Thoughts on the show.

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TYPHOON3
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Re: Thoughts on the show.

Post by TYPHOON3 »

Went on the Saturday having done Yeovilton the week before.I have to say VL was the better show for me probably down to better participation and/or better weather than RIAT.Why couldn't they just have started the flying display at the time they did and followed the order from the begining of the programme and just run the whole display later?Afterall we would still have had daylight or would there be another reason why they didn't do or think of this?

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Ian G
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Re: Thoughts on the show.

Post by Ian G »

Blackbird wrote:Have any official figures been released? Those turnstiles presumably served some purpose?


Well I'll be counted as 15 people seeing as the strap off my rucksack got caught in the handle, it was going round and round while I tried to free myself, trolley in one hand, ticket and bag of stuff in the other . . . .
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LN Strike Eagle
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Re: Thoughts on the show.

Post by LN Strike Eagle »

Ian G wrote:
Blackbird wrote:Have any official figures been released? Those turnstiles presumably served some purpose?


Well I'll be counted as 15 people seeing as the strap off my rucksack got caught in the handle, it was going round and round while I tried to free myself, trolley in one hand, ticket and bag of stuff in the other . . . .

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Skyflash
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Re: Thoughts on the show.

Post by Skyflash »

tu16 wrote:Just out of interest, how does RIAT compare with the Zeltweg experience?
How big is their static? Do they have funfairs & trade stalls? Looking at the pictures, it looked stacked out with public, surely making photos of the static difficult.
I heard that the event is bank rolled by Red Bull & doesn't give any money to charity.... is the food, etc expensive there too?
Or is the Zeltweg model what RIAT should be getting back to?


It's difficult to draw meaningful comparisons, because aside from the obvious point that they're both airshows, RIAT and Zeltweg are unalike in almost every respect. But anyway...

- static at Zeltweg is small, and difficult to shoot even with an 18mm lens. Space on the airfield is very constrained. That said, they do tend to get quality items; this year's static for example contained German and Saudi Typhoons, Polish MiG-29, German F-4F, Serbian Super-Galeb and AN-26, Irish Air Corps PC-9 and a Skyraider.

- There are trade stalls which are situated smack-bang in the middle of the airfield. Nothing like the same number as at RIAT however.

- I don't recall seeing much in the way of funfairs; there was a sort of mad bungee-crane arrangement as you walked onto the showground at one of the entrances but I don't think there was much more than that. TBH I am so keen to avoid the damn things I could well have filtered them out of my memories!

- Food is about the same as at RIAT, both in terms of quality (ie not great) and price (ie expensive). The rules are the same at every airshow I have ever been to, regardless of country... take your own food!

- Yes, Red Bull basically own the Zeltweg Airpower, and chuck a huge wodge of cash at it.

- Yes, the crowds this year were approaching farcical levels. On the Saturday I arrived at about 8am and the crowdline was already six-deep! (no exaggeration, it was actually that bad, with no hope of getting a spot at the front. At eight in the sodding morning. Nae real). I took the below Saturday mid-afternoon; reminds me of Glastonbury or something, and that is of course just one small section! :shock:

Image

To conclude, the two shows are very different; what I would say however is that Zeltweg does seem to put less emphasis on all the peripheral nonsense which drives us enthusiasts mad, and concentrates on the flying. You're basically going for the epic flying display, which lasts about 9 (nine!) hours, usually contains all sorts of rare and wonderful items and a brilliant set-piece from the Austrian armed forces, and takes place against the finest airshow backdrop in Europe if not the world.

If there is a message for RIAT then, it is perhaps that a stellar flying display is enough to attract (and hold the attention of) a very large crowd. Though doubtless the fact that Airpower is free to get into helps as well!
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Abingdonman
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Re: Thoughts on the show.

Post by Abingdonman »

If Zeltweg was free entry,plus it was probably the only major airshow in the country......no WONDER they had such large crowds! :grin:
I watched some of this show on the web and I liked the half dozen displays I saw for sure ,but it could be decieving to judge a show that way,9 hrs is a long time to fill with enough good stuff and variety and I couldnt tell if there were any big gaps etc,only someone being there could know that,and even then people have such different ideas whats a good show :wink: ...

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Re: Thoughts on the show.

Post by Skyflash »

Abingdonman wrote:If Zeltweg was free entry,plus it was probably the only major airshow in the country......no WONDER they had such large crowds! :grin:
I watched some of this show on the web and I liked the half dozen displays I saw for sure ,but it could be decieving to judge a show that way,9 hrs is a long time to fill with enough good stuff and variety and I couldnt tell if there were any big gaps etc,only someone being there could know that,and even then people have such different ideas whats a good show :wink: ...


