What possesses people to watch death-defying stunts by death-wish aeroplane pilots?

Eager spectators only encourage the mad dogs (and Englishmen) to come out in the midday sun to wreak havoc by flying low over the residents of Shoreham-by-Sea.

Yes, the annual mad-dog season starts on August 31, otherwise known as the Shoreham Airshow.

Of course, the organisers will tell you it's safe. But judge for yourself how safe an air show actually is.

What guarantees do the organisers have in place for the safety of us all? I would say none. Who really knows how to assess this type of risk?

Let's calculate the risk from our own experience of recent news reports.

Hands up all those who think air shows over residential areas are safe.

-H Sherbert, Thyme Close, Shoreham