Is it just me ?

I first went to IAT at Greenham in 1978. Although I was only 8 at greatly impressed me and I eagily awated the next one. Of course in those days it was every two years and it was the only time you saw aircraft from outside NATO at a airshow. Over the years with the moves to fairford,Boscombe Down etc the magic has slowley dissapated. Aircraft like the Vulcan,Lightning etc disseapeared and safty rules got tougher. The flying display consisted of the same types of aircraft doing the same thing. They were either A: display teams,B: fast jets or C:helicopters of trainers lost in a two mile crowd line. So I began leaving the show earlier and earlier because the flying was boring. The static just turned into a line up of F16’s, Tornados etc all looking pretty much the same. So after about 1995 I stoped going and just went to the Monday departures. This suited me better as a spotter just getting the numbers in the book. I didn’t bother with Cottersmoore and didn’t bother last year with Farnborough being on my door step at the same time.
However this year I returned coutysey of a cheap ticket. The 100 years of flight exhibition was the best show I have ever been to. The aircraft were exciting, the layout well thought out and I felt like I did all those years ago at Greenham. If next year returns to rown of F16’s etc I will stay at home.
I would like to see the show go back to basics. Firstly go biannual again, or perhaps have a IAT orginased smaller show in the north/Scotland every 2nd year. Get rid of the corporate image and tents. Go for quality and not quanity, say no more than 5 of the same type in static. Some new themes are needed, how about trainers or VIP and communications aircraft(French AF Jodels and Spanish AF Barons please).Cost is another problem. I can’t remember how much the Greenham shows were but we were able to afford to go both days as we were not a well off family. Is the show now simply a money making exercise??
And in general more of a wider based show like this year with a corner of the static always for historic aircraft. We should be able to have the best of both worlds on a massive site like Fairford.
Rant over:rolleyes: .

Re: Re: Is it just me ?

Originally posted by Willow
From who, exactly? I’ve read (and posted) nothing but praise for this years event.

Willow

Typical isn’t it. Every time I open my big mouth. Since I posted this remark all but one post have been complaints. You just can’t win sometimes:(

Willow

And I had a crash in my car on the way out. The other driver was a very very tired Doctor who had been on duty at the airshow. He simply pulled out in front of me at a junction without checking for oncoming traffic.

Only been to RIAT once, the first Cottesmore one. Never again. Too expensive, too big, too modern, too much chaos getting in and out.
But – this is the historic forum, what do you expect?

I do leave RIOT out of my life, too many grey things with flames coming out of their backsides for my liking, seen one you’ve seen them all. Other than that there are dangerous looking things with no wings and a propellor on the top, you can keep all of those as well. I’ll stick to looking at world war two’s left over airframes, at least they have some character to them.

That’s really funny. Good on you Yak 11. I’m not kidding either. That made me laugh. Your wording is just so funny.

Flying display dull. Too many F16’s and Tornado’s. Still guess they had to stetch it out with something. Shame they didn’t fly some Hunters, the meatbox, sea vixen etc. Display was poor compared with last year. 100 yrs display closed too early though. see RIAT 2003 thread.:mad:

ww2 Relics indeed….. show me a mustanng,spit or hurri anytime.Classic planes.Never beaten!

AND WHERE IS XH558! GET HER FLYING AGAIN ASAP

I thought the flying display was a bit dull compared to previous years. Certainly should have been a bit more lively considering the 100 years theme.

Did enjoy the A10 demo and the Mirage though,.apparently he pulled +10.7g and -6g! both captured on minicam for the DVD

Re: Is it just me ?

Originally posted by Plazz
Is it just me or does the RIAT get a rough deal on this forum ?

From who, exactly? I’ve read (and posted) nothing but praise for this years event.

Willow

Hi

For what it is worth, my thoughts on RIAT. I must say that I really enjoyed the airshow this year. After last years hassle with traffic jams, security queue’s and the like I vowed never again, but once I saw the plans for the show I changed my mind (weak willed!!). Flew in on Saturday in the BA 747-400, after a few delays due to the problems with BA ground staff at Heathrow, and spent most of the afternoon display camped out at the eastern end of the runway, by the taxiway from the flightline.

The static at Fairford has always been a bit hit and miss in terms of getting decent pictures. They have had some great aircraft in the past but too often there is a bouncy castle in the background. I was pleased that the centenary of flight exhibition was not spoiled like that, and it was great to see some of the museum exhibits that they had arranged. My personal favourites were the SR53 and the Lightning T5…..though all the aircraft were interesting. The only problem with Fairford is the distance you have to walk to see all the aircraft, I think that it has got too big for day visit.

I would highly recommend the departure day to anyone. I got there at 07:00 and was able to sit by the taxiway, all the spaces at the intersection of the taxiway and runway were filled by the first people in. From 08:30 until I left at 16:00 it was pretty much constant movements (formations and single ships), and I was able to get good shots of all the aircraft with a 70-300mm lens. I left after the two B-1’s had departed one after the other, there were still a/c to depart but I wanted to get home. I was quite amusing at one point to have Tornado’s, C-130’s, a DC-4 and the Jordanian Extra team all in the same queue. Took far too many pictures, but what the hell!

At the end of the day we are lucky in the UK, in the space of four weekends I have managed to go see RAF fast jets at Waddington, two Lightnings running at Bruntingthorpe, the warbirds at Duxford and then Fairford. All were good, but for different reasons. Time for a relax through August I think!!!

Chris

I have only been to about four or five (R)IATs in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Back then the price of the event wasn’t as astronomically as it is today, but after the great impression it gave me in the early years, the massality of the whole thing made me loose appetite for such events.

