PFA Rally / Flying Legends

Personally I would rather hear a Merlin that what ever engines these RV6/Europa/Long Eze have? As for homebuilts my interest dissapeared when the above became prevelant. You could see the workmanship in a Taylor mono/Isacs Fury/Luton Minor these new kitplanes all look the same.
From year to year FL varies very little . Personally if they parked the interesting visitors( German ex SAAF Harvards, Swiss P2/3’s, Norweigan DC3) crowd side I would go to FL every time. The PFA had the Ok- Morava and LY- An2 this year plus loads of Yaks and it wins over FL every time for sheer numbers.
Personally I do not go to airshows. I went to RIAT this year(first since 1998) and that was it. I go to flyins because I love vintage British aircraft. I go to every Popham event becuase I love the atmosphere. If I go to an event and if any aircraft is miles away I get annoyed.
I did try a few years ago to get limited genuine enthusiast access to the visiting flightline at Duxford. This wold have been between the last visiting aircraft landing and the start of the flying. Sadlly the HSE has taken care of that.
A spotter always has diffrent requirements that the avid warbird/miljets person. I loved Biggin Hill in the late 70’s/early 80’s. All the visiting aircraft crowd side and the hangars open. Sadly this has gone and I will not return to Biggin.
My perfect airshow? Somewhere like Hurn or Southend. All hangars open, a 200+ flyin in the morning with full access. A flying display 12 til 5 with lots of aircraft doing flybys only so I have to stay to get the regs!!!

Originally posted by Moggy C
Moggy shakes head sadly at the thought of anyone preferring writing down the number of some plastic lash-up to the howl of a Merlin at full chat and ambles away wondering not for the first or last time at the sheer diversity of human tastes 😉

Moggy

Who’s to say that you won’t get to hear a Merlin at the PFA rally 😀 It’s always a possibility.

Originally posted by robbelc I would choose the PFA over Duxford, as I am only really interested in the visitors at Duxford.

Moggy shakes head sadly at the thought of anyone preferring writing down the number of some plastic lash-up to the howl of a Merlin at full chat and ambles away wondering not for the first or last time at the sheer diversity of human tastes 😉

Moggy

The funny thing this year was there were almost as many foreign ‘homebuilts’ at Fowleme for Duxford as there were at the PFA. Including such delights as Belgian Minimax and Shadow!
It is very true that without spotters the PFA rally would make a massive loss. I would guess that about 60% of visitors by road are spotters.
Surely its advantagious to both to coperate and have the events of diffrent weekends. I thought this year was a one off as an event had allready been booked for Kemble the weekend before. Sadly it means many of us don’t get to enjoy both events fully. Personally I would choose the PFA over Duxford, as I am only really interested in the visitors at Duxford.

Moggy,

Perhaps you and I are amongst a minority as GA pilots AND Duxford devotees then – but somehow I doubt it.

In my experience lots of GA pilots are interested in old aeroplanes (most of us our interested in anything old and mechanical if we’re honest – planes, trains, cars, traction engines). I could perhaps understand if PFA clashed with RIAT or a modern military show as there is less crossover between its enthusiasts.

Likewise, I am sure you will find that although PFA had nearly 2,000 aicraft visit last year they had nearly 9,000 people through the gates by road. A look down the flightline as we taxied in showed rows of ‘spotters.’ I’m sure the PFA could not survive without its non flying members – so why clash with a show that also appeals to large numbers of the same people.

Out of choice I like to spend all three days camping at PFA (great atmosphere in the evenings). Likewise I like to attend Leg Ends on the Friday (great to see the arrivals coming in) Saturday and Sunday.

In the past the PFA Rally has been in June, surely there is no need to clash with one of the UKs largest airshows, which, I am sure, shares a great many attendees?

So then, PFA Friday and Saturday and Duxford Sunday it is.

S’gull

I think you have to realise that this is not a plot to disrupt the lives of spotters.

The PFA Rally is intended for people who fly or build or both, low cost aircraft. If you want to go there and collect numbers then I’m sure they are very happy, but you are not the target audience.

Likewise Flying Legends is about showing off warbirds and giving non-aviation members of the general public an interesting day out.

There are only about 12 weekends in the peak season (when the chance of decent weather is reasonable). Hence you are bound to have clashes.

Both the PFA Rally and Legends are two day events. If I as one of the rare light aircraft owners and warbird fans wanted to atttend both I can. So from the organisers point of view – no problem.

Personally there is no force on earth that would get me to the PFA do.

Moggy

Tell me about it! As a spotter doing both its a pain. PFA on Friday and Saturday. On Sunday I have to do Fowlmere and Cambridge before going to Duxford, a very long weekend!