Flying Legends 2013 details

I think Multi air displays on the same day are a way of getting more participating aircraft, providing they are
A — not too close to each other [competing]
B– weather allows transiting between displays.

It would also give everyone round the UK and nearby Europe a chance to see something different.

Ok Mike J you win.

I’m Oot sorry if my opinions on Flying legends is not to your satisfaction.

In the 80’s and 90’s it was common to find several airshows on the same day. I always thought this was to allow aircraft to appear at several shows and therefore maximize their revenues while keeping the operating costs down?
As to costs. £35 in the current climate is at the point where it is starting to hurt, me at least.
I took four people plus myself. Cost around £170. Then two brochures that’s £12. Then £30 for the flight-line. When you add fuel and food (even considering we took it with us) we are looking at £250 – £300 for a day out.
That’s still a large sum of money from anyone’s pocket.

My opinion of the display. Yes, certainly aircraft attendance down on some previous years and no one real `gem` of an act.
Still liked the display. A nice collection of aircraft. Excellent weather and two happy teenagers (plus we made a visit to Madingly).
So far this is the only display I have attended this year.

Only downside. Being stung an extra £10 on the gate and no noticing.

Let me explain something about this ‘competition’ thing that you are so worried about rafmatt.

There is a way that this can be overcome. I used to think that the solution was some kind of black magic or other work of the devil, but after much research I found out that they had discovered something called ‘flying’. This allows aircraft to be, not quite in several places at exactly the same time, but it does allow them to display at several events on the same afternoon. If you look at photos online, you will see that the Spitfire XVI, Buchon, Swordfish and Sea Fury were all at Yeovilton AND Legends on Saturday. Clever, eh?

And as for the BBMF, they claim to do the same thing, but having seen the lists of multiple events they display at each and every weekend, I’m utterly convinced that they really have invented some type of teleport device! 🙂

Well in that case how many Warbird operators get invited and how many decline?
And what I meant was competition from Airshows on at the same time. Past years have been RIAT and this year was Yeovilton.

It would take the perfect storm of an Airshow not conflicting with Legends. Aircraft to be 100% Serviceable and operators accepting the invitation to join the party.
If we had all them variables then imagine the possibility of the attendance.

And how on earth would you finance it? I heard mutterings that £35 is getting towards the top end of what people are prepared to pay.

You seem to be missing the point. Operators do not ‘send’ aircraft to Legends. They are invited.

And how is it ‘losing a lot of Warbird operators to other competition’? I wasn’t aware of any other major Warbird shows on the scale of Legends taking place on the same weekend, or on any other weekend for that matter.

Personally I think Legends is losing a lot of Warbird operators to other competition.
Surely Legends is the Airshow that if your a Warbird operator you would send all your aircraft too to be showcased?

Imagine the line up if all the Warbird operators in the UK sent their aircraft? And we also has participation of at least a few foreign operators?

We would have at least.
20 Spitfires.
6 Hurricanes
8 Mustangs
4 P40’s
6 Me109’s
3 Corsairs
3 Skyraiders
2 B25’s
2 Catalinas
1 A26 Invader
2 Junkers Ju52’s
4 Corsairs
3 Sea Fury’s
2 Avengers
2 Wildcats
1 Hellcat
1 Bearcat
1 FW190
1 P47
1 B17
1 Curtis Hawk

And God knows how many DC3’s and whatever else people had.

I’m taking all these of Wiki so how accurate they are is unknown.
Perhaps one year we will get this sort of attendance would be an awesome sight of 40 plus warbirds all in the balbo together.
But we would then have the problem of having enough pilots to fly them.

The Avenger was the real highlight for me this year – a terrific display for such a big aircraft. It’s been a good few years since we last saw the North Weald based one fly. Is this actually the same aircraft – I seem to remember it being said that it had moved to France?

Another question: What will happen in a couple of years time when we (hopefully) have at least one Gannet on the circuit? Will the ‘no jets’ rule apply or will it sneak an invite on the grounds that it (a) sort of looks like a warbird and (b) has a prop?

I have been to Legends 6 times now. Coming from Norway, this weekend of flying is simply fantastic. There is no such thing as a warbird show in my country, we’d be lucky to see a couple of them at any kind of show we get. Which is not very often.
You Brits certainly are lucky in that matter, being able to choose between a variety of air shows every year. I have noticed that the last 2 years there have been fewer aeroplanes attending, I guess this is because of the current economic situation in Europe.
For me there has always been at least one new type to see at Legends. This year it was the Avenger and the Storch, which I missed last year. I loved the comment by Mr Chabbert on that one, where he wondered why they started making helicopters :highly_amused:
Flying Legends will be a on my “to do list” for as long as I am able to og. Perhaps the Beaufighter will fly one day? A Mosquito? Having been introduced to the world of warbirds by Pierre Clostermann’s “the big show” all those years ago, my dream is to see a Hawker Tempest
in the air. If that happens, I am sure it will be at Duxford. Dreams, I know…..
Be it 5 Sptifires or 13 Spitfires, Flying Legends is a truly great air show.

