Many thanks for your comments so far. I am trying to draw out the emotions that I can relate to within the animals behaviour. In this image for example I see several different emotions, anxiety, aggression and an element of fear. These are personal reflections of the animals behavioural patterns as I often watch the animal for at least half an hour, understanding its habits before creating an image like this. I hope this doesn’t break UKAR rules but I would like to my book link to the thread, it may give you more understanding behind my own ideas.

http://www.blurb.com/books/3158892

Thanks again.

Good god! What have they done to that Mosquito! The P40 in the background looks in a bad way too.

rafmatt,

Your opinion is your opinion, that is not in question here. My concern is that many people get to wrapped in the aircraft and the flying element. The reality is there is more to Flying Legends than just the aircraft.

The Legends format being tired? that is a matter of opinion personally I don’t think so. After last year a slower tempo show was not a bad thing and it was quite nice to allow each individual acts performance to sink in. The tempo of an airshow should be dictated in one way. Safely. This is exactly what happened this weekend.

I also feel that a lot of hard work work goes into the show. Often we do not get to see this. Many of the engineering team working into the early morning of Saturday show just to get the aircraft right (thank you by the way) goes un-thanked by the paying public. You often see the cadets doing the thankless job of car parking, litter picking and on one occasion a few years back, the target of frustration from an angry member of the public. These often go unnoticed and a little bit of gratitude goes along way.

The commentary team, which has changed a lot over the years often seems to be a target of abuse. Last year I felt that both Mr Chabbert and Mr Hiscock dealt with the Skyraider/BBD incident admirably. Yes they have a tendency to waffle on about rubbish but don’t we all? I know I do.

Flying Legends has changed greatly over the years it has allowed us to see many unique and wonderful aircraft the format has changed to allow us to see a greater variety of aircraft. I personally would not change the format. its tried and tested and it works. The gate numbers are testament to that.
We are currently in a time of financial hardship and with the rising fuel prices Legends is a luxury which should be cherished by us.

finally your opinion in regards to Jets at Legends, I hope this does not happen. Legends is a show dedicated to Piston power, long may it stay that way.

rafmatt,

I have been going to Flying Legends for 16 years now. Each year has been as good as the last, this year was no exception. The 2012 show provided many people with unique opportunities. The first was the 3 x Mk 1 Spitfires in formation. How many could say we would of seen that? Will we see it again?
The second item, the Sikorsky S-38, a very strange bird indeed but I really liked it. I don’t think ‘throwing’ it about the sky was the done thing. Displaying it in the way it was provided us with the best way of seeing it. Thirdly the return of a P-47 to the skies over Duxford.
This aircraft has been immaculately restored, a lot of effort went into restoring her for this show.

These are just a few examples of items we saw which were firsts or give Legends its unique side. In my eyes we were once again spoilt by TFC and the IWM in terms of a line up and display, where else can you see three different types of Curtiss Hawk fly, including the H-75? simple answer is very few places if anywhere at all. Each year with we are spoilt with such line ups. We have seen many fantastic aircraft over the years. The FW-190, SAAB B-17, Liberty Belle and many more.

But it isn’t only the aircraft we are spoilt with it is the veterans who attend the show, the people who Legends represents in one respect, Man and Machine. Yet way to many of us take the show for granted. Flying Legends, for me is more than an airshow, its a chance to meet up with old friends, meet new ones. It is a chance to gain information and understand how some of these aircraft came about. It is also a chance to remember, for me remembering my Grandfather who introduced me to aviation and airshows.

I felt that the tempo of the show this year was a lot more sedate but no it didn’t take anything away from it in fact it was nice to have a bit of a change of pace. You had time to absorb each individual act realising what you just witnessed. Yet many people use this as grounds to moan about the show. The constant whining and negativity that surrounds Legends every year is not something that I buy into, it does on occasions annoy me as I am aware how hard the guys not only at TFC but other organisations including the IWM work to bring us the delights of Flying Legends. Many of those who moan in my eyes do not have the right to moan, they ‘free load’, which to me automatically forfeits your opinions on the show. It is not something I would consider with Flying Legends.

There may come a time in the not to distant future where Flying Legends ceases to exist. Where we see none of these machines or men flying in unison and when that comes we will only be left with the memories. I like to hope we would choose to remember the positives, the great moments of the show, the people we have met and those who have since left us.
To close I would like to recount a memory from one of my first lone visits to Flying Legends.

Watching the Mustang ‘stampede’ A gentleman came up behind me as I was photographing the on coming aircraft. He shouts ‘P51, Cadillac of the skies!!!’ at the top of his voice. I jump back in shock. Looking back I saw him laughing as he had not only made me jump but a good percentage of the other spectators fixated on the aircraft do the same as me. It is one of the most vivid Legends memories I have.

The man was Steve Young.

Stewart.