They put the MiG-29 and the Frecce on last - two of their biggest and best attractions - and the time leading up to those displays most certainly did not drag. It was pretty much full-on for the whole nine hours, the only exception being on the Friday when the two young paratroopers collided when jumping out of the Herk during the role-demo and had to be airlifted to hospital, which obviously necessitated a bit of a hiatus in the show.

Zeltweg Airpower 11 was the best airshow I have been to since RIAT 2006, without a shadow of a doubt. But like I say, trying to draw comparisons between Airpower and RIAT is very difficult, since you're not really comparing like-with-like. Not least, as you hint in your post, because of the free entry to Airpower.
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Re: Thoughts on the show.

Post by Finningley Boy »

Altogether quite a good weekend. Best solos FJs for me were; Turkish F16, A10C and BAE Systems Typhoon.

Best Aeros teams; Il Frecce Tricolori, Saudi Hawks and Breitling Jet Team.

Best of the rest; Tornado GR4 role demo, Dutch Apache and Vulcan.

As for any team with red in the tilte; I'll speak to you later! :wink:

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Lightning 74 Sqdn
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Re: Thoughts on the show.

Post by Lightning 74 Sqdn »

I read on some of the sites that some people were unahppy about RIAT 2011... I thought the event was superb, save for the weather, which Tim Prince and his team have no control.

The dedicated team thought the 2011 event through very well by parking the tiger jets against the trees at the far western end of the airfield (thanks indeed to Tom Gibbons for this). Another great idea was to have the teams on the northside, and the individual fliers on the southside, where photographers, spoters and enthusiasts could access them for the most part. The multitude of special colour schemes was extremely welcomed, especially the 99 Sqdn C-17A with the large "10" on the fin. Care was taken to place the cones as far from the aircraft as possible, thereby enabling photographers a sporting chance, without having to resort to ultra wide-angle lenses.

I fail to see what on earth were the factors that have caused people to be so critical. The days of 500 aircraft at RIAT are long gone, and will never return. Air arms no longer have the aircraft to send, and with commitments in the Med and the Middle East, there are not enough service personnel to bring exhibits to airshows...

Due to the Olympic Games in 2012, RIAT will take place two weeks earlier than usual... Not surprisingly the organisers are already thinking about exhibits for this event. While no firm details can be confirmed, it is worth noting that the RIAT staff were courting the leader of the Chinese display team ..... let's hope he was impressed with what he saw, and graces Fairford with another European first !!!

I would like to suggest that those who were happy with 2011 RIAT take the time to write a note of appreciation to the organisers .... address is probably on the RIART web site. Anyone with ideas on how to improve the future events could likewise write.

I have been to every IAT/RIAT since 1971, and would not miss it for anything. I have had my "Fairford Fix" for 2011, which should just about keep me going until early July 2012.

Bob Archer... RIAT's number one fan !!!!

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Re: Thoughts on the show.

Post by capercaillie »

Did you have free passes and the usual privileged access this year Bob?
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Ian G
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Re: Thoughts on the show.

Post by Ian G »

Lightning 74 Sqdn wrote:Bob Archer... RIAT's number one fan !!!!


You forgot to add the words 'and only' in there somewhere mate
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st24
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Re: Thoughts on the show.

Post by st24 »

capercaillie wrote:Did you have free passes and the usual privileged access this year Bob?


Thwackk !!!!...

Ian G wrote:
Lightning 74 Sqdn wrote:Bob Archer... RIAT's number one fan !!!!


You forgot to add the words 'and only' in there somewhere mate


Kapowww!!!!!

:grin:
Come on Bob, theres nothing new in there and you have to face up to the fact that a lot of people feel very miffed by RIAT '11. The days of 500 aeroplanes at RIAT (were there ever that many?!) were limited to 2003 and at least 20% of those arrived on trailers. I would have thought someone of your eminence would have gone to Izmir, Zeltweg and/or Koksijde and relaised that there are loads of aeroplanes out there that don't come here...

And I too have been to every Tattoo and probably won't miss one, so actually I'm RIAT's greatest fan... :love:
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AlexC
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Re: Thoughts on the show.

Post by AlexC »

capercaillie wrote:Did you have free passes and the usual privileged access this year Bob?


Bit of a cheap shot maybe, but I'd imagine that he did? Try queuing with the PBI, otherwise known as the general public next year Bob.

I've also been to every AT, IAT and RIAT, as well as the Newbury Air Festival, and the Middle Wallop shows etc. from 1971 to 2011, in fact I've just been looking at the 'souvenir programme' of Air Tattoo '71' held at North Weald on Monday 31st May cost 10p.
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MarkL
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Re: Thoughts on the show.