I suggest then, DCK, that since the lack of Spitfires is obviously still an issue for you, that you have strong words with M. Jacquard for having the temerity to allow his aircraft to be damaged the week before Legends, just to spoil your fun. And as for your “if we count in the BBMF” comment, it is a Spitfire, and it flew at the show. Are we not supposed to count it for some bizarre reason?

Pass the saucer of milk…

7 Spitfires plus BBMF’s TE311 on Saturday, and TA805 flew in the days leading up to the show (I believe it was there as a back-up for EP120 for The Horsemen). Also John Romain flew a nice display in P9374 on Friday, so we had 10 Spitfires flying over the space of 3 days or so, and there would have been an 11th had one of the BBMF’s 19s not had a brake problem on the Sunday. I think that is plenty of Spitfires for one weekend!

Well in that case, if you count in the BBMF, the previous Legends had ten plus Spitfires. My point still stand. Friday is not show day. There were less than normal, that’s a fact. If that makes the show less interesting or perhaps MORE interesting is a different matter.

7 Spitfires plus BBMF’s TE311 on Saturday, and TA805 flew in the days leading up to the show (I believe it was there as a back-up for EP120 for The Horsemen). Also John Romain flew a nice display in P9374 on Friday, so we had 10 Spitfires flying over the space of 3 days or so, and there would have been an 11th had one of the BBMF’s 19s not had a brake problem on the Sunday. I think that is plenty of Spitfires for one weekend!

I made my “debut” at Legends this year and I loved every minute of it. From earlier comments I understand that it may have been a “lesser” show than previous ones, but for me, a Dutchy, it was an outright success.
The commentor did not bother me. In Holland, we have to make do with two total nitwits at the airshows….. Only thing which could improve is a transit bus to the Whittlesford parking station…

I brought along a few newgoers as well, and they were in awe. They didn’t notice if it was a bit thinner than normal. How could they? It’s all relative this stuff. I said “only six Spitfires” a few pages back and some guy got annoyed. I said “only” because it’s lower than normal. Compared to a random European show, or let’s say a Swedish show, six Spits are heaven. However “only six Spitfires” is a relative term as Legends usually fill up with around 8-9. In the end, we got seven. Wonder why the Kent Spit didn’t fly though?

Also wonder where all the Hurris have gone. Vachers, Monks, Shuttleworths and HAC’s Hurris were nowehere to be seen. They could have broken some kind of Hurricane record this year. However, we live in tight financial times. It’s not a complaint, but rather a reflection on the state of Legends.

So surprised to see ML407 fly, it was the highlight for me. I had been waiting to see it for so long flying at Legends.

I made my “debut” at Legends this year and I loved every minute of it. From earlier comments I understand that it may have been a “lesser” show than previous ones, but for me, a Dutchy, it was an outright success.
The commentor did not bother me. In Holland, we have to make do with two total nitwits at the airshows….. Only thing which could improve is a transit bus to the Whittlesford parking station…

Im sure they used to play something by Elgar while the balbo was forming up during the early years which stirred the emotion, they should bring that back (or Aces High by Iron Maiden).

Id started to get bored with Duxford shows as they can be samey, this year we went to Chino and i wont moan about Duxford again, the warbirds tended to make two or three level passes in the same direction, it doesnt matter what you see at Duxford, when you are that close you can feel the engines appreciate it as not every where is like this.

By how some of you talk about Chabbert, I’m surprised you managed to watch the display at all

Over here we watch with our eyes – our ears do something else…

😉

As a regular attender of Legends I have to say I enjoyed my frazzled day on the Tank Bank on Sunday. Maybe not a vintage Legends, but we live in difficult times and given the eye-watering expense of operating warbirds, I think we should be very thankful that there are people in the world like Stephen Grey who can indulge their passion, and share it with us all. My thanks to all the aircrew, engineers, ground staff and volunteers for making it all happen so smoothly and safely….and I happen to like Le Chabbert and his Gallic commentary. No one will replace Roger Hoeffling for English sang-froid but Bernard is not afraid to try and evoke the sheer romance, fun, and sacrifice of flying and I think he succeeds. Others clearly differ. If they don’t want to attend, well it’s their loss, I think.
Thank you Joker, for making it possible and enjoy your flying.

By how some of you talk about Chabbert, I’m surprised you managed to watch the display at all