September Air Show 2017

[Thoughtful_Flyer]

Not sure if there are any staffers there to be honest... price and personal lives keeping most away.

Price and personal lives - or prejudice?

[neilos]

I'm a big fan of Duxford, luckily living only 10 mins away. However, IMHO, that is just another Legends line up!

3 jets for Duxford's biggest airshow is pretty poor IMHO.

[boff180]

Price and personal lives - or prejudice?

Tell you what, pay for my £1500 holiday that needs to be paid in full next month and I’ll be able to afford to go tomorrow....

[Domvickery]

I was all set to go, it would have been my first paid trip to a Duxford show since 2013.

Then after seing the entry cost I remembered why I stopped going

[197cup]

The price may be steep however that’s not stopped there being a huge crowd today, I’ve never seen it so busy.

[Pen Pusher]

Middle of last week I heard there had been over 15,000 tickets sold for each day.

Brian

[Dan O'Hagan]

I've no issue with the price whatsoever. As others have said, it compares VERY favourably to a typical football or concert ticket which also wouldn't account for parking, food, fuel etc. And lasts a fraction of the time.

But it doesn't compare favourably to other air shows, and that is the point surely? If you want to go to a football match then go. If you want to go to an airshow then go. I'm not interested in football, or sports in general, and I don't go to many concerts but those that I have been to are around the £30 mark.
The line up this weekend does look excellent, and seven Hurricanes is really tempting, but I will stand by my principles and not attend until the car park charge is dropped. I'll start going through my photos from Jersey and Sion instead.

Indeed. The car parking tax is nothing but an exercise in money grabbing, to accomodate the kids ticket concessions. Why charge for parking on the site when it's free for the rest of the year?

Duxford has already alienated a large proportion of would-be and long-standing customers over other issues at their shows, the parking charge is just another reason to not give the IWM a penny.

[iainpeden]

Middle of last week I heard there had been over 15,000 tickets sold for each day.

Brian

One of the volunteers yesterday said 18500 on each day.
I attend a Duxford show on average once every 2 years and now get the shuttlebus from Trumpington. Two reasons for this; one is having to prebuy a car park ticket and the lottery of British weather. The second is that if I drive I need to be there early to get a decent space; having been around the museum a number of times I'm mainly there for the flying and by using the bus it means a decent get up time (9 ish), an hours drive and in for mid day. There's also the advantage of beating the queue out.

[Pen Pusher]

So much for ticket prices being to high if there are an extra 3,500 people booking since the middle of last week.

Brian

[B_Tank88]

This is my first time here and I'm thoroughly enjoying it. Weather's nice the museum is excellent. That B52 in the American museum!

[Domvickery]

So much for ticket prices being to high if there are an extra 3,500 people booking since the middle of last week.

Brian

So because 3500 have paid its suddenly come cheap then?

[Thoughtful_Flyer]

Price and personal lives - or prejudice?

Tell you what, pay for my £1500 holiday that needs to be paid in full next month and I’ll be able to afford to go tomorrow....

Or cancel your holiday and go to 30 Duxford shows for the same cost! Or 15 London theatres etc. You pay your money and take your choice.

[The Baron]

So much for ticket prices being to high if there are an extra 3,500 people booking since the middle of last week.

Brian

What sort of demographic is that though? Is it 1,500 Mr & Mrs Smith and families who attend one local show a year or is it 3,500 Brian Marshalls?
No difference in terms of tickets sold and money made from the public but it would be quite telling if of those 3,500 only two were enthusiasts.

[TRSZ]

Mustang Miss Helen down safely after a possible bird strike..

[Pen Pusher]

is it 3,500 Brian Marshalls?.

I bought a Firends of Duxford Weekend Pass - £39-10p.

but it would be quite telling if of those 3,500 only two were enthusiasts.

Hate to burst your bubble but air shows are not put on for a hand full of grumpy/complaining enthusiasts.

Brian

[LN Strike Eagle]

Mustang Miss Helen down safely after a possible bird strike..

Post on Key says two Mustangs touched whilst formation...?

[DaveBr]

The last hour was epic. A spectacle that cannot be experienced anywhere else in the world.

