Flying Legends over the last few years has to a certain extant followed a similar format. This is by far the easiest way of organising a display, Biggin Hill has for years worked on this principal, it keeps Joe Public happy and keeps costs down. Biggin even manages to keep the enthusiasts content, by booking one unique type, wether it be Kermit Weeks Mosquito or the Short Sunderland.
Maybe its time that Legends made more of the fact that many pilots would like to fly their vintage or Warbird aircraft into the display. Not as a performer but as a static exhibit. Great Warbirds at West Malling was a great exponent of this tatic. The US shows at Midland and Reno all do the same. Just provide the fuel for them to get there and get home.
The other factor that maybe worth considering is pilots. Today the best displays are flown by the regular display pilots, many of the owner drivers just arent in the same league. Display teams such as the Breightling Fighters should be encouraged. The Harvard team was a great example of pilots working together on a regular basis, it may have had its light hearted moments but they were very polished.
Set piece scenario’s have always worked well at other venues but I’m not sure the IWM could in this day an age be seen to re-enact the great Air operations of WWII. The CAF still drop the Atom bomb at Midland!
One last area where the Legends could really score would be for the reopening of the Flightline tour on the Saturday evening of the show weekend, hopefully the chance of great light with little in the way of aircraft movements.
As a closing note I can well remember going to a Classic Fighter display where the wind was too strong to fly the show, but I still enjoyed it!
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