A few weeks ago, in our article focused on this year´s air show season, we mentioned the Aviation Fair in Pardubice among the cancelled events. Nevertheless, it appeared not a final decision. Yesterday, on 6th May 2021, the organization team of Aviatická pout´ has announced that the event is going to be organized this year, although in a different format.
As already said on many occasions, the coronavirus pandemic has affected most of aviation events being initially scheduled for 2020 and 2021. The 30th jubilee edition of Aviation Fair had to be previously organized on 30th – 31st May 2020, but in a result of evolution of the outbreak and related health precautions it was postponed for next year.
Few predicted that this situation would repeat in 2021. Regrettably, the pandemic is still not over and most of the coronavirus-related restrictions are still valid. Therefore, in the middle of April 2021, the organization team of Aviation Fair has announced the event would be postponed for another year.
Nevertheless, during a press conference organized on 6th May 2021, the updated information about this year´s edition was announced. According to the latest statement, the show will be organized on 29th May, however in a different concept.
As the current coronavirus restrictions still do not allow any public events, the 2021 edition of Aviation Fair will be organized without any spectators, being broadcasted by ČT24 channel of the Czech public television. In this way, Aviatická pout´ would like to mark its 30th birthday and the 110th anniversary of the pioneering flight from Pardubice to Prague, performed in 1911 by Jan Kašpar.
It is obvious that unique atmosphere of an air show cannot be fully replaced by any television broadcasting, however it was the only possible way to organize the event in respect to the current development of coronavirus pandemic. And in the era of almost total absence of any live aviation events, that may work as a reminder of the ´good, old days´.
According to the organizer, approximately 110 minutes of flying programme is being planned. Among the participants of the 2021 Aviation Fair there would be an aerobatic programme of Petr Kopfstein and Martin Šonka, the Flying Bulls Aerobatic Team, real historical aeroplanes and few replicas of World War I aircraft from the Metoděj Vlach Aviation Museum in Mladá Boleslav. There will also be a display flown by aviation training centre in Pardubice (Centrum leteckého výcviku) and traditional flight of Blériot replica.
In addition, starting with 10th May, several display stands will be placed in Pardubice, recalling the previous editions of the event and Jan Kašpar´s aviation activities. The celebrations of the 30th anniversary of Aviation Fair will also include some aviation quiz shows available online and an event to commemorate Jaroslav Janda, one of Aviatická pout´ founders who passed away last year.
In this way, the Aviation Fair will join the list of events that gone down the road of broadcasted-only show, being organized without any spectators at the location. For the first time, such show was held almost exactly one year ago , when on 9th May 2020 (at the 75th anniversary of the Victory Day in Europe) an air display was organized at Kubinka air base and broadcasted online. Shortly thereafter, several other air shows around the world followed this way.
Although the 2021 edition of Aviation Fair will soon appear on many television screens in the Czech Republic, so far there are no information regarding other viewing possibilities or recording of the flying display for further broadcasting.
