Father Ted wrote:Boff180/Andrew ,just catching up with the pros/cons on this thread.
I've met you at the approach end of a runway before, as with a fair few others here.
You knew of a potential risk and pilots knew you were there during a critical phase of flight.
Are you not part of the same 'problem' you are pointing out?
Everyone in the vicinity of Fairford Village, all the campsites, RIAT itself and Marston Meysey et al are at risk should something go horribly wrong.
Yet, we all still attend.
One question to you.
Did Totterdown campsite really RUIN your RIAT 2017 experience?
If so, why?
Cheers,
Paul Severn
Totterdowner and RIAT enthusiast/supporter.
Sitting at the approach (not under it) on a normal day of operations is a completely different kettle of fish to being under an air display as you full well know, it's also got nothing to do with distracting the pilot - it's about risk mitigation which (sadly) is what the new regulations are all about. In the past, when I was younger and naïve I did use "naughty fields" at Waddington, do I use naughty fields anywhere now? No I don't - my opinion and understanding about them has changed.
As I previously posted, if/when pilots begin to actively avoid the area (as the regs say they should now) and are pushed further away as a result (which from accounts from the site after my original post, this was not the case this year) then yes at that point the site should close. Regardless of how popular a location might be, if it begins to negatively effect the display for those that are viewing from the event itself then it becomes a problem.
Did Totterdown ruin my event this year? No it didn't. Did I ever insinuate it had? No I didn't.
The one location that I will say - without question - always affected my RIAT experience was Rhymes. I don't pay £200+ for a ticket for a large number of my runway shots to have hundreds of people on ladders in them at the fence. Tottedown itself is barely noticeable in photos.
If the site isn't negatively affecting the display or the distance of the display for people actually at the event then there is no issue (unless you follow the regs to the letter). It's if the opposite becomes the case that there is.