve never seen so many grown men cry in my life. But people of all ages and genders were crying, screaming and then again just silence that just stayed over the field for 10, 15, 20 minutes.”
On Monday, the U.K.’s Civil Aviation Authority announced it will restrict vintage planes from taking part in aerobatic flying displays, including the Hunter Hawkers that were first built in the1950s.
Asked whether there’s any reason to assume vintage aircraft are more susceptible to accidents, Brown told the Star that all planes at the CIAS have undergone the same safety checks and will adhere to the same rules. “All aircraft involved in the show, as well as performers, are required to follow and uphold the same rigorous standards,” she said.
The air show co-ordinates its safety procedures with Transport Canada, Toronto’s police and emergency services and the Canadian military, Brown said. All planes taking part in the show must have certificates of airworthiness that are recognized by the government.
According to Transport Canada rules, all air shows must meet a list of criteria to get a green light from the government. No aerobatic manoeuvres that have a downward trajectory pointed toward demarcated spectators’ areas are allowed, while any move that directs the plane’s “energy vector” toward the crowd at any point must be cleared beforehand. And planes are not allowed to do any flips or tricks when flying above city buildings or outside the designated performance area, according to Transport Canada.
The CIAS also creates an emergency plan with transport authorities, and briefs all show personnel — pilots, crew, first responders, police, military and air traffic control.
There must also be dedicated emergency lanes that are kept clear and an announcement system to communicate with spectators in the event of an accident.
Crowds must also be kept at least 500 feet from the performance area and 200 feet from any runway, and participating planes can’t go lower than 300 feet during the show.
Pilots and flight crew must have certificates of “aerobatic competency” that are recognized by Transport Canada, and show that they’ve practised the manoeuvres they’re to perform at least 25 times — or that they’ve done them in eight or more other shows — in the past year.
The air show is scheduled to run from Sept. 5 to 7.