European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - August 31, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 2 the stars and stripes wednesday August 31,1988 Runstedt. Ili Jii a v. Is Brenda Hosier has been altered to Fluch Tagas an  left a protest message scrawled on a Highway sign demands a halt to air shows. The German word for air show flu tag literally flight Day accursed Day. At right the charred wreckage of one of the three italian air Force jets that crashed sunday at Ramstein is nearly unrecognizable � copter Crew entered inferno to Rescue victims by Daryl e. Green Kaiserslautern Bureau Ramstein a West Germany second it. Daniel Hickey saw the Colli Sion and the explosion. Air plane debris and flaming fuel rained Down on the Ramstein flight line sunday killing up to 49 and injuring hundreds and Hickey noticed destroying a medical evacuation helicopter standing by for just such an emergency atthe base air show. Now Hickey and fellow Cre Wemberson his Huey helicopter were responsible for the Many wounded lying in an around the flames. There was no Clear place to land except where the fire was said capt. Theodore e. Hartenstein Pilot of the helicopter assigned to the 58th military Airlift so at Ramstein. I figured if landed on somebody in that fire they re not alive anyway so that s the Only place have to land right  the four Man Crew had been stationed across the runway from the throng of spectators lining the flight line to see Italy s recce Tri Colori precision flying team. Close by the Huey was the medical helicopter from Lan Stuhl army Region Al medical Center a German police Heli copter and another chopper from the 58th. Hartenstein s primary Job was vip Security in Case of terrorist attack. When the Accident occurred i looked up and saw the explosion right above the medical evacuation helicopter said co Pilot Dickey. I saw that it was just in  within three minutes Hartenstein Scooter was up. We did t know the extent of the damage until we were in the air he said. And they weren t quite prepared for what they saw. I could t believe it Hickey said. The scene was chaos a mass of humanity scattering in All directions fro the Center of an inferno. Using the prop Wash from the rotors to beat Down the flames the chopper set Down in the midst of the fire and the Crew began the business of evacuating the wounded. As soon As we got out of the helicopter we started to set up the Stretcher on the run said sgt. Gregory b. West flight Engineer. Our first patient was the photographer for the italian team Hartenstein said. In seven trips the Crew flew 10 seriously injured victims to Lan Stuhl while the other Huey transported five. It had been 45 minutes since the crash and during the action they had to focus on the task not the tragedy. At one Point we saw a Little kid that was injured and sergeant West said that could have been my kid " Sai Hartenstein. And i said let s try not to think about those things right now. Let s just try to do our Job " it was Only after the work was Don that Hartenstein and his Crew began reflecting on what they had seen. Most of the people just kept looking at themselves West said. It s like they just could t believe this had happened to  i just keep seeing this one patient we had that every strip of clothing that he had was burned off Hartenstein said. Flight Engineer . Jeffrey t. Fran co was left with the sight of the children. Seeing a big old cot with a Little Kirin there All burned up he said. Hickey s most vivid memory was of the last person we hauled. Just to seethed doing car and holding in bags for  and at the end it was time to let their own Healing processes begin. I took airman Franco Home withe Hartenstein said. And we administered some medicinal  Cafa Strophe prompts criticism of other air shows in other developments wire services reported tues Day sunday s crash came a week before Europe s big Gest aviation event England s Farnborough air show. Although Farnborough has t experienced a Accident involving spectators since 1952, the Ramstein disaster immediately prompted thoughts about safety at the show. In Britain Ken Collins a labor party member of the european parliament wrote to prime minister Margaret Thatcher on monday urging that Farnborough be cancelled because we cannot afford to take any More needless risks with human  said the show would go on but spokes Man Duncan Simpson a former test Pilot said Noone would deny that after an Accident like that we All have to think very , he said the safety rules already were so strict that there was Little scope for major  at Farnborough have to perform their display for a committee of experts before the show opens. They can not Fly Over or toward the spectators must maintain a minimum Altitude of 100 feet and must keep to the Side of the runway farthest from the grandstands. Paul Beaver managing editor of Jane s defens data the authoritative military publishing concern reckoned that air shows statistically Are 10 times Safe than highways. You re much less Likely to be Hurt at an air show than driving to it he said in an interview. Spanish military authorities were debating whether to hold an air show that would include a performance by the italian stunt team involved in the Ramstein crash. A defense ministry spokesman said the ministry had contacted several foreign stunt teams to participate in an air show to inaugurate the Spanish air Force s new Al 8a fighter Wing sept. 19 in the presence of King Juan Carlos. He would not give further . Juan Antonio Martinez Ortiz said officials would decide next week whether to hold the show atthe joint . Zaragoza air base in North Cen trial Spain. An american spokesman at the base said the spaniards were responsible for the show and Amer ican participation was not being considered. The hundreds of air shows held each year in the United states draw More spectators than professional football games the organizers of the flying demonstrations said. By the latest count . Air shows draw around 18million visitors a year edging out the 16.7 million football fans who pass through the Gates according tothe International Council of air shows a Trade group based in Jackson Mich. Accidents have occurred at . Air shows in which pilots have been killed or injured. But none of the disasters has Ever involved spectators according to the Trade group. The National transportation safety Board said that since 1983, it has investigated 25 accidents at civilian air shows in the United states involving 28 planes and 11 fatalities. The figures do not include accidents a military shows. In West Germany the leftist Green party had scheduled an evening prayer Vigil and rally tuesday in Ramstein to express Shock Over the tragedy. The greens also said they would join with the leftist lean ing social democrats in another rally wednesday in nearby Kaiserslautern