Paul FHaving watched most shows from inside the fence, but frequently watched Farnborough Shows from outside due to having family living conveniently nearby, then I have mixed views on this.
There will always be people who free-load this type of event, and I guess you need to distinguish between locals (who are perhaps entitled to a free show due to the traffic and noise inconvenience they probably suffer), and those who travel a fair distance only to free-load?
My main point is that perhaps it’s up to the show organisers to make sure that there is enough of interest to justify the “typical” cost of the day for the party size (entry fees plus programme and snacks etc) and thus attract people inside :diablo: The public generally vote with their feet, so if bums are on seats then you’ve got it right, if the bums are in the fields outside then perhaps you need to review your total offering (ticket pricing, static display, “family attractions” – as most punters are probably not enthusiasts as already mentioned in another post above, traders stalls, ease of entry/exit to show site and to parking etc etc.
The constraints on some displays such as Farnborough mean that those free-loading outside the fence may get a far better view of the flying than the paying punters inside as the display axis is so far from the crowd line these days!
Of course, unlike cricket or football grounds it is not feasible to put up fences to obstruct the views of the “action” 😀 – though Farnborough have tried to use this method to restrict views of the ground display and taxiways etc in recent years (under the guise of traffic safety)!
Paul F (Firmly Sitting ON the fence on this topic 😮 )
Paul FDelayed Virgin
Looks like it was the VS033 Antigua service, as the Barbados flight is shown as having left, while Antigua flight is still shown as “boarding”.
Not a good start to your holiday in the sun eh 🙂
What, me jealous? ….Never 😉
Paul F
Paul FVirgin Caught on Fence
Sorry, couldn’t resist the post title :diablo:
LGW Departure board suggests it was either the VS033 service to Antigua (Due to dep 09:30) or VS029 to Barbados (Due to depart 10:00) as neither are shown with “airborne” times, though another Virgin 747 left the gates (avoiding any fences :D) a few mins ago.
Paul F
Paul FReg now confirmed
747 invloved now confirmed as G-VLIP.
She’s now been re-docked onto one of the South Terminal satellite piers, and I guess a plane load of angry delayed passengers are about to be disembarked while some engineers take a look at the damage.
Ther eis no real sign of damage to the fence, and the winglet looks okay, but angles of view didn’t really allow a good look at the winglet/tip.
Paul F
Paul FWinglet scrape..
She’s now been tugged clear of the fence, and they’re towing her away….
Paul F
Paul FNice Job chaps…
Been following her restoration at Dx for many years like many others here I guess – doesn’t she look good 🙂 ?
Last time I saw her looking like this was back in the early/mid 70’s when she was still sitting outside at the Dan Air Maintenance site at Lasham, with their DC-3 and the Airspeed Ambassador.
Can’t wait for the Ambassador to follow her out into the Dx daylight.
Unfortunatley I can’t get to Dx to see their Avro line up today 😡
Paul F
Paul FAnd it’s damned hot up there!
Not only is the gallery crowded, dimly lit, and full of walkways etc, it also gets bl00dy hot up there, A combination of sun beating down on the roof immediately above, and hot air rising up from the many floors and people) down below.
It’s well worth a visit though if only to see Amy Johnson’s Moth “Jason”, and Alcock and Brown’s TransAtlantic Vimy.
There’s also a V2 rocket, a Sopwith Biplane ( a 1 1/2 Strutter if my memory is correct), plus a used Apollo Space capsule, down stairs alongside the Lockheed L10A shown in the first post.
And of course, entry is free 🙂 .
Everytime I go there I can’t help but worry about the risk of fire destroying the “unique” airframes displayed there, unlike a hangar on an airfield there is absolutely no chance of dragging any of them out of trouble if the worst did happen 🙁 . No doubt they have a fire detection and sprinkler system installed, but I’m not sure a severe dousing in water would be any less disastrous than a total loss :confused: .
Paul F
Paul FYep,
No doubt these would be seen as as politically correct as the inflatable Spitfires carrying St’ George’s flag markings that have been banned from being taken to Germany during that little footie competiton that is rumoured to be on at present, just in case it offends people out there.
Great stuff, and no doubt most of those at risk of being expected to take offence at all this “non-PC” stuff (presumably citizens of a certain European country in particular 😮 ) would actually find (most of) it as funny as we do. Perhaps references Nazis are a bit beyond the pale, but most of these ads would probably not offend most sane people.
It’s just a great shame the “PC-Do gooders” haven’t got the common sense to realise that :rolleyes: .
Oh no, here come the thought police to take me away for PC-conditioning : 😡 !
They’ll never take me alive………… at least not until I’ve finished me pint of Spitfire 😀 .
“Cheers” Chaps!
Paul F
Paul FNot sure he’s certifiable, the write up suggests the engineering aspects have been thoroughly considered. I love the fact that he seems to have found a loophole in the local legislation which he has exploited in a way no-one would ever have imagined.
