Word: ramstein
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...rules at Ramstein apparently did not prohibit such maneuvers. The commanding officer of the Italian team, Lieut. Colonel Diego Raineri, said the squad had performed a test run of its act the day before the show for air-base authorities, who had approved it. U.S. officials at Ramstein declined any comment on the disaster, except to express condolences to victims and their families...
...German officials had a more visceral reaction. Defense Minister Rupert Scholz declared that air shows "will never again take place," though he soon modified the ban to cover only military displays. Shows scheduled later this month in Bitburg and Lechfeld were hurriedly canceled. Many officials expressed doubt that the Ramstein event -- an annual fixture since 1955 -- would ever be held again...
...Britain authorities decided to go ahead with this week's Farnborough air show despite calls for cancellation of the biennial display, one of the world's biggest. British officials said they were confident their safety rules would prevent an accident like the one at Ramstein. France too will proceed with scheduled shows because its rules, according to an air force statement, "are very rigorous." Spanish officials said they were "studying" whether to cancel a joint Spanish-American aerial display in Zaragoza next month, but it will probably...
...Italy the Ramstein crash sent the nation into mourning, but also created a furious debate over the use of the Frecce Tricolori in air shows. The Italian air force restricted future appearances to nonaerobatic flyovers at military functions. Officials in Fribourg, Switzerland, quietly disinvited the Italians to an air show this weekend...
Back in Washington both the Air Force, with its Thunderbirds flying team, and the Navy, with its Blue Angels, were quick to assert that a Ramstein-type catastrophe could not happen in the U.S. and to defend such demonstration flights. "I don't know that the risk is too high," said Secretary of Defense Frank Carlucci. "We have crashes in training every day." In all, 22 Blue Angels have been killed in crashes since 1946, and 19 Thunderbirds since 1953. But with thousands of air shows since World War II, no spectators have died in accidents involving military teams...