It's June 19th 2009, Friday lunchtime, Kemble Airfield in Gloucestershire - the day before this year's airshow, expanded for the first time to a full two day event. I've arrived on site with Sqn Ldr Andy Pawsey from the RAF Events Team who, for this weekend, is wearing his commentator's hat and has, along with his colleagues and Airshow Director Glen Moreman, allowed GAR to see exactly what happens behind the scenes.
The commentary team of three is completed by Ian Brodie, all the way from New Zealand, and Trevor Graham from Slipstream, sound director and in many ways the man who makes it all happen.
It's an impressive line-up with Andy well-known not just for creating, and providing commentary for, the RAF's Role Demo of 2007 and 2008 but also commentating at some two hundred shows such as RAF Leuchars, Malta, Dawlish, Biggin Hill and Perth over fifteen years.
Ian Brodie is the man behind a world famous airshow, the legendary 'Warbirds Over Wanaka', the New Zealand Fighter Pilots Museum and he also commentates in the UK at Kemble, for Duxford's Flying Legends show and at Biggin Hill.
Trevor meanwhile, formerly of Hampshire Sound, now runs an aviation and marine event specialist company, Slipstream. As well as making the occasional appearance as commentator Trevor is a creative director and also responsible for all of the equipment used at the event to actually deliver commentary and sound to the audience in an effective fashion - something we all know can be severely lacking at certain events. Trevor is vastly experienced and has worked at more than 1000 airshows, including a staggering 33 years at Biggin Hill.
So, what are the ten commandments of airshow commentary?
1/ Is there anybody out there?Talking to Trevor during the Sunday afternoon lunch break I ask him a question, half expecting it to be almost impossible to answer in simplistic terms.
If someone asked you for one piece of advice prior to running their first ever airshow commentary what would you tell them?
"Get the best PA system you can afford".
It's as simple as that according to Trevor. Too many airshows rely on ageing PA equipment or place it too far down the list of priorities.
"You can't ask the guy supplying the crowd barriers or the toilets if he can lay his hands on a PA system; you need to have professional equipment that does the job properly.
"If no one in the audience can hear what you are doing then everything else is irrelevant."
On Saturday Sqn Ldr Graeme Bagnall arrived in the box to commentate on the Red Arrows. This was the first time this season that 'Baggers' had not been forced to place his radio next to a microphone in order to broadcast the Reds radio calls to the listening audience. Thanks to the technology Trevor had in place they worked to a simple cueing system and the calls were broadcast whenever Baggers indicated. It's worth noting that he was somewhat nervous having not done this before; that is until Trevor reminded him that he had used the same system for around thirty years and ten 'Red 10's'!!
Let's not forget that the commentary team is not only striving to deliver information surrounding the entertainment happening on the ground and in the air, but also to inform visitors to the event of useful information such as missing children and, god forbid, what to do in any emergency situation. There is nothing more frustrating than not being able to hear the PA system at any event, not just an airshow, so get the PA system sorted!
2/ Know your audience:"We don't really commentate for enthusiasts" says Ian Brodie.
"You can't talk to a large audience and assume anything, let alone a certain level of knowledge, so that would be the wrong thing to do."
"You'll never please all of the people all of the time," adds Andy Pawsey. "As a commentary team it is difficult to add much to an event, as no one has come along to simply listen to the PA system, but it is very easy to wreck the event for the audience by boring them, talking too technically or merely waffling on."
This is a fascinating point as the enthusiast community is naturally the most vocal when it comes to discussing airshow commentary, but most of them fail to realise that the commentary quite simply isn't aimed at them, but at the majority i.e. The general public who have come for a good day out and whose knowledge may not extend beyond knowing what the Red Arrows are or what a Spitfire is.
3/ There's no substitute for an experienced team:"I don't like using solo commentators." says Trevor Graham. "It doesn't work from an audience perspective and tends to fuel egos and snobbery. No one wants to hear one voice droning on all day."
"There are too many people in this business who work that way, but that's not for me."
So what it is about this particular team which really works for Trevor?
"Andy and Ian work together extremely well and with me chipping in from time to time it feels like a good team unit. The audience is our judge of course but we are pretty happy with the feedback we get."