Post by MarkL »

Thanks for your opinion Bob...totally agree on tiger positioning and a lot of the display aircraft on public side.

You other four..Back in your cages!!! :lmao: :lmao: :lmao:

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Re: Thoughts on the show.

Post by FlyingMachinesTV »

Not allowed to actually like the show on this thread I'm afraid

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AlexC
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Re: Thoughts on the show.

Post by AlexC »

Hope I'm not included in the four, thankfully I don't live in a cage!
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spiralkicker
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Re: Thoughts on the show.

Post by spiralkicker »

Just to prove RIAT had everything!!
I went in and the 1st thing i saw was the mole cubicle, i have a mole i have been concerned about so i popped in. "has this mole been causing you problems" she said, no i replied, "that because you havnt given a toss about you lawn" she said and then explained that they make poor pets anyway and told me to go down 3 stalls and get a proper pet and sponser a dog...
Down i went came out with a dog thats when the problems started, mrs said "not having one of them smelly things in my house", luckily 4 stalls down was the perfume stall, picked some up and sprayed the dog and went back to the mrs, "not falling for that one" she said, we are finished find yourself somewhere else to live!!!
Never been so glad to see a stall selling tents i can tell you, so picked one up and arhhhh problem!!! what about the dog!! to my delight there was a stall selling wooden furniture and beleive it or not they did kennels, thank goodness..
By this time the damn dog was starving so went and got him a burger (without onions thats a lethal for a dog) only to have him confiscated by the animal wellfare charity that was there, apparently feeding that cr*p to a dog constitutes animal cruelty..
So there i was homeless and even lost the dog, so had an idea!!! went off to the fairground and spent £300 winning a large teddy bear with a heart and thought i will try to win the mrs back, to my delight on the way was a jewellery stall so thought if the cuddly toy doesnt do it that will swing it...
Sure enough as soon as i explained she meant far more to me than the dogs and handed over my gifts she was like the day we first met, she threw her arms and legs around me and whispered something in my ear!! so off i went heading for the Anne summers stall which was apperently next to the vulcan village, unfortunately never found it, but hey ho just goes to prove it had it all lol..

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MarkL
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Re: Thoughts on the show.

Post by MarkL »

AlexC wrote:Hope I'm not included in the four, thankfully I don't live in a cage!



Hehe. It's only metaphorical and said in the best possible taste :smile: :smile:
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AlexC
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Re: Thoughts on the show.

Post by AlexC »

Ah reminds me of Kenny Everett, he was great!
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MarkL
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Re: Thoughts on the show.

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put them all in a field and bomb the b..t.r.s :clap: :clap:
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Re: Thoughts on the show.

Post by FlankerFan »

So did they hide the Vulcan village because they didnt pay for a spot perhaps?

I would still like peoples opinion n the 'Bits of Concorde' stall. Just seemed so shady charging 2k for a rusty old wheel that 'came off a Concorde, really, it did'.

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AlexC
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Re: Thoughts on the show.

Post by AlexC »

FlankerFan wrote:Just seemed so shady charging 2k for a rusty old wheel that 'came off a Concorde, really, it did'.


Wasn't Del Boy was it?! :shock:
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Re: Thoughts on the show.

Post by simon »

Nearly a week has passed since RIAT and lots of negative and positive comments well and truly broadcast on UKAR.

Many enthusiasts watch this site 365 days of the year and 6 months to plans for time off work, caravans, places to stay are being drawn. a month or so away big decisions being made for new kit,expensive amd generally the other half has not been told... then month ago lets see whats happening, Have wasted on this cash ???? as lack of star turns. time to get in the bus.. "Kris Kris Tofferson!" not much big stock coming this is not looking good.

Day of Riat. Moan Moan, Moan well that bit was good, Vulcan and hercs lot a lot of fun, n o big heavies to be seen, im goimg home, but like most we will seee you back here next year.... lcant wait....

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Re: Thoughts on the show.

Post by StevenH »

Come again?

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Re: Thoughts on the show.

Post by Skylinerworld »

It's Friday night, probably a drunk post. :grin:
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Re: Thoughts on the show.

Post by Chrisse »

st24 wrote:Surely it would have been better value to practice full and flat shows?


Interestingly, at Coxyde, the Thunderbids sort of did that based on the forecast. At the end of their Tuesday rehearsal, they followed up their vertical break at the end with the horizontal variant of that in case the weather didn't permit the full show.Not a full flat rehearsal, but certainly a contingency built into their preparation.

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