Another indication of naivity. You can count up the number of EU Trislander operators on the fingers of one hand and anything outside the EU is going to be a complex issue for a dry lease – a quick phone call or two would have answered the question of whether anyone had one available. And EU Twotters aren’t much easier to come by.

Martin’s sig says it all: “upcoming flights – N/A”

Thoroughly enjoyed Sunday at the “Legends” – my first Legends show ever. A few thoughts about previously discussed subjects:

* We arrived at the tank bank at around 12:30 having not staked out a position beforehand, two of us with deckchairs. All was fine until some 60+ year old ### (yes, they can be too) parked himself litterally less than six inches directly in front of me and stood for the entire show, totally ruining my view. So I have little sympathy for helping others whoever they may be – next year I’ll set up my stall at the front first thing and ### the rest who arrive late.

* Having worried beforehand, I was surprised that traffic flow was excellent – arrived at 08:45 and had about a two minute wait at the pay booth behind the tank museum before paying and parking. Outbound at about 18:30, I think we waited at the exit about 30 seconds before joining the A505.

Having “done” the Chino, CA “Planes of Fame Air Show 2005” in May this year which it could be argued is the nearest to Legends anywhere, I thought I’d make a few observations by comparison, particularly of issues that were especially noticable to me…

1. Traffic – score: Duxford 1, Chino 1
Both were easy to arrive at and exit despite the large crowds

2. Weather – score: Duxford 2, Chino 2
Was as well tanned after leaving both – for once, Cambridgeshire came close to California!

3. Tents / windbreaks / umbrellas – score: Duxford 3, Chino 3
The US mentality is catching on here but neither is worse than the other

3. Prices – score: Duxford 3, Chino 4
Admission at Chino was $20, Duxford £27 or well over double. Enough said on that! Beer and burgers were $3 at Chino, £3 at Duxford. Same again, and it has to be said the quality was better at Chino too. No extra dollars to walk the flightline at Chino either, which is a £4 extra at Duxford!

5. Aircraft variety – score: Duxford 5, Chino 4
Despite Chino having quantity (e.g. five P-47s in the air together) and some interesting a/c including some from the old country (Spitfires, Hurricane, Sea Fury, Firefly), I think DX has the edge on variety of types given all the unusual types and that its also capable of covering pretty much every type Chino could offer except the Japs. That having been said, Chino offers a few jets (Sabre, MiG15) and I think its a shame Legends excludes things like G-SABR from the show – the concept of flying “legends” has moved on from WWII and I think there should be a space for a few famous old jets at DX

6. Display timing / continuity – score: Duxford 6, Chino 4
Despite both having an ongoing program throughout, I was seriously impressed with Duxford’s ability to run a continuous show with so few pauses. Chino did well despite the mandated pause whilst the airfield reopens for an hour, but wasn’t quite up to the well oiled Duxford machine

7. Display flying – score: Duxford 6, Chino 5
There were some exclent spirited displays at Duxford, especially the TigerCat. But so there was at Chino. None the less, it would be fairly easy to award Duxford this one, except that it was noticable and annoying that far too many flyers concentrated too much on vertical manouvres at Duxford, thus denying the sort of opportunities for a confirmed photographer (me!) that were abundant at Chino. Particularly at fault in this respect, IMHO, was the Saab B-17, the brown Hurricane, and the Curtiss Hawk each of which rarely gave us photographers the chance of a fairly close-in topside view. It can be done as some both at DX and Chino showed, but some of the Duxford flyers just didn’t – shame!

8. Size / balbo – score: Duxford 6, Chino 6
What irritated me was the comentator continually harping on about Duxford Legends being the greatest warbird show in the world, and that it had the largest balbo. Crap! Chino was as big, and the balbo at the end was at least as large if not larger. One thing Chino lacked was the likes of DC-3s, but on the basis of no trainers and no jets at Duxford, I fail to see how DC-3s are justified either.

Overall then an honourable draw – both Chino and Duxford have their merits, and given my experience from a couple of months ago the commentator continually saying that Duxford Legends was the biggest and best was irritating (despite me being from the UK and really hoping we could put one in the eye of the yanks!!!). But the rest of the show was excellent and I plan on being back next year. Until then, I’ve just got the Reno Air Races to go to in September to make my “warbirds” year complete.