Being around the team for the entire weekend is an impressive experience. Like so many things it appears almost effortless at times but that only comes as a result of planning, research and continuous discussion as to who will be doing what and when they'll be doing it.
Sections of the commentary sound like a comfortable fireside chat between a group of friends and in many ways they are exactly that, but only because that's exactly how they've planned it and it's exactly what they want you to think.
The ability to work as well as these guys comes only from experience gained from commentating at many events.
4/ Research research research:The amount of research that each team member put in for Kemble was staggering; there is no other word for it.
Talking to Andy in the run up to the show he was chasing teams for up-to-date display notes, confirmation of which pilot was flying particular aircraft and even asked me to speak to the Royal Navy 'Black Cats' at the previous weekend's event at Cosford to confirm whether they would be supplying their own commentator at Kemble. This is a man who leaves no stone unturned and that shows when it comes to his commentary.
Ian Brodie is considered to be a 'guest commentator' when he comes over from New Zealand and is not therefore required to prepare too much groundwork for specific display items. But meeting him at the hotel on Friday night before Kemble he had already been busy printing off some seventy pages of notes that he thought would be useful for the weekend - impressive.
In the commentary box Andy uses A4 folders with notes for each aircraft, each team and each pilot. Any eventuality is covered and much of the information won't necessarily be used, but it's there just in case.
5/ Be flexible:One of the first things Andy arranged when we arrived at Kemble was for yours-truly to attend the pilot's briefing on both days of the show, as the commentary team's representative.
It doesn't matter how much research the team has done by way of preparation, only by gleaning the most up to date information can the team adjust and amend their commentary during the show and ensure they know what they are talking about.
Andy asked me to ensure that I came away with an up to date flying programme, notes on which acts are taking off to hold rather than heading straight in to their displays, any changes to slot times, names of pilots, names of wing walkers, which aircraft are departing for home after displaying, who would be sending their own commentator and at what time, the latest met brief..............phew, no pressure then.
It was daunting, but goes to show the lengths the team goes to in order to stay on top of an ever changing situation. Andy also asks Display Director John Davis to brief the display crews and pilots to call their final pass or manoeuvre, so simple, but great for ensuring the team knows when a display is coming to end.
6/ Be opportunistic:It's not just about the three men (in this instance) in their commentary box; the team's use of guests played an important part too.
A number of display acts sent their own commentators to the box during the show, notably the likes of Team Guinot, Red Arrows, Blue Eagles and such like, but arranging other guests ensured fresh voices to listen to as well as additional entertainment and information for the audience.
Therefore, over the course of the weekend we had guests such as Nicola James from the RAF Benevolent Fund talking about the charity and their tie-in with this year's RAF Hawk display, Kev Wills talking about the Dawlish Airshow, Gareth Attridge talking about the RAF Merlin and so on. Not all of these opportunities were planned and some of them took place quite spontaneously as the team decided it would be an interesting, informative and entertaining thing to do, but they all added to the commentary and the audience's experience.
"I try and speak to all known guest commentators in advance (preferably weeks in advance)" says Andy Pawsey.
"They can assist with material or we can just establish a connection. At the very least, I try and get them over a few minutes before their slot time so we can have a chat. That put's them at ease and gives them the best opportunity to deliver their best."
7/ Don't be afraid to re-group:One section of the flying display programme featured a group of microlights based at Kemble itself. I could sense the team was concerned re a knowledge gap and Andy was keen to ensure that one of the pilots provided some information to assist them in commentating. This was done but, as the display commenced, was found to be barely adequate.
"We lost momentum there," Andy said at the end of Saturday's display. "We just didn't do enough during the microlights and then with the Piston Provost following straight after you feel like the commentary has taken a dip."
"It's so much easier to lose momentum during a commentary than it is to get it back," admits Ian.
"We'll need to re think that section tomorrow" says Trevor, vocalizing what everyone else was clearly thinking.
The team's own debrief was straight to the point with everyone agreeing where that section fell flat and agreeing on a course of action, with Trevor volunteering to prepare some new notes and renewed efforts being made to include a representative from the microlight fraternity.
