Family Airshow - 4th August

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timuss
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Re: Family Airshow - 4th August

Post by timuss »

Has the DH9 left yet?
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Stagger2
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Re: Family Airshow - 4th August

Post by Stagger2 »

On past form, probably not! :whistle:

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Orion
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Re: Family Airshow - 4th August

Post by Orion »

Not one of the best Shuttleworths I left about 4 as the Aeronca started its routine. This display item was last seen at Old Warden about two weeks ago as was the autogiro. I do feel that although repetition of the Collections own aircraft is desirable if I'm going to pay £35 gate money I expect variety in the visitors. Plonking that great hulking Apache right in front of the runway didn't help either. I'd have been right p!ss*d off if the promised Chinook and Catalina had been there too.

The Shuttleworth seems to be attracting a different sort of spectator nowadays. Looking around me at the show there seemed to be a lot of people who didn't look to much at the show, but a did a lot of general chatter. The sort of people for whom the £35 entrance promises a cheap (by some standards) but different day out. While I can see the attraction to the Collection by encouraging such people, it's good income after all, they do seem to be completely out of place, alien. Not sure I like the new market oriented Shuttleworth.

One effect of the larger crowds is that people extend from pretty well one end of the runway to the other. But the displays didn't, being concentrated on the northern end. I think the Collection needs to review its policy here so that all entrance fee payers get a fair crack of the whip.

Not a crackerjack show, and I was surprised by how much the car park had thinned out by 4, but it wasn't bad either.

Regards

Mike
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Re: Family Airshow - 4th August

Post by Mike »

Orion wrote:While I can see the attraction to the Collection by encouraging such people, it's good income after all, they do seem to be completely out of place, alien. Not sure I like the new market oriented Shuttleworth.

Yes, far better in the old days when only a few hundred true enthusiasts turned up, no 'general chatter' in those days. Oh, and The Collection was having to sell off an aeroplane a year, on average, to pay the bills

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pbeardmore
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Re: Family Airshow - 4th August

Post by pbeardmore »

"No bucks, no Buck Rogers"

How long, within any arena, does a non-market orientated organisation last?
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Thoughtful_Flyer
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Re: Family Airshow - 4th August

Post by Thoughtful_Flyer »

Orion wrote:Not one of the best Shuttleworths I left about 4 as the Aeronca started its routine. This display item was last seen at Old Warden about two weeks ago as was the autogiro. I do feel that although repetition of the Collections own aircraft is desirable if I'm going to pay £35 gate money I expect variety in the visitors. Plonking that great hulking Apache right in front of the runway didn't help either. I'd have been right p!ss*d off if the promised Chinook and Catalina had been there too.

The Shuttleworth seems to be attracting a different sort of spectator nowadays. Looking around me at the show there seemed to be a lot of people who didn't look to much at the show, but a did a lot of general chatter. The sort of people for whom the £35 entrance promises a cheap (by some standards) but different day out. While I can see the attraction to the Collection by encouraging such people, it's good income after all, they do seem to be completely out of place, alien. Not sure I like the new market oriented Shuttleworth.

One effect of the larger crowds is that people extend from pretty well one end of the runway to the other. But the displays didn't, being concentrated on the northern end. I think the Collection needs to review its policy here so that all entrance fee payers get a fair crack of the whip.

Not a crackerjack show, and I was surprised by how much the car park had thinned out by 4, but it wasn't bad either.

Regards


These would be the "sort" of people that subsidise your interest? It must be awful having to share an airfield with this "sort" of person.

FlankerPhoto
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Re: Family Airshow - 4th August

Post by FlankerPhoto »

For the record, DH.9 finally returned to Duxford today!

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Orion
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Re: Family Airshow - 4th August

Post by Orion »

Thoughtful_Flyer wrote:
Orion wrote:Not one of the best Shuttleworths I left about 4 as the Aeronca started its routine. This display item was last seen at Old Warden about two weeks ago as was the autogiro. I do feel that although repetition of the Collections own aircraft is desirable if I'm going to pay £35 gate money I expect variety in the visitors. Plonking that great hulking Apache right in front of the runway didn't help either. I'd have been right p!ss*d off if the promised Chinook and Catalina had been there too.

