A ***third*** fatality at the Reno Airshow

[Nomex Maximus]

A ***third*** fatality at the Reno Airshow this week:

http://www.foxreno.com/news/14116133/detail.html

Am I the only one who thinks this is nuts? And if you don't think this is nuts, then how many people do have to die at one event before you start to think it's a bad idea?

[addo1]

 Nuts? That is awful.  Either way, everything we do has risk I assume..

[A.Member]

Do you drive a car to work or for any other reason?  If so, you're nuts!  Do you know how many people die in those things everyday?!

These accidents certainly are tragic but if there is any bright side, it's that these guys were living life and went out doing something they loved. 

[lordmonar]

They are professional pilots...they know it is dangerous.

[Grumpy]

I had a cousin killed crossing the street.  Swore up and down I'd never leave the house again.

[JohnKachenmeister]

I read somewhere that most accidents occured within 25 miles of home.

So I moved!

[Flying Pig]

  Then lets ban flying all together.  From the stats, Id say being a CAP pilot is more dangerous than flying a Mustang at 300 knots.

[Grumpy]

My heart and sympathy does go out to the families.  Like someone else said if there is some good it's that these people went living life to the fullest and were doing what they loved.

[Nomex Maximus]

OK, I don't want to come across as insensitive so I want to try and amend some of my comments.

When I read about this yesterday it just amazed me that we aviation enthusiasts don't see a problem with one, no two, no three different fatalities occurring at an air show and the prevailing mood is that the show must go on.

Yes, I like seeing airplanes fly as much as the next pilot. But I really think there needs to be a reality check here. Three fatal accidents in three days just so people can get a thrill from watching airplanes fly - something is desperately wrong with that. 

It is not my desire to offend anyone. But this IS nuts.

[Al Sayre]

Up until WWII Air races were very popular around the country.  After WWII the airplanes were much faster, and a lot of fatalities occured, which caused attendance to wane to the point that most cities wouldn't provide a venue.  It's only in the last few years that they have become popular again...

[Nomex Maximus]

Yeah it LOOKS like a LOT of fun... until...

[Grumpy]

So is jumping out of a perfectly good air plane. . .until

[aveighter]

Around 300 people drown in the bathtub every year too.  Thats just nuts!

Bathing is obviously a bad idea!

May we assume you will be smelling bad very soon?

[Nomex Maximus]

I take showers.

[LittleIronPilot]

OK, I don't want to come across as insensitive so I want to try and amend some of my comments.

When I read about this yesterday it just amazed me that we aviation enthusiasts don't see a problem with one, no two, no three different fatalities occurring at an air show and the prevailing mood is that the show must go on.

Yes, I like seeing airplanes fly as much as the next pilot. But I really think there needs to be a reality check here. Three fatal accidents in three days just so people can get a thrill from watching airplanes fly - something is desperately wrong with that. 

It is not my desire to offend anyone. But this IS nuts.

Well...so is NASCAR, or F1, or MotoGP....or powerboat races, bicycle races, hell even marathons. ALL have had deaths in them, most with a death this past year.

How many people get hurt or killed riding bulls? doing SCUBA? cleaning their gutters on the their homes?

These guys would do this if NO ONE came and watched...trust me.

No I see nothing wrong with this sport and am disappointed that a fellow aviator would. It is just funny today...risking ones life to live it to the limits definitely is frowned upon today.

[RiverAux]

It would be interesting to see what the accident rate per 100,000 hours is for air races compared to regular flying.  I would strongly suspect that we're talking about a huge difference. 

[aveighter]

Really, who cares?

Lay off the estrogen, life will improve markedly.

[flyerthom]

I take showers.

Don't take one of mine. I've only go two left and the weekends almost over <rimshot>

[Mustang]

As we saw at Reno last week, and at the Bills-Broncos game shortly before that, there is risk in all sports, be it kiddie-league t-ball or racing airplanes around the Nevada desert. Hell, even being a spectator at a sporting event can be life-threatening. 
Having been standing only 300 yards from where accident #2 occurred at Stead last week, I could've easily been injured or killed by flaming debris had the accident unfolded only slightly differently.  Was attending the races as a spectator risky?  More or less so than the mountain SAR flying I engaged in just down the road out of Minden, searching for Steve Fossett? 

Everything has associated risk; some portion of it can be mitigated through precaution, but the rest must be accepted or the activity/action must be rejected.  Where that dividing line lies is always subject to debate, depending upon one's risk tolerance. Everyone who engages in sports accepts those risks as part of the game; NFL players, air race pilots and even CAP aircrew have to decide where that line is for themselves.

Sure, several folks have died racing airplanes at Reno, but the number pales in comparison to the numbers who have died in other recreational pursuits such as skiing, swimming, boating, etc. Shutting the Reno Air Races down because of a series of unfortunate but wholly unrelated events took place would be stupid...and sad.