Springbank to hopefully host airshow

[amraam]

Efforts underway to bring air show to Springbank
However, safety issues could prove to be big hurdle

by Reagen Sulewski
Wednesday March 26, 2008
The world-renowned Snowbirds could be soaring in the area just as they did during Cochrane’s 2003 Centennial Celebrations if an air show being proposed for Springbank moves forward.

Plans are in the works for the first air show in the Calgary area since 1996.

Springbank Airport would host the show, which is tentatively scheduled for Aug. 16 of this year and would be a fundraiser for STARS Air Rescue, with all proceeds going to that agency.

The Snowbirds Demonstration Team would be the headliner for the event, and have indicated the show on their schedule on their web site at http://www.snowbirds.dnd.ca.

Larry Stock, manager of the Springbank Airport, warns that people shouldn’t get too excited about the prospect of an air show just yet.

"It’s only a 50/50 [chance] at this point, and it may not even be that," he said.

The Springbank Airport is controlled by the Calgary Airport Authority, which has a number of concerns about the proposed show.

At this point, Stock says, there are still logistical issues to be sorted out, and safety issues have the potential to be a "show-killer."

The "show box," an area where pilots are restricted to flying in, and where spectators can’t enter, for safety reasons, needs to be defined for the show to take place.

This would be necessary to prevent the type of tragic accidents that have marred some recent European air shows, like a crash in 2002 at a show in Ukraine, where 84 people were killed.

"Springbank Airport has expanded and there are facilities within the box that make defining that difficult," said Stock of the show box, adding that the airport is now about 60 to 80 per cent larger than when the last show took place.

Debbie-Lynne Guerin, special-events manager at STARS Air Rescue, says that planning for the event started in October 2007 when they were approached by the mother-in-law of one of the Snowbird pilots about putting on an event.

Guerin says that they would hope to have a number of military and civilian acts in addition to the Snowbirds.

"It’s something we’d like to see happen but we still need to iron out some details," said Guerin.

Beyond the safety issues, Guerin says that the insurance for putting on an air show is costly.

"Because of 9/11, we all have to pay more in insurance," she said.

Finding a place for the thousands of spectators’ cars also present a logistical puzzler, organizers say.

Despite those issues, Guerin is optimistic that the show can take place.

"As long as we can make this a great, safe event for everyone we’ll work to make it happen," she said.

Stock is also hopeful that these issues can be resolved, for the sake of the beneficiary of the show.

"STARS is an excellent plan to go with in respect to fundraising," he said.


http://www.cochranetimes.com/News/387566.html

[unknowingly upsidedown]

Man i hope this goes through! Already planning on Lethbridge and Rocky Mountain House, and possibly abbostford, might be a summer full of air shows!