Duxford September Airshow 2016- 10th and 11th September

[TKK 140]

There are things that can be done to improve exit.

1.Direct traffic inside Duxford, meaning marshals to control traffic at the west end, the LH lane is generally slower as those joining the exit queues join from the left. First in, last out in a traffic jam.

2. Build a proper slip road onto the A505.

3. None of the above and be prepared for delays

A must! - turn right at the first opportunity and u turn if coming back easterly. No problem last Sunday, everyone else being long gone.

[strangelookingalien]

The traffic at the western end near the American museum is normally not managed *at all*. Even this past Sunday there were numerous people forming individual queues and pushing in, driving over the hump to the Land Warfare Hall etc.

While this behaviour is unpleasant - it is basically caused by the fact that the car park near the LWH has to empty fully before any of the other cars leave. This could easily be alleviated by having marshalls forcing the traffic to merge. With the extra revenue generated from the car park passes (a measure which I actually welcome) there is no excuse for not employing a large team of professional car park attendants.

[TKK 140]

They did place a couple of people at the land warfare hump exit. Late in the day as the far west car parks had emptied by then.

[FarnboroJohn]

While this behaviour is unpleasant - it is basically caused by the fact that the car park near the LWH has to empty fully before any of the other cars leave.

I'm not sure where this idea comes from. Clearing that area makes no difference to the gate access for everyone else. We were parked in the area you are talking about, returned late to our car and drove more or less straight out despite the fact that modern police practice appears to involve leaving crashed cars in the middle of the road instead of moving all the debris, including the battered cars, out of the way of citizens not involved in the accident. (Despite the needs of insurance companies and possible court cases, this is sheer insanity. Two clicks with a phone camera and clear up, for goodness' sake.) We were not by a long way the last car out of the area and our access to the exit queues was permitted by generous-minded members of the public already in the queues, probably because we didn't try to force our way in but waited to be invited. I do agree that proper marshalling would help considerably both in actually reducing the time and increasing the sense of things being conducted fairly, which is a great help when one is frustrated.

While I'm on, my three year old nephew Max thought the show was amazing. Unfortunately he has the Red Arrows bug so he thought they were the best thing there (even I will admit it was a good Arrows show and I've been watching them since I was his age) whereas I would be hard put to choose between the 14 Spits, my first Lanc show for two years and the Snipe (first view for me). But chiefly I loved the light - after so much cloud and gloom this summer, Duxford on the Sunday was stunning.

John

[strangelookingalien]

FarnboroJohn, I can't imagine we are talking about the same place then since I have been attending Duxford years and parking next to the American hanger (early arrivals car park) and whenever I leave - whether i've sat in the traffic for an hour or driven straight out - the far west car park is ALWAYS empty. They marshall the cars out of there before any of the American Hangar cars have managed to get into that car park.

There were a couple of marshalls, but with hundreds of cars it just will not do.

[FarnboroJohn]

FarnboroJohn, I can't imagine we are talking about the same place then since I have been attending Duxford years and parking next to the American hangar (early arrivals car park) and whenever I leave - whether I've sat in the traffic for an hour or driven straight out - the far west car park is ALWAYS empty. They marshall the cars out of there before any of the American Hangar cars have managed to get into that car park.

There were a couple of marshalls, but with hundreds of cars it just will not do.

Lets be certain then: I thought you meant the area on the North side of the Land Warfare Hall, across the tarmac road that runs across the front of it: West of where the entrance booths are put for cars on show days. On Sunday when we got back to the car at about 1830 hrs it was only half empty but traffic was flowing fairly easily on the tarmac in two parallel streams that then merged into one at the gate (enforced by one half of the gates being shut).

The choke point for people parked further in is where the line of trees comes up nearly to the Mulberry Harbour roadway section, where all the people who have sneaked round left and right inside the American hangar car park cram into one or two streams. Once the two streams are sorted and running past the LWH it doesn't take long to get out - though the uncleared accident did cause additional delay.

Cheers

John

[strangelookingalien]

Yes i'm talking about the area that is further in. I almost always park there and never get out before the car park nearer the exit has cleared owing to the choke point you mention.

The only time i've ever got out of Duxford quickly (aside from this Saturday when there was very few in attendance) was at Flying Legends when we arrived late and parked nearer the exit - past the choke point.

Without pushing in - as far as I can see - its impossible to get out of the deeper car park until the car park nearer the entrance has cleared.

Regardless - time after time Duxford must have been told about this and they still refuse to properly staff the car parks at the end of the day.

[DirtyFokker]

I can confirm that IWM sent me an email, saying that I will get 30% off an air show next year. Very nice gesture

[strangelookingalien]

Did anyone that is getting the discount email get weekend tickets or was this just the on day tickets?

[timuss]

Did anyone that is getting the discount email get weekend tickets or was this just the on day tickets?

I got weekend tickets and havent had the email.

[nbaker]

I had Saturday only tickets and have had the email.