Warbird Information Exchange

After Oshkosh, Reno, SEMA, and PRI all cancelled, I figured 2020 was going to end with a wimper and without a single event attended. However, as has been reported and tickets being sold, there will be something to do here in the south. Wings Over Houston (WoH) is going to occur, albeit in a different form - a Drive-In! When I received the email just two weeks ago from WoH, my first thought was it won't work. I'm still on the fence about it after learning there will be no vendors, no statics (based on the information about staying near your car), and the obvious issues with watching from your car/truck/lawn chair. Half of my experience at WoH are the vendors, statics, flight line, aka the "ground show". Will it work without the "ground show"? I hope it does and hope they can make money despite the challenges. What do you guys think about this strategy? Is it noble of them to at least try for the sake of trying or is there a legitimate chance this will succeed?

When life you gives you lemons....

I think doing something is a good idea for the enthusiasts, and to exercise the crews and equipment, but like you a big part for me is getting close to the statics, and close to the flight line.

The London Ontario airshow was a few weeks ago in a similar format and I absolutely loved it! Highlights included the F-35, F-16, F-22, A-10 and C-17 demo teams as well as the Thunderbird's all flying from Selfridge AFB. My dad has some mobility issues and hasn't been to an airshow in years, with the drive-in format he could join us and had a great time. I sent them an email saying I hope they keep this format at least in some capacity in coming years. We paid $150 for the front zone and thought it was great value considering we could bring our own food and drink.

Same advantage as a drive-in theater! When you pay by the carload, you don't have to hide half your friends in the trunk/boot (not that I ever did that as a teen).

Many shows have handicapped parking and some, like Oshkosh, have mobility scooter rentals. Much harder to get around on grass for those with limited mobility, and it can be quite a trek to get to the flightline at some shows. Potential attendees may not have sufficient endurance.

It is awesome that your dad was able to attend.

There have been a few of these done and a few others are scheduled. I think it's a great idea, personally. The show goes on and gives both airshow enthusiasts and the general public the opportunity to have some fun while adhering to social distancing protocols. I'm of the mentality that I will take what I can get during this time and would attend an airshow like this if there were one offered in my area. Looking at the static displays are a significant part of my airshow experience but I'd rather see some flying than have no event at all. The idea of sitting in a lawn chair in front my vehicle with a cooler full of drinks and food has its own appeal. Some of the admission prices I have seen for these events seem excessive for someone like me who would maybe attend with one other person. The cost may end up being close to what a family of four or five would typically spend on tickets, parking and food however.

I suspect we'll see a few more of these next year, especially if there isn't a vaccine available. I would like to see some of these shows offer a tier of ticket pricing that includes ramp access for a limited number of people. Perhaps this could be included in premier seating/parking ticket purchases. It might be possible to either limit the amount of time the ramp is open or maybe offer staggered blocks of time for ramp access. Of course, enforcing that might not be worth the trouble. With the right protocols and planning though, I think it could be done safely.

There have been several museums that have held limited-ticket events for a high entry fee. These have been highly catered towards members and enthusiasts rather than the general public. This might be another way to hold flying events if the pandemic situation doesn't improve by spring. That being said, one of these events would exceed the cost I usually spend on tickets/parking for an entire airshow season (excluding Oshkosh). That significantly limits my desire and ability to go to multiple events.

I'm all for museums and airshows finding creative ways to hold events. It might not be what we're used to, but they're certainly better than nothing.

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Matt

You're exactly right about the pricing. I tried to find a "single" ticket and the cheapest package I saw was $149 I think. The website tried to justify the pricing by stating if you bring a family of 5 then you're paying less than $30 per person. Problem is, I would be bringing only one - me. Even when I had prime view seats, the cost was significantly lower. It probably works out great for groups, but not so much for photographers and solo enthusiasts.