Behind the scenes at an air show

ICAS, the International Council of Air Shows, counts between 325 and 350 air shows annually in the U.S. and Canada, with attendance topping 12 million.

And while you may attend air shows regularly, you may be surprised at what goes on behind the scenes before and during the show to ensure everyone involved — from spectators to performers to the neighboring community — are safe.

Here’s a look behind the scenes at just one of those shows, the Smoky Mountain Airshow, which was held Sept. 10-11, 2022, at McGhee Tyson Airport (KTYS) in Knoxville, Tennessee. The show’s star attraction was the U.S. Navy Blue Angels, who drew over 100,000 fans in their last visit to the area in 2016.

The show was hosted by the Metropolitan Knoxville Airport Authority (MKAA) and the 134th Air Refueling Wing of the Tennessee Air National Guard. The MKAA contributed runways, taxiways, and other aviation infrastructure, while the 134th lent more than 30 acres of ramp space for the show site. Both chipped in with managerial skills, logistical support, and workforce.

Though I’m now retired from MKAA, because I managed FAA safety requirements for the previous show in 2016, I was asked to assist this year.

The gatekeeper for U.S. air shows is the FAA, which requires all show sponsors to obtain a “Certificate of Waiver.” That’s the “license” for an air show, and without it you’ll just have a lot of expensive static displays.

Why a waiver?

Because pilots just can’t fly at low altitude, upside down with their hair on fire, in front of 50,000 people, without FAA permission.

The waiver for our show allowed performers to deviate from 14 flight rules, including basic VFR weather minimums, minimum safe altitude over a congested area, and maximum speed below 10,000 feet.

To earn the waiver, we had to provide the proper setting for performers to “press the envelope,” while keeping spectators safe.

The process began with a two-page application documenting event details, accompanied by an “Air Show Security Plan,” an “Emergency Response Plan,” and an “Air Show Layout Plan.” The latter depicted locations of the flying display area, spectator area, fire and rescue equipment, static display aircraft, and other significant features.

The responsible Flight Standards District Office (FSDO) assigns an Aviation Safety Inspector to oversee the show, and using guidance from FAA Order 8900.1, they review the application to ensure all requirements are met. If the answer is “Yes,” you get the waiver.

The critical requirement is a layout that safely accommodates spectators adjacent to an aerobatic display area or “show box.” Our show box was 12,000 feet long and 2,700 feet wide to contain the high-speed maneuvers of the Blue Angels and other performers. It reached to 15,000 feet above ground level, which was the top of the Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR). More about that later.

When the box is “hot,” only air show aircraft, performer support vehicles, or emergency responders are allowed within its confines, and any roads or buildings within its boundaries must be vacated. We even had to coordinate with a railroad company to ensure no trains would be on the tracks that lie beneath one end of the box.

The “Air Show Security Plan” detailed how to keep our guests safe from high-speed aircraft, jet blast, whirling propellers, and even the possibility of hazardous weather. Military personnel and trained volunteers shepherded spectators on the flight line, and nearly two miles of orange plastic snow fence provided a boundary between the show box and spectators.

Our “Air Show Emergency Response Plan” called for six fire trucks stationed around the show box. The FAA requires a one-minute response to an air show aircraft accident and this was tested during Friday’s show rehearsal.

Medical contingencies were met with eight emergency aid stations, five ambulances, and two Army National Guard Blackhawk medevac helicopters. Nearly 225 personnel from 16 agencies reinforced the Air National Guard assets, while 12 community response agencies supplemented the MKAA responders.

An Air Boss is integral to air show safety, and is another requirement for the waiver. According to the FAA, the Air Boss “… has the primary responsibility for air show operations on the active taxiways, runways, and the surrounding air show demonstration area.”

Wayne Boggs, in his 36th year in the business, was our choice. His daily performer briefings set the tone for a show that ran like clockwork.

To ensure safety for non-participating aircraft, as well as the surrounding community, a TFR was active during the Blue Angels arrival practice on Thursday, and during each air show on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

The TFR encompassed a five nautical mile radius from show center, from the surface to 15,000 feet above the ground. With top speeds approaching 700 mph and vertical rolls soaring out of sight, the Blue Angels eat up that space quickly.

Because McGhee Tyson Airport serves five major airlines and two cargo carriers, the FAA required a “Ground Operations Plan,” showing how the airport could remain open and safe for air carriers.

The show schedule and TFR allowed airline operations between performer acts, so it was crucial that an air show on the military side of the airport not compromise the safety of airlines operating from the civilian side of the field.

Our “Ground Operations Plan” covered 14 topics, ranging from airport rescue and firefighting capabilities to mitigation of things tied to the air show that could attract wildlife to the airport, such as food or wrappers dropped on the ground, which would attract birds.

There were a lot of trash receptacles throughout the show site that were emptied daily after the show.  Organizers also used covered dumpsters, since birds are known to feed from open dumpsters. The airport operations staff also kept a heightened watch for increased bird activity. If necessary, they would disperse the birds from the airfield using small pyrotechnic shells, launched from a starter pistol. 

Protecting the airport’s taxiways and runways was also a concern for the air show organizers.

Because the Blue Angels require arresting gear for emergencies, we called on the Air Force’s 823rd Red Horse civil engineering squadron to install a Mobile Aircraft Arresting System (MAAS). The massive system anchored on either edge of Runway 5L rendered that runway unsuitable for air carriers, so a NOTAM was issued to close the runway to all but air show aircraft.

With two parallel runways, we ran the show off the runway closest to the spectators while leaving the other runway available for airlines. This required close coordination between the Air Boss, air traffic controllers, and the Airport Operations Department.

To make the magic happen, we had an ATC controller on the Air Boss platform and an airport operations specialist in the Tower. Both worked together to assist controllers with sequencing the airline flights between the performers.

Of course, even the best plans require careful execution, so the FSDO sent an operations inspector and maintenance inspector to watch over the air show. They reviewed each civilian pilot’s credentials and aircraft records, and observed all activities each day.

The MKAA airport operations team, trained in airfield safety, played a large part in keeping things on track. The team’s “playbook” was a chronological checklist running more than 160 lines long. It covered everything from closing taxiways and issuing NOTAMS to performing regular FOD (Foreign Object and Debris) inspections on ramps, taxiways, and runways.

In summary, more than 2,000 staff and volunteers worked to make the Smoky Mountain Airshow a success.

Though rain discouraged attendance on Saturday, more than 50,000 spectators generated a weekend profit of $130,000 that was split between the Second Harvest Food Bank and the Boys and Girls Club of the Tennessee Valley — and it was all done safely.

In fact, in late February 2023, show organizers found out the Blue Angels had declared the Smoky Mountain Airshow as the Blue Angels’ Air Show of the Year for 2022. The Blue Angels select this award and present it to the air show that is the most accommodating, easy to work with, and goes above and beyond to exceed the expectations set by the Blue Angels. 

Author’s note: This article is dedicated to Greg McCulloch, MKAA Airport Operations Specialist, who died in an ATV accident five days after the Smoky Mountain Airshow. In 19 years of service, Greg’s hard work contributed to the safe travels of millions of passengers and crew at McGhee Tyson Airport.