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Airbourne (air show)
Encyclopedia
Airbourne, also known as Eastbourne International Airshow, is a 4-day international air show
run every August in Eastbourne
, Sussex
, England
. Based around a long relationship with the Red Arrows
display team, the event features Battle of Britain
memorial flights and aircraft from the RAF
, USAF and many others.
Started in 1993,, the show is run by Eastbourne Borough Council, who claim it contributes to the millions of pounds which tourism bring to the town..
A dedicated FM radio station, "Radio Airbourne", broadcasts on 87.7FM during the event.
The organisers remained confident that there would be an event in 2009, but admitted that lessons would have to be learnt, and the funding of the event reviewed. Council leader David Tutt said: "We will be investigating what went right, what went wrong and looking very seriously at ways of ensuring the event for future years." A 2009 event did take place.
pilot Ted Girdler was killed when his Aero L-29 Delfín
jet failed to pull up from a diving roll and crashed into the English Channel
.
Air show
An air show is an event at which aviators display their flying skills and the capabilities of their aircraft to spectators in aerobatics. Air shows without aerobatic displays, having only aircraft displayed parked on the ground, are called "static air shows"....
run every August in Eastbourne
Eastbourne
Eastbourne is a large town and borough in East Sussex, on the south coast of England between Brighton and Hastings. The town is situated at the eastern end of the chalk South Downs alongside the high cliff at Beachy Head...
, Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Based around a long relationship with the Red Arrows
Red Arrows
The Red Arrows, officially known as the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, is the aerobatics display team of the Royal Air Force based at RAF Scampton, but due to move to RAF Waddington in 2011...
display team, the event features Battle of Britain
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain is the name given to the World War II air campaign waged by the German Air Force against the United Kingdom during the summer and autumn of 1940...
memorial flights and aircraft from the RAF
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
, USAF and many others.
Started in 1993,, the show is run by Eastbourne Borough Council, who claim it contributes to the millions of pounds which tourism bring to the town..
A dedicated FM radio station, "Radio Airbourne", broadcasts on 87.7FM during the event.
Funding
In 2008, Eastbourne Borough Council controversially decided to charge a £5 admission fee, in order to meet the show's rising costs, having failed to find a major sponsor. However, with visitor numbers down on previous years, and the additional cost of security during the event, the organisers were left with a £170k operational loss, and an inquiry was ordered. Five senior members of staff at Eastbourne Borough Council where made redundant in late 2009 as part of a cost-cutting exercise.The organisers remained confident that there would be an event in 2009, but admitted that lessons would have to be learnt, and the funding of the event reviewed. Council leader David Tutt said: "We will be investigating what went right, what went wrong and looking very seriously at ways of ensuring the event for future years." A 2009 event did take place.
Accidents
As with any airshow, some of the stunts performed carry a risk to the pilots, and Airbourne has seen accidents of various severity over the years. On 18 August 2000 former Red ArrowsRed Arrows
The Red Arrows, officially known as the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, is the aerobatics display team of the Royal Air Force based at RAF Scampton, but due to move to RAF Waddington in 2011...
pilot Ted Girdler was killed when his Aero L-29 Delfín
Aero L-29 Delfin
|-See also:-References:* Gunston, Bill, ed. "Aero L-29 Delfin." The Encyclopedia of World Air Power. New York: Crescent Books, 1990. ISBN 0-517-53754-0....
jet failed to pull up from a diving roll and crashed into the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
.