Not sure what the noise level must be like in there when it’s running, I guess he must have a good stereo too:D
That said, yep, he’s definitley got a few kangaroos loose in the top paddock :rolleyes:
Paul F
Paul FNot sure he’s certifiable, the write up suggests the engineering aspects have been thoroughly considered. I love the fact that he seems to have found a loophole in the local legislation which he has exploited in a way no-one would ever have imagined.
Not sure what the noise level must be like in there when it’s running, I guess he must have a good stereo too:D
That said, yep, he’s definitley got a few kangaroos loose in the top paddock :rolleyes:
Paul F
Paul FLewes, East Sussex
I have lived in Lewes, East Sussex for the last twenty years. Lewes was/still is a fairly quiet market/county town, stradling the River Ouse which flows on to Newhaven port about 6 miles south. It lays about eight miles east of Brighton, ~12 miles west of Eastbourne, with little engineering industry now or back in WW2, so it would not have been an obvious target of military importance, other than the railway junction (now long since removed in the contraction of the UK railway network). Although it is a pretty town, with a prominent castle, and a unique place in UK political history (read up on the Battle of Lewes if you wnat to know why), it is hardly on a par with places like Bath, so I doubt it featured in the Luftwaffe “Baedekker” series of targets.
However on one well documented occassion in WW2 a flight of fighter bombers (Bf 109’s I think, but I can’t swear to that without checking) passed over the town in daylight, on their way south, and dropped a couple of bombs and strafed a couple of streets in the town. The result was a couple of buildings and houses destroyed and about twenty people (IIRC) killed and injured.
Not sure whether it was a pre-planned attack, the evidence I have seen and read suggests not, more likely the town was seen as a target of opportunity by some planes on a free-rangeing mission, or who were on their way home having been unable to strike their intended target. Perhaps the bombs were intended for one of the small factories I guess existed on the edge of the town, or one of the river bridges, or the railway yards/junction and simply went wide or dropped short.
The evidence is still there if you know what to look for -I.e. an out-of -character buliding filling a gap in an otherwise uniform row of houses.
Paul F
Paul FT21B Experiences
Once in the mid seventies I spent 30mins on Sunday morning soaring a T21B Sedburgh under the instruction of a chap called Paddy Edwards who was one of the ATC gliding school instructors at RAF Tangmere.
We were only supposed to do simple circuits that morning but Paddy hadn’t flown for a week or two, and sensed the soaring would be good so he went for it (no two way radios to call us back in those days). As we climbed the south coast was an ever expanding landmark.
Paddy handed control to me and then took my camera whch I had been allowed to take up with me. Winding the strap tightly round his left arm he got me to set the camera up and then stuck his arm out over the rim of the cockpit into mid air. I then had to concentrate on flying the glider and also indicate which way he should point the camera to try and guess when to say “fire”. We just about got things sorted as the wind noise died to a whisper, and Paddy quickly re-took control and dropped the nose a few degrees in pitch back to a more normal attitude. Luckily the resulting photo (no chance of seeing the image immediately afterwards to check in those days) was Okay when the film came back from the developers a week later.
Eventually we had to call it a day and head back to Tangmere. Paddy decided to lose height quickly by spinning the glider, and, after a couple of short spins during which time I had no idea which way was up but loved the g-forces, and during which I clung tightly to my camera, we dropped back into the circuit.
After we landed I had to forgo any further flights for the day as the other couple of gliders had only been doing the expected circuits, so every other cadet only had two or three 3 min flights in their log books – my 33 mins flight was a source of some envy 😎 as it was far and away the longest of the day.
I’ll try and dig out and scan the photos, in those days Tangmere was free from glasshouses, still had both runways intact, plus it still had fifties-style concrete wall blast pens, and the domestic site was very much intact, unlike today 🙁 .
Did/do any other Forumites know Paddy Edwards? He worked as a freelance film cameraman and had some interesting stories to tell from that job. He also drove a big Jaguar, and on the day in question half a dozen ATC cadets had squeezed (a relative term bearing in mind it was a big car) into it, four in the back, two on the passenger seat in the front, before he tore off across the Tangmere ORP/taxiways at 80mph+, and then drifted it round the bend with tyres squealing onto the N/S runway which lead down to the launch point for the day – the winches were at the N end of the N/S runway.
On another occasion we had a trip to the ATC Gliding School at Kenley, and my instructor and another decided to do some formation aerobatics at the end of the day. Two T21B’s were launched simultaneously, one off each wire, and after a quick circle we ended up flying line abreast av=bove the airfield. A few hand signals and nods later and both gliders performed simultaneous loops before breaking away into the circuit to land as close to the hangars as possible.
– Kenley, another shadow of it’s former self these days 🙁 🙁 .
Our ATC Sqn (1349 Woking) had it’s own T21B for while which was based at and flown from Odiham at the weekends, alongside the resident GC, which gave us a chance to scrounge/sample flights in their K13 and Blanik. After the open cockpit of a Sedburgh the enclosed K13 was luxury. (Unfortunately the K13 was lost soon afterwards in a fatal accident.)
It’s along time since those days, but I can still remember the challenge and responses once the wingtip runner held the wings level and the main controls had been checked for free movement.
“Spoilers Open and In line?” The launcher checks the wing.
