IWM Duxford – A good Airshow Venue??

Yes, I went to Bentwaters once. Several shows at Mildenhall – the best of all. Alconbury and Upper Heyford as well.

Woodbridge is Army Air Corps and Royal Engineers, I think.

Charlie, I remember the Bentwaters show, great days but now the nuvo locals do not like aeroplanes,

I still see Bentwaters a good venue, to reminder Charlie.

and what about WOODBRIDGE ? is it still there?

My memory only goes back to one I went to, around 25yrs ago. My abiding memory is of parking marshalls getting us parked.
When it was time to leave there were none to be seen. With endless queues of cars trying to funnel through one small gate.

Which was one of the complaints about Sunday, wasn’t it? I am not sure if I’m looking back through rose-tinted spectacles but my recollection of the US shows I attended in the late 60s , 70s and early 80s were of very well organised marshalling.

I wouldn’t consider going to any airshow these days in the car – I always go on my motorbike. I was out of East Kirkby on Sunday within ten minutes.

Alan – there were no marquees at the Autumn shows, no enclosures and a very reduced number of trade stalls. There were always visiting aircraft in the programme including the Belgian and/or Dutch F16 notably. The flying programme started at 1.30 and ended at 4.30 I seem to recall.

My memory only goes back to one I went to, around 25yrs ago. My abiding memory is of parking marshalls getting us parked.
When it was time to leave there were none to be seen. With endless queues of cars trying to funnel through one small gate.

re;

I never use a car, better to park up and walk a couple of miles from Fowlmere. Or get a shuttlebus from Cambridge…

Ive only been twice(legends 2011 and legends this year)we stayed at the holiday inn behind the red lion both times,and to be honest most airshows down here(Australia)could learn a thing or two about how to run and how to get people out of an airshow ….duxford was a dream(yes i walked there and back) but watching the car controllers it looked very easy to get in and out(one Avalon airshow we hadnt got of the field after an hour had passed)…i took my wife this year and even she was impressed by the way it worked!!!!

Ive been going for many years and had very few problems but this year couldn’t get in despite leaving home early. A505 was solid from Royston-so went to Trumpington and joined the queue for the bus there. We were soon told no more allowed in unless holding tickets.
I hadn’t booked in advance as I had to stay a night in hospital during the preceding week-and always possible that it could have been extended etc with complications (fortunately none on this occasion).
What with the vagaries of the British weather/heavy rain and so on-to buy advanced tickets would see an outlay of over a £100 for my family group-most of whom would not have wished to be there in those conditions.

It would seem sensible to me to also have a park and ride facility at the Royston end too? I vaguely recall they used to have one there at one time-or am I thinking of somewhere else.
Also -why dont they have an online ticket facility-ie like Little Gransden-where you paid online and printed your ticket just like you might do with on line check in for low cost airlines.
That way they would know well in advance how ticket sales were doing-and you could make a late check on the weather?

I go early and stay late, I also use a motorcycle from time to time which seems to allow a very brisk entry and a brisk exit, I know this way is not available to all but it takes up very little space once in.
All in all Duxford does very well so a big pat on the back to those who run airshows these days as Elf n Savetee cause such mega problems and financial implications on any airshow and that is excluding the flight side of things.
So where would make for the perfect airshow? I will start anoth thread on the subject so as not to detract from this one 🙂

I have been to pretty much every major show at Duxford in the last 10+ years and I went on Saturday and I will point one finger for the traffic problem on getting out was caused by the car parking people who stopped the flow of traffic far too often and had extra traffic lights between the Mitsubishi garage and the main entrance which just made things worse.

This is the only time I have ever spent longer than 15 minutes getting out and normally it works fine and the museum has good access it is just the one way traffic system that causes issues, as I said on the diary thread I did notice a lack of police presence which normally Spurs things on but not this time.

Curlyboy

Alan – there were no marquees at the Autumn shows, no enclosures and a very reduced number of trade stalls. There were always visiting aircraft in the programme including the Belgian and/or Dutch F16 notably. The flying programme started at 1.30 and ended at 4.30 I seem to recall.

I think it is a very good venue. Given its location Isee no way to ease the congestion on entry and exit. I admit that I was in the queue from 0745 on Sunday but was parked by 0830. Getting out took me less time than getting out after Legends so yes it is variable, but as was mentioned earlier that is accepted as part of attending Duxford airshows.

