This Hunter had just celebrated it's 60th birtday of flight on 15th July. It had a fully valid permit to fly up to March next year. At it's last inspection it had just under 6000 hours on the airframe (equating to 100 hours a year for it's lifetime). The CAA site shows it was first built in 1959 but it's first flight was 1955 so I think something is a little out there. It was initially an RAF airframe but was later transferred to the Royal Navy FRADU unit. It has then been owned by several heitage jet owners.

These aircraft are meticulously maintained and, to be allowed to display at an airshow, they HAVE TO be kept within prescribed limits or they get called off the display. The pilots, civilian or ex military, still have to have the necessary hours on their licence and a display certificate for type before they are allowed near a display line.

I am fed up of reading all the conjecture and accusations today about this tragic event. At this time the Air Accident Investigations people are on site and they will find the cause. Accidents seldom occur with just one root cause and I fear there will be a couple of things that brought this event into being. The fact the aircraft is so old I doubt will have any bearing as there will be so little of the original parts still on it.

One has to question allowing high energy manoevres and decents being allowed over a busy main road BUT I have no idea at all where the crowd line was supposed to be or what brought that aircraft into the place it was. Going over the crowd, below 500 feet or closer than a prescribed distance from the crowd line are major infringements of any display, but one cannot factor out all risks totally when dealing with men and machines. There could even have been a bird strike.

I have gone to airshows the past 40 years. I accept that accidents can happen as a spectator. The sad thing here is that most of the people killed were not involved at all with the airshow. They were just travelling along a busy road going about their business. This accident is more akin to some over-tired driver crossing a reservation and going into a pile of traffic (an event that happens far too frequently on our roads but we do not ban lorries!)

My thoughts go to the relatives and friends of those affected. No amount of conjecture can restore those killed nor help anyone involved. The pilot is still fighting for his life and heaven only knows if he survives what will be in his heart and head for years to come. However, he may be able to also give some clue as to what happened. Let's have no more blame to his abilities, nor to the aircraft, until the AAIB have made their report huh?

I lost a good friend in a mid-air collision when he was practicing displaying. He trained up all the time to be as good as he could be. He was a highly experienced pilot. His death brought home to me how much we ask from these men and women we love to go seeing throwing their aircraft around the sky. But they are not 'stunt people'. They are professional pilots, highly skilled, flying aircraft that are highly maintained and fit for purpose. We should respect that