Lessons from a tragic weekend

We always enjoy a good airshow, and know many Nebraskans will be making the trek to Omaha for next weekend's Offutt Air Force Base "Defenders of Freedom" show.

This was a tragic weekend for the air-minded community, however, with two performers killed in the United States and one in England.

Sunday, wing walker Todd Green died when he lost his balance and fell from a biplane when attempting to transfer from it to a helicopter at a show near Detroit.

Saturday, a Delta Airlines pilot with 23,000 house of commercial flight time was performing at Kansas City, Missouri, when members of the audience said they heard a "pop" and his biplane spun into the ground.

Across the Atlantic on Saturday, one of the Red Arrows -- the Royal Air Force aerobatic team -- died when his jet crashed, possibly after it struck a bird.

According to authorities, there have been four airshow deaths in the United States this year.

We admit wondering about the morality of paying to watch someone risk their lives for our entertainment, whether's it's an air show, all types of racing, circus trapeze artists, extreme sports or even high-risk team and individual sports.

But the performers who died this weekend were professionals who knew the risks and had years of experience plying their trade.

To take away their right to do so would be a bigger tragedy.