I left Dx one evening & went back to Cambs. When I turned off the M11 I discovered a freshly abandoned rear axle sitting right in the middle of the road with smoke coming from a hole in the Dif. Both wheels still attached, a short length of driveshaft & one leaf spring. No sign of any vehicle on the road or off to the side in either direction. One of lifes great mysteries…

………One of the issues with the single day shows was the cost of setting up the supporting infrastructure – marquees, traffic control, security and other facilities…………

As I recall, the Autumn air day, was only for aircraft based at Duxford ?

They could run a show without all of the marquees, and private viewing areas on the flightline. With any trade vehicles
back near the hangars. Just guarantee that as many of the resident aircraft will fly as is possible. They would still make
their money on the entrance tickets, food and trade concessions.

You could still make it a two day event. How about a Friday and Saturday ?, to give people who are on holiday more
of a chance of seeing some flying.
Lots of people manage to get to airshows held on days other than Saturday and Sunday.
Clacton- Eastbourne- Channel Islands- for instance.

I have no detailed knowledge of the road network surrounding the Duxford airfield and this year was my first time there to attend Legends. Drove up from Durley on the Thursday and it was a nightmare. Police operations, accidents, vans on fire. At one stage Trevor turned to me and said that I was now officially a “Pom” as every Pom had been caught in traffic snarles on the London Ring Road (Cannot remember its number). I can imagine that the location suffers from its fair share of traffic delays etc (being a traffic engineer there are probably a lot of things that could be done if you threw enough money at it) but…. for those problems to be fixed, if they are few and far between and only at the big shows – its not cost effective. I admit I loved just looking at the countryside during the trip. If you think Duxford has problems spare a thought for those who attended – and those who tried to attend – the RNZAF 75th Anniversary at Ohakea. There are many who sat for hour, after hour after hour and did not get anywhere near the base…….

For me Duxford is a brilliant venue. Wonderful backdrop, history by the bucket load, and atmosphere that you can ‘feel’, magnificent flying displays by the rarest of machines, static displays to fill in hours after the flying is finished, merchandising tents with an array of books, prints etc that would send me broke very quickly without the highest level of restraint, great people doing the organising from TFC and IWM – and I really do know what it takes to put on something like Legends. I know that you are looking into the sun for photography, perhaps the crowd location is not the best but name one country where the airfield was purpose built for the benefit of people at air displays rather than aircraft operations…. Duxford is magical to me and it was a ‘bucket-list” show to attend. I would have sat in traffic for many more hours just for the privilege of being there…. and you guys have it all year – every year ! Lucky ******s !

You could drop her at a bus stop into Cambridge. She’d be happy all day!!;)

Trouble is, she’d want me to be with her. Knowing I was having a miserable time 🙁

Yes I do agree. And I am sure that no reason has ever been given. I assumed it was not a cost effective show. A great shame as it always had a lovely atmosphere – it was often my favourite show. Yes, you have to turn left but a quick about turn at Thriplow brings you back East very quickly.

One of the issues with the single day shows was the cost of setting up the supporting infrastructure – marquees, traffic control, security and other facilities. More economical to do it over two days, hence 3 x 2 day events. A bigger risk with the weather in October as well. I have been attending Duxford air shows since the 1970’s (boy and man) and it still has the same old magic. It has had to evolve – no opportunities to fire real guns anymore and a substantially reduced contribution from the armed forces but more museum buildings and displays plus some wonderful vintage aircraft. I saw 4 Spitfire Mk I’s flying this summer and two Lancaster’s – incredible.

Lobster

Lobster

Yes I do agree. And I am sure that no reason has ever been given. I assumed it was not a cost effective show. A great shame as it always had a lovely atmosphere – it was often my favourite show. Yes, you have to turn left but a quick about turn at Thriplow brings you back East very quickly.

I have never seen a reason given for the discontinuing of the Autumn Air day. I went to most over the last 20 years and usually drove straight in from the M11 at around 8.30. Only bugbear was getting out I had to turn left onto the A505 and turn round at the Fowlmere turning to get back to the M11. Size of the crowd and the airshow content was just right.
mmitch.

You could drop her at a bus stop into Cambridge. She’d be happy all day!!;)

That’s if you can get into Cambridge – as mentioned in this post on the other thread http://forum.keypublishing.com/showthread.php?128152-Duxford-Diary-2014&p=2167909#post2167909 😉