Cockpit-Fest 2015 – 13th & 14th June 2015

The photo question has now been resolved – without resorting to external photo hosting sites.

A few pictures from Cockpit-Fest 2015 can be found in here.

While some pictures from the Victory Days event can be found in here.

Just get an Instagram account like everyone else 🙂

Some good questions there!

The new museum website (uploaded in early 2015) is a CMS based site and at the moment it does not host multiple photo galleries like the old one. As a result there has not been a specific Cockpit-Fest gallery this year, so far.

The same situation applies to the Victory Days event coverage.

I believe that the website provider is trying to alter this situation, but I have no idea if and when this might be resolved. This seems to be one of the few issues with the new site, which I understand attracted several positive comments in the VAQAS assessment last week.

To in part compensate for this ‘gap’ extra coverage is being provided in the next NAM newsletter, which is due out early next month. When printed I hope to persuade them to also mail out copies (printed or PDF files) to anyone who is interested.

The busy summer has taken some focus off getting the website sorted as quickly as planned, but I’m sure things will be sorted soon.

Hi Howard,

I’ve been getting a mail from someone for around 3 weeks now after regularly searching the museum site asking where are the museum pics of this year’s Fest?

Also, I haven’t had a chance to look due to an e-mail back log but are there any museum web posts for the 1940’s event and how did it go as I had an event clash back then.

Ah cheers Howard 🙂 I can’t believe I didn’t take any photo’s!!! lol . . .

I have sent you one picture via email! 🙂

Afternoon all . . just a quickie before I head off for my well deserved lunch!! There are a few superb photo’s here of this years event, but anyone got more to add?? Or a link to some?? Can’t find too much using Mr Google either 🙁 I own the HS125/Dominie and foolishly never got round to taking any pics myself!! hence on the lookout . . . 🙂

A thank you to all who displayed. Not a small undertaking to move a cockpit across the UK and I hope those exhibited enjoyed the event as much as many of the visitors clearly did.

Indeed. We are all interested in aviation, to to see each others different projects: small/large/civil/military/modern/old is a treat for all.

A thank you to all who displayed. Not a small undertaking to move a cockpit across the UK and I hope those exhibited enjoyed the event as much as many of the visitors clearly did.

Well done David – I hope you made it back in time for the van drop off! 😉

Also well done to everyone else and thank you all for your support and involvement!! :applause:

I was 1hr late back, but worth it! 😀

Well done David – I hope you made it back in time for the van drop off! 😉

Also well done to everyone else and thank you all for your support and involvement!! :applause:

Here is the Hornet F1 cockpit displayed at this years Cockpit-Fest.

Big Thanks again to NAM for a Great event…. Shame about the whether… As good as it was to see the 2nd APU run off the day on the Saturday…. It’s worth a mention when JR. Checks the aircraft to check the OM-15 Hyd fluid too as it must have been very embarrassing when he went to close the bomb doors and the two guys underneath started pushing them shut… You could tell the fluid was low without checking the res as before start up the bomb doors had been left open from the 1st demo and had sagged… The ex Vulcan pilot who was standing with me and had flown that vulcan many times picked up on the same thing too before the run… Not a dig just pointing out in the interest of the Aircraft.

I’ll forward the info over to our former Vulcan Crew Chief.

I understand from conversations overheard on Sunday that a previous non-documented mod to the hydraulics (supposedly to resolve a similar issue many years ago) may itself now be feeding back on the emergency hydraulic system. :confused:

Cockpit Fest USA August 29-31 2014 / C.FEST 2015, NAM / Damyn’s

Here’s how they do it in the States, from 2014 below – are there any image uploads to the NAM site yet to promote it or any u-tubes of it maybe? Looks a bit squeaky clean in the U.S. hangar version (look at the shine on that floor, you could eat your chilli-con off it!) and quite a few exhibits are more flight-deck projects than proper cockpits due to their major cutting, nothing seems to be done along the lines of the superb complimentary table displays the British Fest provides.

I think our Fest also looks much more like a community with a support and pitch-in together and enjoy yourself approach, the U.S. event comes across as very clinical and staid – no chance of a museum member there bringing his 1972 platform shoes, Marc Bolam scarf and t-shirt to interact with a table display against a great tailored soundtrack as well either I’d say! British is best!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNlz6Ui6tsc

Fuel isn’t an issue re Damyn’s as its paid for as mentioned, but we all appreciate that health and family can take priority. I can’t worry about canopies even though Sea Hawk one are rare however, as something like this needs to be shown where financially possible.

Its partly a post-Fest blues effect I suppose but its also tiredness while reflecting on the enormous effort that goes into the displays and cockpits, only to see them out for public view once a year. It just seems ridiculous to make such a commitment for such a limited audience. Mine took around 6 months but other table displays took the whole year to create.