Also, and i’m going to sound like an arrogant SOB here, i think the IAT can be blamed for ‘aircraft devaluation.’ It’s an anorak-thingie, but i do think there is a difference in having seen a Ukrainian Backfire while sogging up some extra vinegar with your chip and drinking a can of warm Foster’s, or having seen that very same Backfire while hoping your Lada doesn’t get stuck in the raspu****a (=the stickiest, soggiest, heaviest mud imaginable) near Poltava. Sure, it’s absolutely great to see rare aircraft for real. But for me, the whole atmosphere surrounding a certain aircraft is lost when put on a massive show like the (R)IAT. A Jordanian Mirage is great – but it would be even greater with a sandstorm in the background.

Equally, i can imagine that piston-people prefer to see a Hurricane in the background of that Blenheim, in stead of an F-117.

Again, don’t get me wrong: i think the RIAT does a great job in bringing large numbers of aircraft to a public event, some of those aircraft being particularly interesting/rare/exotic. And i definately love it that i have seen an operational Skywarrior (yes it’s a parrafine thing, but it’s old too) at Fairford in 1991. In hindsight, i would have preferred seeing it at Rota, a carrier, or just as an odd surprise when boring myself do death during some lame day spent planespotting.

Well I have to say that I wasn’t originally going to go. The on-the-day ticket price and prospects of huge crowds, invisible flight line hiding behind bouncy castles and grandstands, and hours spent sitting in traffic both coming in and going out again were all far too much for me to contemplate. Amazing how a free ticket can change ones mind though. 😀

So I did go on Sunday, and I have to say that I was surprised at a number of things.

Firstly, getting in was a breeze compared to previous years. We arrived at about 7am, and after going to get our passes we managed to get straight in. By 7.30 we were parked and walking off to our base camp in the 100 years of flight exhibition. So far so good.

The crowds were also much easier to get through, and we all felt that there were far fewer people there than the last time we visited.

Also, a pint of bitter was only £2.50 – you’d be paying more than that on a night out!

The bouncy castles and grandstands were still there, although they didn’t seem to be as widespread as the last time I went. The bouncy castles, and in particular that big blue monstrosity right on the crowd line to the west of the grandstands, are a huge bugbear of mine – if people want to bounce, put the bloody things out at the back somewhere, and not in the way of the flying! 😡

Other than that though, I thought the 100 years of flight thing was very well laid out, the flying was of a very high – and SAFE – standard, and the weather was good enough for me to burn yet another layer of skin off my forehead.

So my verdict is an overall thumbs up. 🙂

I’ve been to many IAT’s and RIAT’s as well and have to say there have been some excellent ones and some quite poor ones (2002 being a prime example).However, they have changed , no, become stale. The days when peole were clamouring at the fence because something unique or very rare was due in seem to have gone ( having said that , arrivals days still have the best atmosphere of the whole event). Remember the very first Bear arrival, fantastic, the speculation , the waiting, the constant scanning of the skies with bino’s, the SW radio messages, the delays and then there she was with escorts in all her glory – great times. The same goes for many other rare aircraft over the years, Backfire,F100,B2,B24, SR71 and so on.
Its horses for courses and of course you dont have to go, but there is something for everyone, for instance Monday was great value for money , if you are intersted in watching take offs only that is (suited me as I take lots of record shots).

I’m with Lancman on this one. I attended every IAT / RIAT from No.1 at North Weald until the second Cottesmore show. I doubt I’ll go again – nice aeroplanes, but it is just too big and expensive and for me, has no character

A few people have said to me and I agree, about how a “100 years of flight” flypast could have been staged.
From the fabric and string gems through to the Vampire and Meatbox, and right onto the present day Typhoon and B2.

M

For me, avoiding RIAT has nothing to do with the airframe content generally or it’s no doubt very commendable charity aims-I simply don’t enjoy the huge scale of the thing, the massive traffic problems, the huge costs, the cesspit bogs, etc etc.

WW2 left overs indeed! :rolleyes:

I thought this years RIAT was an excellnt show. Plenty for everyone. Whether you like Military or Historic aircraft, it was there. Even a few civil aircraft thrown it. 😀

The only problem that I found with it was that there seemed to be such a long delay in between each flying display, which after it happening for the 5th time it got rather tedious, so I decided not to watch the displays, and to walk round and take photos of the static aircraft… which I found to be just a fun.

Other that the flying, theres no faulting this years show… something for everyone, no doubt about it!

I do leave RIOT out of my life, too many grey things with flames coming out of their backsides for my liking, seen one you’ve seen them all. Other than that there are dangerous looking things with no wings and a propellor on the top, you can keep all of those as well. I’ll stick to looking at world war two’s left over airframes, at least they have some character to them.

Now where did I leave that Mustang

I’m with Plazz on this one, the line up is displayed on the website for a long time in advance. If you don’t like what’s on there – don’t buy a ticket. We are lucky in this country to have a diversity within the airshow season : Old Warden, Kemble, Legends, Helidays at Weston super mare, Bruntingthorpe open days….. RIAT is just one show of many. I went on saturday and had a great time – hell there was even a guiness bar at the bottom end:) 🙂 🙂 . Can’t beat a drop of the black stuff while your ears take a hammering!

chomp chomp.

Brave man Plazz, brave man.
I think you may have just stuck the old neck out a bit there, but hey theres nothing like lively debate is there.
My understanding of RIAT is that it aims to make as much money for the RAFBE as possible by what ever means and I should imagine its pretty successfull in that respect.
As for presenting modern airarms, not sure thats fully its mandate it has always contained an element of GA, historic , civil, display teams (far too many) and of course modern hardware. Yes the emphasis is toward modern military but thats probably because its at one of the only locations in the uK capable of staging such an event therefore it can cover a wider range.
I dont think using ‘WWII left overs ‘ as a term is a smart move on this forum, still lets see who bites.
Good luck
Phil