The CAA’s final report builds on measures announced in January and includes further safety requirements for the 2016 air display season, following the tragic Shoreham Air Show accident in August 2015.
As well as changes already announced, such as enhanced risk assessments for displays and strengthened requirements for those overseeing displays and display pilots’ experience, the final report makes additional safety requirements including:
-Additional post-display reporting
-Increasing the distance between the display line and crowd line, in line with those for military displays
-Increased minimum altitude at which ex-military jets can perform aerobatic manoeuvres
-Greater competency requirements for pilots performing aerobatic manoeuvres in civil-registered, ex-military jets.
All the changes announced in January and in the final report will be reviewed at the end of the 2016 air display season. Meanwhile, the restrictions introduced immediately after the Shoreham accident will remain in place until the final AAIB report into the accident is published. Those were:
-Grounding all UK civilian Hunter aircraft
-Restricting display manoeuvres of similar ex-military jets over land to fly-pasts only
-Requiring additional risk assessments for displays.
The full report can be read at www.caa.co.uk/cap1400