Great flying and fantastic aeroplanes at an historic location. Looking forward to doing it all again tomorrow, hopefully with a bit more sunshine.

[B_Tank88]

Those Spitfire formations were something else.

[The Baron]

but it would be quite telling if of those 3,500 only two were enthusiasts.

Hate to burst your bubble but air shows are not put on for a hand full of grumpy/complaining enthusiasts.

Brian

I'm quite aware of that Brian. However my point is that families that maybe visit one show a year are less likely to be A) regular attendees or B) regular supporters of for example Sally B and less likely to donate or spend money at the stalls of the organisations.. Whereas your smaller group of enthusiasts will bring less money through the door they're more likely to support the individual display assets. So, in Duxford bid to grab as much money as possible, how does it affect the individual charities that rely on donations?
Just curious.

[Gonzo230]

Looking at all the pictures on social media is giving me goosebumps. Fantastic looking show, wish I could attend.

To me, any Duxford show is great value. Your mileage may vary, but please don't dress up your opinion in a declaritive statement.

Anyway, if one is particularly put out by the 'car park tax', then why not make an FOI request of the IWM to see how much profit they make from the September Airshow?

[eddywinch82]

What a fantastic Airshow, I enjoyed every minute of it. The Spitfire Formation and tailchase, was unbelievable ! I actually couldn't believe, what I was watching ! Beautifully choreagraphed. So nice to see the BBMF Lancaster Spitfire XVI and Hurricane, display as a three ship. Only the 2nd time I have seen that, this Airshow season never fails to give goosebumps. What an incredible sight it was, of the 2 DC-3 Dakota's in formation with B17 Sally B. One of the highlights, of the UK Airshow Season certainly !

What happened with the Mustangs ? I know that Miss Helen, had to land due to a problem of some kind. Then Sharkmouth, landed too. Was it ordered to land as a safety precausion ?

But a really excellent enjoyable day. Seemed to me, that the displays were less restricted, than previous years, i.e. more loops in fighter displays. The Joker Spitfire XIV MV293, and P40C for example, particularly good those two were. Worth the entrance fee for the day. Can't wait until tomorrow ! So many highlights to mention.

[B_Tank88]

Having the displays taxi back right in front of you was something I've never seen before. Even the B-17 and Dakotas. You could smell the exhaust fumes of all the merlins and feel the heat from the vampires and the Mig 15. Wow.

I'm happy I went and I'm attending tomorrow also can't wait.

[pb643]

Miss Helen had a chunk out of the leading edge of the port horizontal tail surface. I am not sure at what point the engine was turned off, but certainly rolled to a stop without power, having landed downwind. No obvious damage to Sharkmouth that I could see.

[keithjs]

Miss Helen had a chunk out of the leading edge of the port horizontal tail surface. I am not sure at what point the engine was turned off, but certainly rolled to a stop without power, having landed downwind. No obvious damage to Sharkmouth that I could see.

Sharkmouth has got a bent/chipped propeller blade (or 2?)

[Dan423]

Returned to Duxford today for my first show there in about six years. One of the most enjoyable airshows I've been too in recent years. Why? I only took a couple of dozen photographs instead of watching the show through the viewfinder, I took my son and my father and enjoyed some quality time with them and enjoyed a cracking flying display. One can't put a price on days like today, it was superb and my lad will remember the day forever.

Ok so with my enthusiast hat back on: I still thoroughly enjoyed it. Yes the car park charge is annoying but in 2017 it's to be expected to be exploited in every way on a day out, no matter what the event. It really isn't that much money: a music festival I go to charges twenty quid to park. Suck it up and enjoy what is there. Nobody is forcing anyone to go. There were no issues getting in and we were out within twenty minutes after the flying ended. We took a gamble and brought earlybird tickets, same as we do with the other shows and festivals we attend. There's no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes. We hold annual passes anyway and visit the place on non airshow days regularly but figured I'd ignore the prejudice and slating and give it a go today. I work on jets and have been into aviation since I was a kid so it's daft for one to keep ignoring the Duxford shows.

It seems that there's some kind of trend or clique to knock Duxford at every opportunity on here. I prefer to have a more open mind and remember just how lucky I am to have such a place a few minutes down the road. So it might not be as good as it used to be but hey, what is nowadays??