No access to the "Tank Bank"?

Discuss airshows and other aviation events at the Imperial War Museum
Thoughtful_Flyer
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Re: No access to the "Tank Bank"?

Post by Thoughtful_Flyer »

Dan O'Hagan wrote:

Losing the Tank Bank is like the Globe nailing a roof on. The character of the venue is lost forever and changed for the worse.

I might not care much for shows inside Duxford, they don't give me, personally, what I require from an airshow experience, but I do believe the venue itself was perfectly safe (even though plenty of aspects of previous Legends I witnessed felt otherwise), or at least the risk was acceptable insofar as everyday life carrying a degree of risk. I also believe that, historically, Duxford is of huge significance, and to lose it as an airshow venue would be tantamount to cultural vandalism.

But to neuter an already dire spectator experience can, in no way, be spun as a positive. Sorry, but that's undeniable.


To the people that regularly congregated on the Tank Bank maybe.

However, that was only a fairly small proportion of the total crowd at a popular show such as Legends. Presumably most of the others were happy enough to watch from elsewhere and kept going back year after year?

As said before the vast majority that attend airshows are not the "enthusiasts" that post here.

Georgeconna
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Re: No access to the "Tank Bank"?

Post by Georgeconna »

"So yes, either May style crowdline with tank bank which wouldn't have worked with the Flying Legends format, or no-tank bank and something closer to the Flying Legends style we're all used to and (most of us!) love. It will be better, that's undeniable!"

And Now the display will more likely be similar to every other airshow venue in the UK.

Things like the tank bank, the dog leg in Shuttleworth, made these venues unique and worth paying the money for, especially for the chaps that come along with myself. A collective groan was heard when I told them about this.

Now it seems they are becoming generic venues where the flying will most likely be tame, Far away as usual and the same as any other warbird display you can see around Britain.

15 days will tell all.

G
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DaveBr
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Re: No access to the "Tank Bank"?

Post by DaveBr »

Georgeconna wrote:Now it seems they are becoming generic venues where the flying will most likely be tame, Far away as usual and the same as any other warbird display you can see around Britain.


I'm intrigued to know where these other British warbird displays are if they are in any way comparable to Flying Legends? I'd most likely be there if I knew about them.

King Cobra
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Re: No access to the "Tank Bank"?

Post by King Cobra »

Does make me chuckle when people say the display line distance doesn't matter to the masses who are just happy to see things fly but in the next breath say that by eliminating the Tank Bank, the display line can be brought closer and improve the experience for the masses. :dunno:

Ryan.
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Re: No access to the "Tank Bank"?

Post by Ryan. »

I think Duxford and indeed the Fighter Collection are stuck between a rock and a hard place here. Keep the tank bank open and the aircraft have to display further away or close the tank bank and have the aircraft a little closer.

If it does bring the aircraft noticably closer than they were during the American Airshow, personally I don't think it's too bad a decision considering their options.

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HuwJHopkins
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Re: No access to the "Tank Bank"?

Post by HuwJHopkins »

Georgeconna wrote:"So yes, either May style crowdline with tank bank which wouldn't have worked with the Flying Legends format, or no-tank bank and something closer to the Flying Legends style we're all used to and (most of us!) love. It will be better, that's undeniable!"

And Now the display will more likely be similar to every other airshow venue in the UK.

Things like the tank bank, the dog leg in Shuttleworth, made these venues unique and worth paying the money for, especially for the chaps that come along with myself. A collective groan was heard when I told them about this.

Now it seems they are becoming generic venues where the flying will most likely be tame, Far away as usual and the same as any other warbird display you can see around Britain.

15 days will tell all.

G


Yes, but nowhere is going to be the same under the new regulations, people must grasp that surely? I predict (and it's happening to some extent already) that at other venues where things have changed people are quite rightly blaming the CAA but with Duxford and Flying Legends people will hammer home the vendettas and blame IWM/TFC rather than the CAA. It tells something of the sorry state the majority of the enthusuast fraternity is in nowadays.

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paullangford
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Re: No access to the "Tank Bank"?

Post by paullangford »

Tim N wrote:paullangford RIAT always ends up on the Legends weekend in a Farnborough year...........a pain in the backside.
FIA stopped being a pleasant experience on the weekend years ago.


Thx Tim N for the info. I can't help but think that with a little foresight and communication between the 3 of them, they would want to maximise their footfall by being open on separate weekends, with these 3 being some of the largest uk shows. I'm sure there are many reasons as to why this can't be so................can't think of one at the moment.
Didn't they have to move their dates in 2012 due to the Olympics no fly policy ?..............I could be wrong.

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Pen Pusher
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Re: No access to the "Tank Bank"?

Post by Pen Pusher »

The fence line on the Jet Pan has been moved but work hasn't started at the Tank Bank yet.

Old fence line in the foreground, new position in the background.
Image

Much closer to taxiing aircraft now.
Image

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LAHarve
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Re: No access to the "Tank Bank"?

Post by LAHarve »

Looks like the barriers have moved to where they were in the eighties

King Cobra
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Re: No access to the "Tank Bank"?

Post by King Cobra »

LAHarve wrote:Looks like the barriers have moved to where they were in the eighties


Indeed. Back to where they used to be last century.

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R4118
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Re: No access to the "Tank Bank"?

Post by R4118 »

Having had a look at the new layout it seems to me that a lot of crowdline is lost a land warfare hall side. The other bits are just pushed forward, creating space in the back.
I think it will give an even more crowded feel on show days.

Just my thoughts......
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FlyingMachinesTV
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Re: No access to the "Tank Bank"?

Post by FlyingMachinesTV »

Having finally seen the changes, I think that it looks like a creative way to get around possible issues related to the new regs, sacrificing the tank bank is a small price to pay to keep the display flying more or less the same. We've lost our end of runway filming position but that's fine because at the moment it needs to be done. All the wailing and gnashing of teeth isn't going to change anything yet. Measured discussion and lobbying based on evidence of how displays have been conducted this year just might.

Dragon Rapide
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Re: No access to the "Tank Bank"?

Post by Dragon Rapide »

I certainly endorse your last sentence!
Listen to that Gipsy music.....

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Dan O'Hagan
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Re: No access to the "Tank Bank"?

Post by Dan O'Hagan »

R4118 wrote:Having had a look at the new layout it seems to me that a lot of crowdline is lost a land warfare hall side. The other bits are just pushed forward, creating space in the back.
I think it will give an even more crowded feel on show days.

Just my thoughts......


Provided they've sold many tickets, of course...

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