How will you be taking in the show this year?

[vulcan57]

Friday Shannon to Heathrow then down to Swindon. Saturday in the viewing village and Sunday on show ground taking in some more flying and the static. Monday back to Shannon.

[digitalsafari]

Friday: son and I drive up from Devon stay ovenight at Michael Wood Services on M5.
Saturday: early start to be on site before gates open, back to Michael Wood Services for overnight.
Sunday: early start again then might leave a bit earlier for a leisurely drive back to Devon.

Currently got basic tickets and will book Grandstand for one of the days the week before.

[Giant]

After 33 years as a volunteer, I hope to be doing the same as ever, trundling around in my trusty minibus bus, with the big magnetic "GREEN 3" stuck on the side... The job of aircrew collection is one of the best on the airfield. Plenty of freedom, occasional chat with the likeminded, regular snacks, especially the fabulous burgers from the "all day" BBQ run next to the flight centre by the US troops from Croughton. Could life get much better than this... AND an air show at the weekends... But most of all the best part is being a tiny cog in a very big wheel, that helps to ensure the event runs as smooth as possible to raise necessary funds for service charities.

IAT began small, got much bigger, became RIAT, and has since contracted due to outside influences totally outside of the organisers control. Some may bemoan the event, other praise it... but nevertheless it is unique, and has provided fantastic entertainment for millions.

I will be there, enjoying very minute ... So, if you see a white minibus, with GREE 3 on the side... give me a wave...

Arriving on Monday evening, checking into the Fairford Hilton (aka the VOQ's), brief on Tuesday and then spend the next 6 days trying to track down Green 3 on the radio to go meet all these planes I have coming in!

19th Year as a volunteer, loving every minute of it!

Hardcore

[Giant]

Doing just the Saturday, 3.45am alarm I adore the freakishly early airshow get ups.

It's all part of the experience. That excitement in the car, followed by the inevitable slow down halfway up the motorway, then as you hit the queues, the excitement builds again...then you see the first plane!


A question I wanted to ask, I'm visiting with my dad and sister I'll most likely be coming up separately (they're in London, I'm in Exeter) - will this be an issue with parking? I can't quite remember the parking arrangements from last year so I hope I'll be able to park up myself.

If I remember correctly, you coming up the M5 will be directed into the Green Car Park (Western End) and your folks from London will end up in the Blue Car Park (off the base, south side). Check the airtattoo website to confirm this though please

[alpha586]

If I remember correctly, you coming up the M5 will be directed into the Green Car Park (Western End) and your folks from London will end up in the Blue Car Park (off the base, south side). Check the airtattoo website to confirm this though please

The only way you could guarentee parking up together would be to meet up in Swindon and go from there

[Brevet Cable]

Or you do as I did { coming from Wales on the few occasions I've only done the Saturday/Sunday } -- ignore the route signs { which will tell you to turn off the M4 at J-17 } and head along the M4 to the Swindon { J-15 } turnoff then up the A419 , which takes you to the Blue carpark.

[Giant]

Or you do as I did { coming from Wales on the few occasions I've only done the Saturday/Sunday } -- ignore the route signs { which will tell you to turn off the M4 at J-17 } and head along the M4 to the Swindon { J-15 } turnoff then up the A419 , which takes you to the Blue carpark.

And drive about an extra 25 miles.....

[Brevet Cable]

If you're coming from different directions & need to meet up in the same carpark / entrance gate then one or the other will have to take a different route.
As for my decision in the past to go "Blue" instead of "Brown" , that's personal choice -- I did the "Brown" route once & found it took a lot longer { with more stop-start traffic } than the "Blue" , even taking into account the extra distance involved { and I assume the "Blue" route would be even better now the new road section has been finished , meaning no more long queues at the various roundabouts }

[Inthrustwetrust]

From the sofa at home with that line up and attitude i'm afraid!

[CJS]

From the sofa at home with that line up and attitude i'm afraid!

[CJS]

Or you do as I did { coming from Wales on the few occasions I've only done the Saturday/Sunday } -- ignore the route signs { which will tell you to turn off the M4 at J-17 } and head along the M4 to the Swindon { J-15 } turnoff then up the A419 , which takes you to the Blue carpark.

It always seems a bit hit and miss to me anyway - I follow the blue route normally when I get nearer but every year since I started going in 2006 I seem to have ended parking in a different place. Think the police try to keep people moving by changing the routes nearer to Fairford during the morning?? Not a job I'd want!

