Red route shambles - came home.

[davidjones533]

.

[Heyfordman]

We had a really good experience both in and outbound and commented to each other about how painless it was.

Came in on red route at about 0615 and got straight into airfield without stopping.

More surprisingly got out without any hassle too despite watching Su27 and the Typhoon ( and therefore the show) having finished by the time we reached the car. Drove straight out into a slow moving but never stationary queue, back towards Lechlade direction. Only delay was a queue in Burford which was back to the A40 roundabout due to the lights on the bridge, which I evaded by going cross country through Swinbrook etc.

Tomorrow must be busier based on it being sold out.

[Heyfordman]

We had a really good experience both in and outbound and commented to each other about how painless it was.

Came in on red route at about 0615 and got straight into airfield without stopping.

More surprisingly got out without any hassle too despite watching Su27 and the Typhoon ( and therefore the show) having finished by the time we reached the car. Drove straight out into a slow moving but never stationary queue, back towards Lechlade direction. Only delay was a queue in Burford which was back to the A40 roundabout due to the lights on the bridge, which I evaded by going cross country through Swinbrook etc.

Tomorrow must be busier based on it being sold out.

[p2philip]

Really stunned by the advices to leave around 6 am if you are in kempsford...what?!? Left Newbury at 7:15 today aimed for the blue route, got guided on blue alternative route through castle eaton after leaving A419 and arrived at blue car park minutes later. Whole trip under 1 hour .... zero waiting time at blue entrance...pure luck??

[AFKAMC]

Just out of curiosity, at what time did you hit the queues?

It'll be my first RIAT tomorrow: setting off from Birmingham at 6am

Hi mate, you will undoubtly be stuck in queues if you are leaving Birmingham at 6am, I left Wolves at 6am in 2012 and didnt get into the base till well after the flying had started, ever since then we have left at 4am and that has proved much more beneficial as there is next to no traffic pretty much up until you hit the base.

According to my diary, in 2016 I left home (Sutton Coldfield) at 05:20, and was parked up in the Red car park at 07:40, after queuing in traffic for 40 minutes. I can't find my notes for last year; I guess I left at about the same time, but I recall the queues were a bit longer than the previous year, not disastrously so though.

So I guess if I were going this year, I'd aim for a 5 o'clock start or thereabouts - but maybe not 4am.

[County1884]

Flew in by helicopter at 9am
Staff with golf buggy shuttle were there ready to meet us
Transferred to the Lightning Pavillion. Nice champagne reception on arrival
Top class lunch and G&Ts during the flying...
All went very smoothly well done DBH

[County1884]

[County1884]

[pbeardmore]

We were diverted to the alternative blue route and held up by a council road cleaner lorry spinning it's brushes along the country lane

Is there any co-operation going on ??

[G-CVIX]

Really stunned by the advices to leave around 6 am if you are in kempsford...what?!? Left Newbury at 7:15 today aimed for the blue route, got guided on blue alternative route through castle eaton after leaving A419 and arrived at blue car park minutes later. Whole trip under 1 hour .... zero waiting time at blue entrance...pure luck??

Wasn't advice, just that I've seen it happen. Yes, you were lucky, though you may have arrived in an interim period between people that have queued to be the first in, and the slightly later arrivals.

[G-CVIX]

Flew in by helicopter at 9am
Staff with golf buggy shuttle were there ready to meet us
Transferred to the Lightning Pavillion. Nice champagne reception on arrival
Top class lunch and G&Ts during the flying...
All went very smoothly well done DBH

Not sure if this is a joke or just some completely unnecessary braggjng?

[Andyperkins]

Really sorry to hear about your troubles but I found this years show to be one of the easiest in regards to getting in and getting out.

I left home at 6:50am (live about 53 miles away) and was parked up in the green car park at 8:40 then got back to the car at 7:15pm, drove straight out and was home by 8:50pm.

[County1884]

My following post gave it away.....
Just a little joke.

[neilos]

What's changed from previous years do you know?

At a guess, maybe due to the RAF 100 flypast?

Took us nearly 1 hour 45 mins on the shuttle bus from Swindon!

[keithjs]

What's changed from previous years do you know?

At a guess, maybe due to the RAF 100 flypast?

Took us nearly 1 hour 45 mins on the shuttle bus from Swindon!

What Flypast! They cancelled it because of a little bit of rain..

[CJS]

Stood in the green queue now having driven straight in and parked on the tarmac. All good so far

[borismorris]

Same here CJS. Drove straight in today.
Waiting it out in the car until 0730 though

[cg_341]

There's tarmac?! I appear to be parked behind a treeline. I say appear to be, as I can only just barely see it due to the fog!

[westhamfan84]

We are travelling by coach on the Sunday the coach does not leave dudley until half 7. I am hoping there is a dedicated coach route and entrance so we don't miss to much. Reading this I am getting more and more nervous.

[BrawlerO]

We are travelling by coach on the Sunday the coach does not leave dudley until half 7. I am hoping there is a dedicated coach route and entrance so we don't miss to much. Reading this I am getting more and more nervous.

Good luck, seems pretty late to be leaving- flying starts at 10!

[Traveller]

We are travelling by coach on the Sunday the coach does not leave dudley until half 7. I am hoping there is a dedicated coach route and entrance so we don't miss to much. Reading this I am getting more and more nervous.

There are no coach routes and quite simply you will not get in until gone 1130 I predict. You need to contact whichever lunatic has organised this.

[Blippie]

We are travelling by coach on the Sunday the coach does not leave dudley until half 7. I am hoping there is a dedicated coach route and entrance so we don't miss to much. Reading this I am getting more and more nervous.

There are no coach routes

I think there is a dedicated bus route. But it's not marked on the public maps.

Cheers

Blippie

[Ashthorpe87]

How has traffic been this morning? We are coming via green I think (coming from stoke)

[neilos]

We are travelling by coach on the Sunday the coach does not leave dudley until half 7. I am hoping there is a dedicated coach route and entrance so we don't miss to much. Reading this I am getting more and more nervous.

There are no coach routes

I think there is a dedicated bus route. But it's not marked on the public maps.

Cheers

Blippie

Shuttle bus from Swindon used the dedicated bus route, dropped us off at the yellow entrance.

[The Baron]

How has traffic been this morning? We are coming via green I think (coming from stoke)

Easy access to car park. Horrendously long queue for the entrance.