Narrative:

At conclusion of show, I taxied my plane from the grass, across runway 21 to the 21 parallel taxiway and headed to the approach end for takeoff as instructed. There were hundreds of GA planes about to do the same. The instructions were for all planes to cross 21 at 2 given points and proceed to the approach end. There were many show staff members directing traffic. Some on the left some on the right and some in front too, all simultaneously giving directions for aircraft movement, frequently in conflict with one another. At about 1000' from the approach end, on the parallel, all traffic stopped and many people were not even in their planes, having gone to see the just landed bmb. At that point the show staff started directing planes on the east side of the runway to takeoff from that point about 1000' down runway 21. Since I was locked in, I by sign language suggested to a staff member that I turn right off the taxiway, onto the soft grass in an effort to cross over the runway and get in the very short, rapidly moving line at the displaced takeoff point. As I got to the runway, I heard someone on the unicom say that there was a suspension of takeoffs while a bmb at the other end of the field was pulled out of the mid onto the runway. Moments later planes were taking off again and I got the high sign to cross the runway. There was no one taking off at that instant and I hand signaled to a staff that I desired to depart to my right from there. He looked and ok'ed his head. As I pwred up, another staff banged on my pilot side door and pointed to the approach end of runway 21 or traffic coming in. At that point, I very expeditiously moved forward to the first paved turnoff of runway 21, but it was full of planes so I went to their right, across the grass and into the approximately position I started from. Then there was an interminable wait while all the planes previously parked by the bmb were allowed in front of us, and while the other side took of at the displaced start point I wanted to use... I send this in because the fellow who banged on my door indicated he wanted me to get out of the plane for a fist fight and he may have been drinking as I saw other staff drinking beer during the show. There was no one person in charge. The only people directing should have been positioned to the left front of all the planes in order that especially the tail draggers such as mine would not have directions blocked by engine cowlings. Then, there would have been a planned sequence to follow or numbered staff to handoff to each other. While all this was going on very slowly, an small transport kept making approachs to land on runway 21 and finally succeeded by going over the top of those waiting in position to takeoff. There were hundreds of planes to leave to get home before dark. The field should have been closed to landing aircraft for some time after the show, to prevent confusion by landing aircraft and safety.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CONFUSION REGARDING TAXI AFTER AIR SHOW WITH MANY ACFT DEPARTING AT UNCTLED ARPT.

Narrative: AT CONCLUSION OF SHOW, I TAXIED MY PLANE FROM THE GRASS, ACROSS RWY 21 TO THE 21 PARALLEL TXWY AND HEADED TO THE APCH END FOR TKOF AS INSTRUCTED. THERE WERE HUNDREDS OF GA PLANES ABOUT TO DO THE SAME. THE INSTRUCTIONS WERE FOR ALL PLANES TO CROSS 21 AT 2 GIVEN POINTS AND PROCEED TO THE APCH END. THERE WERE MANY SHOW STAFF MEMBERS DIRECTING TFC. SOME ON THE L SOME ON THE R AND SOME IN FRONT TOO, ALL SIMULTANEOUSLY GIVING DIRECTIONS FOR ACFT MOVEMENT, FREQUENTLY IN CONFLICT WITH ONE ANOTHER. AT ABOUT 1000' FROM THE APCH END, ON THE PARALLEL, ALL TFC STOPPED AND MANY PEOPLE WERE NOT EVEN IN THEIR PLANES, HAVING GONE TO SEE THE JUST LANDED BMB. AT THAT POINT THE SHOW STAFF STARTED DIRECTING PLANES ON THE E SIDE OF THE RWY TO TKOF FROM THAT POINT ABOUT 1000' DOWN RWY 21. SINCE I WAS LOCKED IN, I BY SIGN LANGUAGE SUGGESTED TO A STAFF MEMBER THAT I TURN R OFF THE TXWY, ONTO THE SOFT GRASS IN AN EFFORT TO CROSS OVER THE RWY AND GET IN THE VERY SHORT, RAPIDLY MOVING LINE AT THE DISPLACED TKOF POINT. AS I GOT TO THE RWY, I HEARD SOMEONE ON THE UNICOM SAY THAT THERE WAS A SUSPENSION OF TKOFS WHILE A BMB AT THE OTHER END OF THE FIELD WAS PULLED OUT OF THE MID ONTO THE RWY. MOMENTS LATER PLANES WERE TAKING OFF AGAIN AND I GOT THE HIGH SIGN TO CROSS THE RWY. THERE WAS NO ONE TAKING OFF AT THAT INSTANT AND I HAND SIGNALED TO A STAFF THAT I DESIRED TO DEPART TO MY R FROM THERE. HE LOOKED AND OK'ED HIS HEAD. AS I PWRED UP, ANOTHER STAFF BANGED ON MY PLT SIDE DOOR AND POINTED TO THE APCH END OF RWY 21 OR TFC COMING IN. AT THAT POINT, I VERY EXPEDITIOUSLY MOVED FORWARD TO THE FIRST PAVED TURNOFF OF RWY 21, BUT IT WAS FULL OF PLANES SO I WENT TO THEIR R, ACROSS THE GRASS AND INTO THE APPROX POS I STARTED FROM. THEN THERE WAS AN INTERMINABLE WAIT WHILE ALL THE PLANES PREVIOUSLY PARKED BY THE BMB WERE ALLOWED IN FRONT OF US, AND WHILE THE OTHER SIDE TOOK OF AT THE DISPLACED START POINT I WANTED TO USE... I SEND THIS IN BECAUSE THE FELLOW WHO BANGED ON MY DOOR INDICATED HE WANTED ME TO GET OUT OF THE PLANE FOR A FIST FIGHT AND HE MAY HAVE BEEN DRINKING AS I SAW OTHER STAFF DRINKING BEER DURING THE SHOW. THERE WAS NO ONE PERSON IN CHARGE. THE ONLY PEOPLE DIRECTING SHOULD HAVE BEEN POSITIONED TO THE L FRONT OF ALL THE PLANES IN ORDER THAT ESPECIALLY THE TAIL DRAGGERS SUCH AS MINE WOULD NOT HAVE DIRECTIONS BLOCKED BY ENG COWLINGS. THEN, THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN A PLANNED SEQUENCE TO FOLLOW OR NUMBERED STAFF TO HDOF TO EACH OTHER. WHILE ALL THIS WAS GOING ON VERY SLOWLY, AN SMT KEPT MAKING APCHS TO LAND ON RWY 21 AND FINALLY SUCCEEDED BY GOING OVER THE TOP OF THOSE WAITING IN POS TO TKOF. THERE WERE HUNDREDS OF PLANES TO LEAVE TO GET HOME BEFORE DARK. THE FIELD SHOULD HAVE BEEN CLOSED TO LNDG ACFT FOR SOME TIME AFTER THE SHOW, TO PREVENT CONFUSION BY LNDG ACFT AND SAFETY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.