The Shuttleworth seems to be attracting a different sort of spectator nowadays. Looking around me at the show there seemed to be a lot of people who didn't look to much at the show, but a did a lot of general chatter. The sort of people for whom the £35 entrance promises a cheap (by some standards) but different day out. While I can see the attraction to the Collection by encouraging such people, it's good income after all, they do seem to be completely out of place, alien. Not sure I like the new market oriented Shuttleworth.

One effect of the larger crowds is that people extend from pretty well one end of the runway to the other. But the displays didn't, being concentrated on the northern end. I think the Collection needs to review its policy here so that all entrance fee payers get a fair crack of the whip.

Not a crackerjack show, and I was surprised by how much the car park had thinned out by 4, but it wasn't bad either.

Regards


These would be the "sort" of people that subsidise your interest? It must be awful having to share an airfield with this "sort" of person.


'Subsidise'? If everybody pays the same, which they do, I'm not so sure how a subsidy enters into it.

Having said that, it does feel odd to be at Old Warden when so many of the spectators who are there are not enthusiasts and there are fairground exhibits with queues during the show. I'm used to Old Warden being full of aviation enthusiasts not people who are having conversations about the latest tele soaps. No doubt I'll get used to it, but if the Shuttleworth continue to put their prices up while offering such an ordinary show as this one, I suspect that their audience, specialist or not, will melt away.

Elliott Marsh
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Re: Family Airshow - 4th August

Post by Elliott Marsh »

Orion wrote:I'm used to Old Warden being full of aviation enthusiasts not people who are having conversations about the latest tele soaps.


I'm not so sure. I'd put myself down as a pretty hardcore enthusiast and spend most of my disposable income on aviation in some form or another, as do my closest friends (some of whom work in the industry and/or are pilots themselves), but our topic of conversation at a typical Old Warden airshow varies from Frank Chapman's new bone dome (personally I miss his yellow one) to how we would have rescued the car crash of Game of Thrones' final season.

Being at an airshow doesn't mean spectators must exclusively discuss aviation. I remember once debating the best cheese/ham combo for a solid 30 minutes at, if I remember correctly, Shoreham.

Personally, the reasons why people are attending an airshow (and their topics of conversation) don't matter one bit to me. What matters, and what is most encouraging, is seeing large crowds filling the place month after month. They've had a fantastic year, aircraft participation and public attendance-wise, and I don't see anything wrong with this show's line-up. They're clearly onto a winning formula. Not every event can be Fly Navy 2016, nor does it need to be.

Domvickery
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Re: Family Airshow - 4th August

Post by Domvickery »

If people should only discuss aviation at an airshow I would recommend they dont go with our Tommy
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Xray833
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Re: Family Airshow - 4th August

Post by Xray833 »

Personally, the reasons why people are attending an airshow (and their topics of conversation) don't matter one bit to me. What matters, and what is most encouraging, is seeing large crowds filling the place month after month. They've had a fantastic year, aircraft participation and public attendance-wise, and I don't see anything wrong with this show's line-up. They're clearly onto a winning formula. Not every event can be Fly Navy 2016, nor does it need to be.[/quote]

Agree wholeheartedly with this comment. Also anything that brings very young and young people into an air show is to be welcomed. We need the younger generation`s interest to support the collection in the future. Old Warden is a very special place and needs all the support it can muster.
Personally, I had a great day at the Family Air Show and yes it is different from say the Race Day but none the worse for that.

DOUGHNUT
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Re: Family Airshow - 4th August

Post by DOUGHNUT »

With six major Sunday airshows and three smaller Saturday evening events each year I find it hard to understand how anybody can complain about the August FAMILY airshow. There is a very big clue in the title, the local advertising was very clearly aimed at the family audience, and by all accounts it worked. Shuttleworth Collection, house and gardens rely heavily on word of mouth to keep visitors returning through the whole year. By adding a non aviation theme to just one of the years events it achieved its aim. The Fun Fair, lets be honest a few vintage rides and stalls were provided free of charge (how many other events can say does that ?) added just what most families wanted. If the crowds started to leave at 4.00pm it was probably more to do with it being a long hot day rather than any lack of interest in the flying display.
Lets all celibate another excellent, and safe year, at Old Warden and look forward the the remaining two air displays for 2019 which will again have different themes and empathise the broad appeal that the Collection has to offer.