“Open and in line.”
“Spoilers closed and flush?” Another look at the wing..
“Closed and Flush”
A moment or two to check cockpit straps are tight and that the vario and altimeter seem Okay..”Are you ready then?” says the instructor in my ear..”Yes sir….”, “Lets go then..”
“All clear above and behind?” Barks the instructor – the launcher off to our left scans the blue sky behind our heads thoroughly, looking for gliders in the approach to land…once happy none are there they reply:
“All clear above and behind!”
“Take up the slack!”
“Take up the slack.” The launcher waves his bat underarm by his knees, the duty boy (or girl) in the control caravan flashes the very signal light, and the distant winch coughs out clouds of diesel smoke…the cable starts to wind in, and the glider starts to move – stomach starts to contract in anticipation of the next few moments…
“All out!”
“All out” The launcher waves the bat above his head, the duty boy switches the signal light, the winch spouts a cloud of smoke and the cable suddenly accelerates,the glider lurches forward then snatches slightly, and finally starts to rush across the ground, bumping off the ruts, the wingtip runner is soon left behind – as is your stomach, then the bumping and jolting suddenly stops and the ground falls away. You climb at an impossibly steep angle, the wind rushing past like a hurricane.
Eventually at about 1000ft the glider nose drops level, the distant horizon now visible and the instructor pulls the release, and suddenly all becomes calm and tranquil, the wind noise is largely gone, and you’re hanging like a bird, the winches small toys down below you….
Happy days 🙂
Paul F
Paul FHi Daz,
First- sorry to hear the news of impending redundancy
Second, Even sorrier to hear the way they seem to be behaving in terms of other temps being brought in etc.
Go for it, but remember not to lose your rag if/whenever they speak to you about it. Losing your temper never helps, so keep a cool head and set out the facts as you see them, without making any provocative remarks, and without making any snide or cynical comments. It’s tough not to loose your temper, but worth it. Oh, and make sure you take notes of what is said during any meetings/interviews, as they may come in useful if it all ends up at a tribunal etc.
I suggest you also speak to an external third party for advice – try your local ACAS office, or Citizens advice who should be able to put you in touch with someone who can offer help and advice free of charge. Reliance on heresay and “barrack-room lawyers” doesn’t work in these situations.
I’ve sufferred similar treatment in the past, and quickly came to the conclusion that even if they offerred me my job back then I’d tell them where to stuff it as I couldn’t face working for an organisation that treated staff so unfairly. But, by making them jump through all the hoops possible I did manage to put back my end date whilst being at home on “garden leave” and get another months salary out of them 😀 , which gave me a longer period in which to find another job.
Unfortunately redundancy is all too common these days, but treat it as part of life’s rich tapestry and a learning process, in five years time all your current aggro will (hopefully) seem such an insignificant issue you’ll wonder why it all seemed so important at the time.
Good luck – don’t let the bu99ers wear you down.
Paul F
P.S. In my case I had a month or so technically “between jobs” 🙁 but ended up in a new place earning significantly more 🙂 within six weeks of my official redundancy date, so who knows, you might just find things don’t work out as badly as you fear. Keep yer chin up mate.
Paul FHi Daz,
First- sorry to hear the news of impending redundancy
Second, Even sorrier to hear the way they seem to be behaving in terms of other temps being brought in etc.
Go for it, but remember not to lose your rag if/whenever they speak to you about it. Losing your temper never helps, so keep a cool head and set out the facts as you see them, without making any provocative remarks, and without making any snide or cynical comments. It’s tough not to loose your temper, but worth it. Oh, and make sure you take notes of what is said during any meetings/interviews, as they may come in useful if it all ends up at a tribunal etc.
I suggest you also speak to an external third party for advice – try your local ACAS office, or Citizens advice who should be able to put you in touch with someone who can offer help and advice free of charge. Reliance on heresay and “barrack-room lawyers” doesn’t work in these situations.
I’ve sufferred similar treatment in the past, and quickly came to the conclusion that even if they offerred me my job back then I’d tell them where to stuff it as I couldn’t face working for an organisation that treated staff so unfairly. But, by making them jump through all the hoops possible I did manage to put back my end date whilst being at home on “garden leave” and get another months salary out of them 😀 , which gave me a longer period in which to find another job.
Unfortunately redundancy is all too common these days, but treat it as part of life’s rich tapestry and a learning process, in five years time all your current aggro will (hopefully) seem such an insignificant issue you’ll wonder why it all seemed so important at the time.
Good luck – don’t let the bu99ers wear you down.
Paul F
P.S. In my case I had a month or so technically “between jobs” 🙁 but ended up in a new place earning significantly more 🙂 within six weeks of my official redundancy date, so who knows, you might just find things don’t work out as badly as you fear. Keep yer chin up mate.
Paul FHenry Allingham
The local BBC down here ran an interview with him recently, and he put his longevity down to a number of things including booze and “wild women”. A real character!
Apparently the RAF are honouring him with a two-Tornado flypast over Eastbourne where he is celebrating with a birthday lunch today, a well deserved tribute.
Many happy returns Sir.
Paul F
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