The site assessment starts before the first aircraft moves — you walk theairfield. This is not a formality. You are verifying runway dimensions,displaced thresholds, and known obstructions against what the CoWdescribes. Discrepancies need to be resolved before the show begins.

What specifically are you checking on the sightline to show center?

From the Air Boss position, you need an unobstructed view of the entireFDA. Tents, staging equipment, parked aircraft — if any of it cuts yoursightline, that gets resolved before the show opens. You cannot managewhat you cannot see.

And crowd line verification is part of the same walk.

Confirm the physical markers are placed per CoW specifications. Confirmthe separation distances match the aircraft categories that areperforming. You are not relying on someone’s assurance — you arelooking at it. Identify show center, show line, and performer hold areas,and confirm emergency vehicle staging positions do not conflict with thecrowd line.

Basic Air Shows can also be held at non-airport venues. That addscomplexity.

It does. Surface condition, approach and departure corridors, surroundingterrain, obstructions, population density — all of those affect performanceprofiles at a non-airport site in ways that don’t apply at a controlledairfield. Coordinate with local emergency services more carefully at thosevenues, not less. They don’t have the institutional familiarity with airoperations that airport services typically have.

So the site assessment scope expands based on venue type.

The checklist is consistent — verify what the CoW requires, confirm whatyou can see, resolve what you cannot. The complexity of the venuedetermines how much work that takes.