Are Airshows Still Nessicary?

[King]

After attending the Winnipeg International Airshow last weekend there was a bit of a protest made by about a dozen people in black t-shirts. They were protesting the killing of children in the war last year in Kosovo. They thought that "military killing machines" should be put on display.

It seems to me that there is an increasing number of people (at least here in Manitoba) that think that airshows are out of date and that they depict war in a positive light.

So I put the question out there and ask does anyone agree with this line of thoguht?

[Cree Warrior]

Whoa dude, I'm gonna have to show Mrs. Milan at MBCI your spelling.

F*&#$ potlickin, berrypickin, losers, that's what those protesters are!

Sua Sponte

[WS-G]

Well, King, I have to agree with the protesters when it comes to military airshows, although for a completely different reason.

It is my well-considered opinion that maintaining such dog-and-pony-show units as the Snowbirds, Thunderbirds, Red Arrows, Frecce Tricolori or the Blue Angels is — now read this carefully! — a flagrantly extravagant and grossly irresposible waste of public funds for the following reasons:

(1) Flight and ground crews serving in these units are getting paid to put on entertainment spectacles for the public when they could be training for and performing operational duties instead like they should be. While these aerobatic displays may be good for a few "oohs" and "ahhs" from the general public — who tend to know bugger-all about flying anyway — they have absolutely nothing to do with BFM/ACM. These pilots' time — and the monies sucked from the taxpayers' pockets to pay their salaries — would be far better invested training for operational missions on a line squadron, or instructing new pilots at a training establishment.

(2) The cost of the fuel alone for some of these aircraft amounts to well upwards of seven thousand US dollars per aircraft per flight-hour; on some types this figure is markedly greater. Factor in the cost of spare parts of every description, and the annual price tag grows by a few additional million dollars. Why the public in any country stands for that sort of waste frankly disgusts me.

(3) It is a mistake to consider these display units to be anything like the USMC Silent Drill Team, the US Army's Old Guard or the British Army's Brigade of Guards. While these and many other nations' ceremonial ground units do put on excellent displays in Washington, London, or any other national capitol, at least they serve a useful purpose by providing an available pool of heavy firepower to augment the usual dignitary protection units. These aerial display squadrons, on the other hand, serve no such useful collateral purpose.

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ex Co. G (-)(Abn/Rgr), 143d INF(LRRP), TXARNG 1981-1985
ex 433MAW (AFRES), 1985-1991
FAA-certificated pilot and Advanced Ground Instructor

[This message has been edited by William M Salter (edited 07-07-2000).]

[Enfield]

I went to a documentary and discussion at at a university last year, and the movie was about the evils of air shows, and they brought in some anti-air show protestors to talk.
First of all, the movie was garbage. Ever heard of a f-16 Scorpion? F-15 Nighthawk? The idea that these anti-air show people had was that air shows were a waste of public money, that machines of death (citiing exmaples of civilian casualties in a few conflicts), and they were corrupting the children (they showed some 12 year old's who new some stats on aircraft)
It goes without saying that the anti-air show people were anti-military, against any and all use of armed force (the same people were also part of the End Iraq Sanctions protest and spearheaded the anti-Kosovo bombings protests). Though I consider myself pretty open minded and liberal, I came away with a hug elack of respect for these people an dtheir understanding of how the world works, and shocked at their lack of respect for the military.

Mr Salter - what about the huge publicity the military and air force gains from demonstration teams? Up here in Canada, I think our Snowbirds are the only part of the military that get any respect. They give good publicity, are a recruiting tool, and let the public see something vaguely military.
But on the flipside, just having some fighters buzz a crowd at low level and drop some bombs on targets would be a pretty good show in itself...

Enfield

[huey14]

actually, most, if not all, the manouvers performed by military aerobatic teams are actual ACM tactics used in combat.

[spectre]

Yall are under-estimating the RECRUITING value of airshows. . . that is a BIG draw for the Air Forces. Basically it let's anyone thinking about the service as a career see what they have the OPTION to do.
Air Forces will continue to fly airshows as long as there is pride in the nation and its military; as long as little boys and girls look up everytime a plane flies over their heads; as long as they can go to Wal-Mart and buy a model of an F-16 and build it themselves. Airshows will be around as long as the ground pounders have parades; they are one in the same. Military might...
There is no better feeling than talking to civi's about what you do, and watching their eyes widen as show them the BFG sticking out of the hull of an AC-130, or the cannon on the nose of an A-10.

Mo

[LRSC Grunt]

King,
Canada is a country that is very "protester happy". They will picket for the dumbest reasons. My parents once resided in Canada for a short period of time. Nothing but bad things to say about how the public handled certain situations. Very weird in my opinion. Like quitting a job only to recieve unemployment(vacation as they see it). Then when unemployment runs out the same employer is forced by law to rehire the person at the same job. My father once fired an employee for stealing money(paycheck fraud). The labor board made my father rehire him because they felt an american shouldnt be allowed to shitcan a canadian citizen, completely overlooking the fact that the guy stole money. Then in the meantime my father had a group of people picketing outside his bussiness because of it. I could go on about this crap(hint:dont get me started).

Sgt Salter,
I am a taxpayer. I have the right to see where my taxdollars are going. Therefore, I like going to airshows (were jumping in one next weekend).

[This message has been edited by LRSC Grunt (edited 10-15-2000).]

[TonyM]

LRSC-
Too late, you got me going. You're quite right about how things can be very anti-employer here. Mainly depends on the region and government in power. I was in Ontario in the early 90's when the NDP took over. It was like a communist coup. Man what a nightmare for business, they tried to increase min wage to $8.00/hr, added "employer tax" (employers had to pay a tax of 4% for each person working for them, could never figure that one out. Manitoba jumped on board that one too). Things started going for a big shit real fast. Last straw was when they tried to make a Provincial funded No-Risk auto insurance plan, effectively legistlating out the big insurance companies. That finished them. At the end of the day, big money in Toronto talks. Same kind of crap goes on and on with other places like BC (NDP too). However now places like Alberta and Ontario (with Conservative governments) that still see things from a capitalist view. Even though we're officially one country, I've lived over most of it now and I can tell you that between the North, East and West it feels like three different countries. Make that four with Quebec. BTW, I have no political affiliation with any party. Never have, never will. The only person I would actually promote in politics would be MGen Lewis MacKenzie (Ret.) The guy would be a kick-ass Prime Minister.

[King]

Not wanting to get into a political discussion, the NDP are really terrible.

We have them here in Manitoba, they are extremely anti-business. Bill 44 was passed here a few weeks ago, which among other things, eliminated secret ballots for workers in unions.

Up here in the north, the NDP has transfered or fired employees for political reasons. Especially dealing with natives.