Southend Festival of the Air 09

Thanks guys.

TheMightyOz.West of the casino ! thanks ! may have to take a compass as well :diablo:

WJ244.Mmm sun in front ! well that will make any photos taken match my other amature type shots ! thanks 🙂

robmac. Have no intention of getting wet ! well not on the outside anyway ! thanks 😉

Sage the Owl.Thanks for the local knowledge, may try the pier if thats available ? So moneys from a govenment ‘pot’ would that be ‘expences’:cool:

Thank you all Keith.

Being a “local” I usually go over to the airport and hang about at the end of the runway in Eastwoodbury lane near the Church as you get much better photo oppotunities than on the seafront and you dont have to contend with the daytrippers, plus you can sometimes get a mini display from the various acts before they land as there are usually activities going on on the airport itself.

I must admit I didnt think much of the program, paticularly after the local councils much touted re branding of the event this year as “The Festival of the air” rather than an airshow. They lost their sponsor so its been funded by them although not using local taxpayers money apparently, its coming from some sort of central government pot whose name escapes me at the moment.

They also had made claims that they were going for more military participation rather than civilian types as the “noise” is what draws the punters which was in direct contradiction to earlier statements that they wanted to present a more “greener” event with activities on the ground as the past two years had been a wash out due to the weather but this dosent seem to have happened.
Its always good to see the vintage stuff (what there is )but as far as I can see its the same as previous years but less so. :rolleyes:

When I went last time, I was sat on the Seafront itself just right of the centre line but made the mistake of being in the line of fire of the sun plus had to move when the tide came in along with 400 other spectators who didn’t realise it came in that far, being squeezed in the process. Don’t make the same mistake as me and the others and follow the guide of the guys above…..

To avoid any confusion the casino referred to is the one actually on the shoreline not the one in the Kursaal. The display line starts around the pier and goes westward to a bit past the casino. I should think somewhere on the front below the Cliffs Pavilion would be about right but I have always found photography difficult from the seafront road as there are too many heads in the way. Problem is if you choose to go up the cliffs a little the fairground rides and/or the trees on the cliffs cause problems.
For a fair bit of the day you will also be photographing with the sun in front of you so I have always found it a difficult place to get good photos.
The other alternative could be a trip up the pier. Assuming access is still allowed I think you will find that you can only go right to the end which is about a mile offshore but you should have the sun behind you and the display aircraft should pass between you and the shoreline but I don’t know how far away they will be.
Hope this helps a bit.

The display usually centres around the casino, which is a very prominent feature, right in the way of the display! I usually go just far enough to one side of it so that it doesn’t get in the way of the view too much. You’re probably best off to the west of it, as the Falcons drop down that end.