I was sent off to the briefing on Sunday with explicit instructions to ask one of the formation to come to the commentary box and this duly happened about thirty minutes before the flying display commenced.
The team were much happier with the result during Sunday's show, as Trevor Graham confirmed:
"Yesterday we had microlights flying with not much conversation; today we had conversation with some microflights flying. There's a world of difference."
8/ Don't forget, you are always 'live':It seems obvious, but control over the microphones is one of the important skills any commentator must master. The commentary box is a busy place, probably busier at times than the team would like, but equally, pretty much unavoidable.
A lot of conversation goes on in the box which the audience don't want to hear or don't need to hear. It could be planning for the next act, discussion ahead of the next pass even, a guest being briefed and such like.
The way the team operate the mic buttons is very fluid, almost instinctive, and I don't recall a single moment when anything was broadcast which shouldn't have been, which one or two guests will be very pleased about!
Andy and Ian switch back and forth all day, it's like watching a game of tennis, but they don't slip up, despite the stream of guests and chat among themselves. It would be so easy to make an error here and all the more impressive that this doesn't happen over the prolonged time the team are at work.
9/ Know when to talk and when not talk:This in many ways was one of the most impressive lessons I observed over the course of the weekend at Kemble. For comparatively long periods the three men in the commentary box would actually say absolutely nothing at all.
This isn't quite as simple as not wanting to drone on for too long and it certainly wasn't because they didn't have anything to say, it was a carefully planned creative decision; a team decision no less, borne out of experience.
For example, ahead of a Spitfire display the team would make a collective decision not to commentate at all when the aircraft was crowd-front; recognition that a Merlin engine provides all the commentary you need. Commentary took place only during suitable moments, when the aircraft was repositioning for example, and was succinct, informative and emotive.
Prior to the Vulcan's appearance over the airfield Ian Brodie actually announced to the crowd that he wasn't planning to commentate at all as he wanted to step outside to watch and photograph the aircraft - brilliant! Little commentary preceded the Vulcan whatsoever, rather a piece of music, "Mars" from Gustav Holst's Planet Suite, that perfectly complemented the hush that fell upon the crowd as they watched the giant bomber, almost spell-bound.
When you think about it, what could anyone say to add anything to moments like this?
So why say anything at all?
10/ Always expect the unexpected:Towards the end of Sunday's display programme, for a few heart-stopping seconds, it looked as if the audience would witness a serious incident. It would be incorrect to speculate on exactly what happened but it is no exaggeration to suggest that everyone who saw this was probably thinking that a potential disaster was unfolding in front of their eyes. It was no different in the commentary box.
I watched, wide-eyed, and reacted like everyone else, but in the brief time as the incident too place, (although it seemed like an age), an important thing happened.
Andy Pawsey............
"It became clear very quickly that something might happen, just seconds after Trevor drew our attention to the problem. I remember reaching over and switching Ian's microphone off and then essentially making the decision to say nothing else."
"The strangest thing was the when the moment passed I looked down at my file and I had opened the page showing our action plan in case of an emergency. I don't remember doing that so can only assume it was instinctive."
If you think that's professional, the way in which the team kicked back in after the 'moment' was superb. Andy was straight on to the next item, no mention of what took place and with an enthusiasm and at a level belying what we were all feeling. Pretty incredible really and it just goes to show that you have to be ready for anything. We all know what has, and can happen, at airshows and the commentators have a vital role to play in ensuring that any emergency is dealt with and that the audience are clearly instructed as to what they should and shouldn't do.
GAR wants to interact with its readers so if you have a question for the author or a comment to make on this feature, please click on the button below. The best comments will appear right here on GAR.2011-08-23 - Stephen Boyd
The simple reason I don't attend airshows any more is because of the commentary.
"Joe Public" has no interest in it and neither do we enthusiasts; it annoys both groups and the only people who think that it is important or valued are the commentators themselves. Instead, the occasional enthusiast with a scanner tuned to the tower frequency becomes the focus of interest because he can explain what is up next on the bill. That's all people want to know.
Put down your mikes and watch the show. Everyone will thank you.
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