Andy

Obviously everything on the BAA website is a work of fiction then… :rolleyes:

10:05 TK1979 ISTANBUL LANDED 1107 Terminal Three
10:20 AF1370 PARIS CDG LANDED 1024 Terminal Two
10:20 AM8504 PARIS CDG LANDED 1024 Terminal Two
10:35 BD003 GLASGOW LANDED 1044 Terminal One
10:35 LH6711 GLASGOW LANDED 1044 Terminal One
10:40 LH4726 FRANKFURT LANDED 1028 Terminal Two
10:45 BA7082 BILBAO LANDED 1043 Terminal Two
10:45 IB4120 BILBAO LANDED 1043 Terminal Two
10:45 TP352 LISBON LANDED 1105 Terminal Two
10:50 CO8230 NEW YORK LANDED 1047 Terminal Three
10:50 VS010 NEW YORK LANDED 1047 Terminal Three
10:55 BA284 SAN FRANCISCO LANDED 1046 Terminal One
11:00 AA6526 STOCKHOLM LANDED 1035 Terminal One
11:00 AA6573 LISBON LANDED 1104 Terminal One
11:00 AA6612 ISTANBUL LANDED 1030 Terminal One
11:00 AA6733 ABERDEEN LANDED 1049 Terminal One
11:00 AA6743 NEWCASTLE LANDED 1041 Terminal One
11:00 AY5923 STOCKHOLM LANDED 1035 Terminal One
11:00 BA1305 ABERDEEN LANDED 1049 Terminal One
11:00 BA1325 NEWCASTLE LANDED 1041 Terminal One
11:00 BA294 HOUSTON VIA CHICAGO LANDED 1022 Terminal Four
11:00 BA499 LISBON LANDED 1104 Terminal One
11:00 BA675 ISTANBUL LANDED 1030 Terminal One
11:00 BA773 STOCKHOLM LANDED 1035 Terminal One
11:00 CX1208 ABERDEEN LANDED 1049 Terminal One
11:00 CX1218 NEWCASTLE LANDED 1041 Terminal One
11:00 CX7108 STOCKHOLM LANDED 1035 Terminal One
11:00 CX7202 LISBON LANDED 1104 Terminal One
11:00 NZ002 AUCKLAND VIA LOS ANGELES LANDED 1052 Terminal Three
11:05 AA6437 GLASGOW LANDED 1054 Terminal One
11:05 AC888 OTTAWA LANDED 1033 Terminal Three
11:05 BA1477 GLASGOW LANDED 1054 Terminal One
11:05 BD3707 COPENHAGEN LANDED 1101 Terminal Three
11:05 BD4888 OTTAWA LANDED 1033 Terminal Three
11:05 CX1222 GLASGOW LANDED 1054 Terminal One
11:05 QF3500 GLASGOW LANDED 1054 Terminal One
11:05 SK507 COPENHAGEN LANDED 1101 Terminal Three
11:10 BA252 GRAND CAYMAN VIA NASSAU LANDED 1109 Terminal Four
11:10 BA5958 DUBLIN LANDED 1057 Terminal One
11:10 EI158 DUBLIN LANDED 1057 Terminal One
11:10 LH4772 DUSSELDORF LANDED 1051 Terminal Two
11:15 AA116 NEW YORK LANDED 1059 Terminal Three
11:15 AA6509 DUSSELDORF LANDED 1128 Terminal One
11:15 BA307 PARIS CDG LANDED 1102 Terminal Four
11:15 BA429 AMSTERDAM LANDED 1130 Terminal Four
11:15 BA7062 MADRID EXPECTED 1131 Terminal Two
11:15 BA937 DUSSELDORF LANDED 1128 Terminal One
11:15 CX7148 DUSSELDORF LANDED 1128 Terminal One
11:15 IB3174 MADRID EXPECTED 1131 Terminal Two
11:15 ME201 BEIRUT LANDED 1031 Terminal Three
11:15 QF3376 AMSTERDAM LANDED 1130 Terminal Four
11:15 QF3408 PARIS CDG LANDED 1102 Terminal Four
11:15 UA938 SEATTLE VIA CHICAGO LANDED 1114 Terminal Three
11:20 OA259 ATHENS EXPECTED 1135 Terminal Two
11:25 AC854 VANCOUVER LANDED 1036 Terminal Three
11:25 AZ228 MILAN EXPECTED 1123 Terminal Two
11:25 BD104 AMSTERDAM LANDED 1118 Terminal One
11:25 BD4854 VANCOUVER LANDED 1036 Terminal Three
11:25 LH6584 AMSTERDAM LANDED 1118 Terminal One
11:25 NZ4494 AMSTERDAM LANDED 1118 Terminal One

The big march was at the weekend, so too late for that. Flight codes give a hint too. VS888… 😉

Yeah, but the G8 thing doesn’t start until later this week – I think there’s more stuff planned, isn’t there (well judging by the TV coverage from Edinburgh city, someone’s expecting more marches anyway).

Andy

apparantly the RJ has always been full but has had a lack of luggage space.

No room for the whippets and flat caps, eh? :dev2:

146 nose… Might be the old UAE government a/c that was cut up at Hurn a while ago – seem to remember the components ended up at a scrapyard in a garden center in Hampshire.

A

Why don’t all airlines just include all the ancillary costs into the ticket and gives us a total ticket price?

Not so easy to change published fares really quickly. Don’t just blame BA – blame the anarchic manner in which IATA airline fares are filed and distributed.

Andy