Bray Air Display 2022

Holy **** just seen what looked like a Lancaster or Flying Fortress or something flying over my house.

Dublin Rathfarnham.

Lovely sound off it as it flew over Killiney... Safe home

I heard the drone issue reported on the display frequency..... The Executive helicopter pilot reported it to the control and they organised a search for the operator. The heli pilot (on the ground at the public pad) kept an eye on it and reported it's position while the swallows displayed. He also called back to say that the operator had been found and the Gardaí were having a word with him.

Good to hear that his drone was confiscated.

My understanding is ever since a very near miss at an air display a good few years back it was decided on a H&S basis to only have them at sea. I used to attend them as a kid in Baldonnel in the 80s. Different times back then.

They have had it at Baldonnel. Quite successfully I might add.

It would limit the numbers to those by car and bus. But since the Bray and the Public Transport can't handle the numbers out there. That would seem to be a good thing.

"The day requires planning and patience by anyone who attends"

Wrong. Leaving the planning up to each individual attendee leads to chaos and danger. If the organisers expected 100k people to attend then it's on them to ensure they know how people are going to arrive, where they're going to be set down, how they are going to make their way to the viewing area, how they are going to be fed/watered/toileted when they get there, and how they are going to get everyone back out in reverse. They have to know how many stewards and security are appropriate, what the difference between security and stewards is, where they need to be, and how bad elements are going to be dealt with. It's on them to understand the geography of the area and how they are going to deal with each of the challenges it presents. They should know how they are going to deal with queuing enforcement.

Leaving it up to the individual to behave sensibly doesn't work because crowds don't behave sensibly, and if they're constrained, delayed, and uncertain that leads to panic, crushing, accidents and violence. Leaving people stuck in the heat in a 2 hour wait for transport with no water, food, or facilities, where they feel they can't leave the 2 hour queue without risking not getting their place back, is dangerous and stupid.

Things aren't best for things like hell and back, but that only affects one end of the town and is a tiny crowd by comparison. The organisers of this seem to think they should be held to a similarly low standard.

As to the comment that air control were constantly juggling to "do their best" doesn't make the argument that the poster thinks they're making. It points to a lack of clear, decisive decision making and forward planning.

I notice you went to Baldonnel to see the Lancaster & Hurricane arrive, but no Spitfire?

Since when was the Spit left out of the Battle of Britain memorial flight, or was the Spit never meant to be there in the 1st place?

Baldonnel air spectaculars stopped happening after the airfield was left in absolute shite after the last one was held there. Organisers failed to have anyone to clean up to allow flight ops to recommence on the Monday. In the end the Air Corps had to get all their own staff to spend at least an entire day cleaning up to allow flight ops. The Air Corp after this said never again.

Thats why they stopped being held there. Since then nearly all the farm land west and south has been sold off and developed on. This used to used for the car parking and for the spectators and food, stalls etc. They now no longer have the room to hold a large air display. Also public transport options are limited to the area.

Realistically any large scale air display needs to be held in Shannon. The only airfield quiet enough and the potential space to allow this. Also huge amount of road access routes.

Middle of no where on smaller main roads. Area just wouldn’t be able to handle potential numbers in and out. It’s been a long time since I’ve been at Knock but it’s not a very accessible airfield to have 100000 people in an area near the runway which would be the display line.

Again best place is Shannon for things like this.

Irrespective of what’s said here it won’t move from Bray as all the corporate sponsorship and local money will keep it there.

Bring back Galway great times one of my favourite of the Thunderbirds below

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DTAWfFPLr0

Nothing to stop different regions organizing more than one air show if they want.

Fair points, except that the decision not to take off after the rain was made by the Red Arrows lead once they taxied to the runway. They operate to strict operational rules and a Hawk is of course a far lighter machine than a large transport. If you look at the Red Arrows' history, they have had several serious accidents over the years, despite a "safety first" culture. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Arrows#Incidents_and_accidents

The fact that one of the team's aircraft developed a snag and couldn't take off for the display complicated matters and delayed their takeoff time. After that the rain intervened and we know the result.

Birr Air Display is on August 1st

https://birrairdisplay.ie/

Sounds like the whole thing was a shambles. Way too many people in Bray, public transport struggling badly to cope, quite a few people acting like lager louts, poor planning all around.

You'd wonder if the event even has a future at that venue.

Except that it has worked reasonably well for several years up to now. Leaving the reduced display aside, what was different this year?