Giving Leuchars a miss this year

Hi guys,

4 hours of waiting isn’t that much… i remember that i had an airshow here in the netherlands at Gilze Rijen AFB. (i think that was 97 or 98). took us about 5 hours for a 20 KM trip… That’s why i always choose to have Trains and shuttlebusses here… or just the shuttlebus ;)… saves me a few pennies on the parkingfee also LOL :)…

I suppose when you’ve spent the last umpteen years being deafened daily by Tornados (and, prior to that, Phantoms) they don’t exactly quicken the pulses.

As for the Reds, as has been pointed out in more than one forum, they are rather resting on their laurels and gradually becoming the least exciting formation outfit around. (There’s heresy for you) Bring back the Gnats, I say.

As you can see from the variety of posts here, it’s horses for courses, but I live approximately 15 miles away and wasn’t tempted ! (It’s getting to the stage where to get to Leuchars at all you have to live in Dundee, and I wouldn’t wish that on anybody).

Don’t think there was much worth seeing anyway.

Na, not much to see. Just the Vulcan, BBMF, Red Arrows, Blades, F86A, F3 with Typhoon and Spitfire,2 F16 displays, GR4 tactical demo and a four ship Hunter display. Wish I’d stayed at home and washed the car.[/QUOTE]

actually aside from the f3 + tonka + spit flyby there was nothing there that isnt around the place left right and center, not worth the 700 mile round trip

If you can’t beat them, join them! (As my own ‘positive’ Leuchars thread seems to be destined for oblivion I’ll re-post my thoughts here.)

This was my first Leuchars show and I’m very glad that I made the 860 mile round trip. On the whole a very good airshow with an interesting flying programme that lasted from 10:15 until 17:30 with a fair few aircraft movement after that.

Particular highlights for me were a breathtakingly moving solo Spitfire display against a perfect powder-blue sky at around 17:00 (thanks from me to the commentator for his silence during this), a spectacular Hunter four-ship display and an extremely poignant series of flypasts by the 111 Squadron Tornado F3, including some spectacular take-offs, flypasts with Typhoon and Spitfire, and a fantastic break-to-land by the four-ship formation; absolutely lovely, but then the F3 bow-out was the whole reason that I went (and I must be about the only Tornado F3 fan on the planet)!

I can’t really comment on the traffic situation; I was car number seven into the white park-and-ride but the first bus got stuck in traffic when we could see the base and after half-an-hour I got off and walked. I wasn’t sure how far it was to the gate (and nor was the driver) but as it happened it was only about 250 yards and by 09:00 I was through security and in.

My only real concern had been the weather and that, after a quick torrent as I was leaving my car, was also breathtakingly good. All in all I thoroughly enjoyed myself and the RAF Leuchars team are to be congratulated especially at a time of budget concerns and operational commitments. Well done to all concerned!

Best year ever for me.We were out of the carpark within 5 minutes of getting to the car,Then out through Tayport and heading north.We were home this year quicker than we got out of the carpark last year.(3 hours +)

It’s the queues that always put me off too – seemed to be much less hassle at Leuchars back in the 1970s, when I usually went by train…

Hi Guys,

I went and we were heading for the red car park which was the one which had to be closed for waterlogging. Consequently we were diverted to the blue park and ride which obviously doubled the cars going there so it was a bit of a nightmare.

I set off walking at 11.00 from around 4 miles away as I still thought the Vulcan was on at 11.45. My sister and family caught up with me at the entrance to blue and we got on around 12.15.Thankfully the Vulcan was late anyway and was the star of a great show.
Regards the send off of the F3 I thought it was done really well.Four F3s doing formation passes followed by HAC Hurri and Spit formation and individual displays then three ship F3 flypast then typhoon and single F3 high speed pass with the F3 pulling vertical into the blue yonder. All four F3s then had a trip around Fife before running in in close formation wings swept breaking to land before taxying back past the crowd for a final farewell wave.
So long F3 I do hope a couple can be saved having spent 5 years at Leeming.

Regards

Jon

Fantastic airshow, good weather, no problems in or out, and yes, I did go to the Leuchars Airshow!
p.s. Ice creams a bit pricey though…

Don’t think there was much worth seeing anyway.[/QUOTE]

Na, not much to see. Just the Vulcan, BBMF, Red Arrows, Blades, F86A, F3 with Typhoon and Spitfire,2 F16 displays, GR4 tactical demo and a four ship Hunter display. Wish I’d stayed at home and washed the car.

Leuchars was a gamble this year, some got in and out OK, others not so….. I parked in the Guardbridge (blue) park and ride, arriving just after 7.30, I was on the airfield for 8.30 after walking the last half mile when the bus got stuck in traffic in Leuchars village. I left the airfield 2.30 to avoid the rush only to find the carpark had become a swamp……

Weather picked up mid morning, the highlight for me was the reforming ceremony of 6Sqn with Typhoon along with the Tornado, Typhoon and Spitfire formation flypast. Also Leuchars is the only place you can see three complete RAF Phantoms, well worth the 700mlie round trip.

I am glad i stayed at home.
From 2 different groups of people.
From Edinburgh 4-5 hours to get there then 3-4 hours to get home after getting out of a field.
Park and ride fields were waterlogged earlier in the week.

Didn’t go, but there already reports that the traffic was even worse than last year. People gave up after three hours wait still west of Cupar, i.e. nowhere near the park-and-ride.
And yet others will tell you they drove straight in and out – I suspect it is because the constabulary have no real overview of incoming traffic, they panic and the easiest way is to stop everybody !

Don’t think there was much worth seeing anyway.

Weather looks good I let the train take the strain

Leuchars BoB days have always been bad for traffic problems (and I used to live in St Andrews)

Do it by train every year.

Sure you may have a wait at the station on the way out, but if you use the time to take a walk down the static line again, you can get some nice shots in the evening light, before heading to the station where the worst of the crowds have squashed themselves away onto the first trains already.

Ive used park and ride for the past 3 shows and had absolutely no problems with it. Home with my feet up 40 odd miles away before many still daft enough to try and park on the base.

I use the bus to and from Dundee and rarely have problems. When leaving Leuchars I walk down to the bus stop at Guardbridge and never have any problems getting a seat on the bus.

Because of these problems, most of the show is ‘park and ride’ this year bar disabled and online ticket sales!

Hopefully this will make a good change for the enthusiast….

The problem was always that you have a huge volume of traffic on small rural roads. The Police can only do so much, only so many cars can fit onto the space. It’s the on-base snarl ups that cause the problems

One year It took me 4 hours to get out the car park. The next, parking in the same place, leaving at the same time, I was out in 25 minutes. My wife, who was attending in a work capacity was exactly the opposite. (How I laughed the second year!!)

This year they are discouraging onsite parking by jacking up the prices and making it pre-purchase only, so anyone without an onbase ticket will be sent to the P&R sites. This should mean that the Police have much greater control of the flow. My concern is how many buses they have!!

I have a rat-run route through the hniterland of Fife that usually puts me within a mile of the base pretty quickly!

You could always go by train the station is a ten minute walk away and the train ticket is also your admission ticket at least it was in the last year. The weather will be the deciding factor for me.