Even allowing for the rain, understandable health issues, date clashes and family commitments etc it seems crazy and uneconomic that all that massive effort is shown only at one venue to a modest footfall. If any other forces shows are available to piggy-back on for another table display then I’ll try to show the Hawker display again while I’ll plan a slightly smaller production next year.

I’m very surprised at the lack of Post-Fest comment so far in general from many of the people who made so many great displays and cockpit commitments this year, but maybe they’re still recovering also – I know I still ache after Sunday night! Time to play Johnny Winter’s ‘Ring the Bell’ again this evening before retiring – but only after microwaving 2 spuds and a tin of chilli-con! Rock on:cool:.

Pully, thanks for posting pictures!

Totally agree with David, Rich and Max – as well as all the obvious things mentioned, i’m sure lots of fellow cockpit owners get inundated with requests to participate from all over the place. Far from not being bothered, I think we all have to balance event’s and our private life’s as well as cost and distance. Speaking for myself, in the last year alone, i’ve been averaging almost one event a month!! And it’s looking like that for the next few months as well . . . Towing these things over distance’s can be slightly terrifying as well as quite rewarding (seeing peoples faces on the motorways for example lol . . ) so heading on looooong journeys is not something i’m overly keen to do on a regular basis – although there were a few of us who did start to plan a trip down south, sadly a few of us had other commitments.

Think I know what you mean and probably using the word bothered my not have been the best wording, but sure you’ll be aware, it does take quite a bit of time and planning to restore one of these things, it also takes quite a bit of time and planning taking them to places as well 🙂

Cheers all . . . .

Sorry but that’s just not true, it’s just the only one most cockpit owners can be bothered to attend.

There is, or was an annual event at or near Hooton Park. I’ve never been to that one so I can’t comment on it.

There is the event at Damyns Hall where they are very keen to attract cockpit owners, they’ll even pay petrol costs, but only two or three cockpit owners seem able to get off their backsides and go there. I can see there might be a problem with distance for some but this will be less of a problem for others. If a tank owner can spend hundreds of pounds and take two or three days each way to get there and back why can’t we put in a little effort. This could be a complementary event to cockpitfest but spread the word to a much wider audience. I don’t know the figures for Newark but at Damyns Hall it’s nearly 20,000 people and going by experience last year they’re all respectful of the cockpits. They don’t have baked potato and free beer but the beer is cheap and the entertainment, free and exclusive to exhibitors, is outstanding.

The hobby/movement needs more exposure, Newark is good for the North, Damyns Hall is good for the south.

Actually I would happily support Damyns Hall and other events aswell as Newark, as they are much closer to home but it has not been possible owing to diary clashes to date.

I have supported 4 reunion events at Salisbury Hall, as well as 8 Newarks over the past 10 years.

I’m sure I speak for many saying It’s nothing to do with “not being bothered”.

Re the comment – but only two or three cockpit owners seem able to get off their backsides and go there.

As a cockpit owner / displayer, the bigest problem we have is the wear and tear that the cockpit takes being towed along British roads. I know that at least two cockpits recieved damage on the way to Newark this year, ours and a jet cockpit, both to the canopies. These cockpits are our pride and joys, we put hundreds of man hours into there restoration, not to mention the price of parts, paint etc, so that we might share them with others. But we also have lives to live, wive’s, children, homes and jobs that all need our time as well.

Then there is the cost to us in going to events, we always spend far to much, there’s acomodation (my health prety much rules out camping these days), petrol, where and tear on our car etc, it realy is a very big commitment to us to attend events.

Ourselves, we are asked to attend many events each year, but we can only manage so much, and unfortunatly most displays are during our all to short summer months, when families and homes put the biggest demand on our spare time. We would love to be able to do every event we are asked to attend, but it just isn’t possible. Sorry.

Big Thanks again to NAM for a Great event…. Shame about the whether… As good as it was to see the 2nd APU run off the day on the Saturday…. It’s worth a mention when JR. Checks the aircraft to check the OM-15 Hyd fluid too as it must have been very embarrassing when he went to close the bomb doors and the two guys underneath started pushing them shut… You could tell the fluid was low without checking the res as before start up the bomb doors had been left open from the 1st demo and had sagged… The ex Vulcan pilot who was standing with me and had flown that vulcan many times picked up on the same thing too before the run… Not a dig just pointing out in the interest of the Aircraft.

Hello Geremy, I’ll do my best re future Vulcan APU runs; it was mentioned briefly on the NAM website and a couple of tweets when out on 2nd June when it was test-run ready for Cockpit-Fest.

Lots of other Vulcan related items currently being prepared; one mentioned in here!