RIAT 2009

I went to Fairford today and thought other uses might like to know what to expect on Sunday. I went down by coach from Gloucester. The traffic was queing from Cirencester and Down Ampney. I other words traffic it was building up as it left the trunk routes. But it was only for short distances as traffic approached junctions. Police at all junctions kept things moving. We arrived on the Airfield in plenty of time for the start of flying. Parking was on site, as it was for the public since 9/11. Sniffer dogs was used to search cars at random. Security searches of every one entering the site was the most compleat I have known it. G4S security officers checked you with their wands, every beep was investigated. RAF personel did the bag searches, every nook and cranny was checked.

The Airshow was good and the weather was excelent if rather blustery. The show could have done with more varity, we had 3 F/A-18 displays and 2 Grippen displays! The highlights was the R.N. 100 YEARS flypast. Only the RNHF Chipmunk and DHA Sea Vixen was the only historic aircraft in the flypast. I noticed that a lot of RNHF aircraft was listed as cancelations on the RIAT website. I enjoyed seeing the 2 Harriers from the Naval strike wing in the flypast.
The STAR of the show was XH558 THE VULCAN! NOT ONLY MY OPPINION. But I saw the VULCAN FACTOR in action, as she taxied out for departure the public came from all points, the crowd line was packed 50 deep in seconds.
It was good to hear Sean Moffat do a spot commentating at Fairford again for the Vulcan display.
Also in genral RIAT I feel is missing Seans commentry and production team.

Leaving the site was a doddle with minimum queing and once off site the traffic was heavy with a little waiting but mostly moving. We took a diferent route as directed by traffic control. Once clear of the Village of Fairford we a free run almost all the way home.