Although we have had a few shows so far this year, the 2016 North American air show season begins in earnest this month as the two U.S. military jet teams perform at their first shows in El Centro, Tucson, Tampa and Los Angeles County.
All indications point to an especially strong year. The U.S. military is fully engaged. Ticket prices are up. Enthusiasm is high. And our entire industry is poised to finish the process of shaking off the negative impact of sequestration in 2013 and 2014.
Whether you are an event organizer or a performer, ICAS encourages you to help make your contribution to a successful year by deciding, right now, that this is a year when you will put safety first. Before the season is fully underway, commit yourself to making the safe decision anytime and every time that you find yourself with a choice between doing something safely and doing it less safely.
If you’re an event organizer and you find yourself wrestling with low ceilings and marginal weather conditions, decide right now – weeks or even months ahead of time – which you will make the safe decision.
If you are a pilot who is fighting the flu or a nagging mechanical problem with your plane, decide today – as your season is just getting started – that you will make safety your #1 priority.
Of course, making the simple decision to be safe is not always enough to stay safe. But just as often, it is. So, while the temperature is still cold and nearly the entire 2016 season lies ahead of us, decide right now that you won’t take unnecessary chances, that you’ll identify risks and mitigate them as best you can, and that you will always opt for the safer alternative, whether you have several days or less than a second to make that decision.
