[endthematrix]

"Sport implies competition."

It implies play or recreation.

"At some point safety should be taken into consideration."

There are safety rules governing aeronautics.

"Pointless"

To whom? Famed Alpinist George Mallory was once asked: "Why do you climb this mountain?" His answer has been the climbers' answer ever since: "Because it's there."

[GBA]

I think "pilot error" is a factor, but "pilot judgment" is the real culprit. A formation landing of two dissimilar aircraft wasn't a very good idea, though it probably seemed that way at the time. Hopefully, all of those who fly these treasures will be extra vigilant from now on.

The loss of man and machine is tragic, but to ban these machines from flight, to lock them away in museums would be equally tragic, human error compounded.

I am willing to bet that the people who fly and maintain and restore these historical aircraft would not want them locked away. If you've ever heard a Merlin fired up or listened to a big radial taxiing by or heard them both in a formation fly by, then you probably want the next generation to experience that same thing.