[Wissam24]

Doing just the Saturday, 3.45am alarm I adore the freakishly early airshow get ups.

It's all part of the experience. That excitement in the car, followed by the inevitable slow down halfway up the motorway, then as you hit the queues, the excitement builds again...then you see the first plane!


A question I wanted to ask, I'm visiting with my dad and sister I'll most likely be coming up separately (they're in London, I'm in Exeter) - will this be an issue with parking? I can't quite remember the parking arrangements from last year so I hope I'll be able to park up myself.

If I remember correctly, you coming up the M5 will be directed into the Green Car Park (Western End) and your folks from London will end up in the Blue Car Park (off the base, south side). Check the airtattoo website to confirm this though please

Cheers - I will have to get the ticket off them at some point in that case! I'm not too fussed about parking in the same carpark as them as I imagine we'll be heading off at different times anyway.

[Macc]

Doing just the Saturday, 3.45am alarm I adore the freakishly early airshow get ups.

That groggy morning excitement with a cup of tea and some quickly put together breakfast, followed by a long trip through dawn with my Dad. Reminiscent of trips to RAF Leuchars' airshows when I was younger - it really is the greatest feeling of tiredness I've ever felt.

[riatfuels]

Doing just the Saturday, 3.45am alarm I adore the freakishly early airshow get ups.

That groggy morning excitement with a cup of tea and some quickly put together breakfast, followed by a long trip through dawn with my Dad. Reminiscent of trips to RAF Leuchars' airshows when I was younger - it really is the greatest feeling of tiredness I've ever felt.

"The greatest feeling of tiredness I've ever felt" ... now that is a strapline we could steal/adopt ... that sums it up for me ... looking forward to seeing you Macc ...

[GARYKING]

This will be my third RIAT, but first FRIAT, Unfortunatly I ordered and paid for the MACH three in December hoping for a line up similar to that of last year . I will be like a rat up a drain pipe and all over the place, as many different angles as possible. Luckily my twin brother got posted to Brize from Lossie, so no hotels bills........

[p2philip]

If I go to RIAT this year which is not granted yet but quite likely I will do it the same way I used to in the past. This means I have to fly in from MUC or some other airport to STN on Friday, rent a car and, while constantly remembering to drive on the left side of the road ( ), get to a hotel in the Swindon area. Try not to drink too much of that delicious ale in the evening to get up early and visit the show on Saturday and Sunday, one day usually at Rhymes - what a great and unique place this is. On Monday the same procedure as on Friday just in the reverse direction. Not the cheapest way to spend a weekend but seeing the Vulcan, VC-10, L1011 for probably the last time alone is worth the trip for someone from abroad so all you moaners who complain about participation and costs please stay at home so I'll have more space in the front row.

[airshowguy]

Me and my old man will be driving to the chanel coast from holland on friday. Taking the ferry to dover and a drive to a lovely hotel near swindon. Saturday morning on the vip route onto the airfield and into the aviation club for breakfast and coffee( never been a vip on an airshow, should be really great). On saturday evening we set of to a pub near cambridge for a pint and a good nights rest. Sunday will be spend on duxford looking at the museum. Sunday evening its off to harwich for a boattrip home. I must say i am really looking forward to this trip.

[caerus_sam]

On the "inside" for a week trying to keep my bowsers out of your lovely photographs

Ditto.

[alpha586]

That groggy morning excitement with a cup of tea and some quickly put together breakfast, followed by a long trip through dawn with my Dad. Reminiscent of trips to RAF Leuchars' airshows when I was younger - it really is the greatest feeling of tiredness I've ever felt.

That is the best way I have ever seen it put! That sums up perfectly the way I feel when getting up for an airshow, the excitement, the speculation of what would be flying/static (in the days before the internet), the anticipation and looking forward to the annual fix of burnt avga / avtur

[CJS]

That groggy morning excitement with a cup of tea and some quickly put together breakfast, followed by a long trip through dawn with my Dad. Reminiscent of trips to RAF Leuchars' airshows when I was younger - it really is the greatest feeling of tiredness I've ever felt.

That is the best way I have ever seen it put! That sums up perfectly the way I feel when getting up for an airshow, the excitement, the speculation of what would be flying/static (in the days before the internet), the anticipation and looking forward to the annual fix of burnt avga / avtur

And suddenly waking up when you get to Fairford and wondering how you got there, given that you're the only one in the car

[Jason32]

Aviation Club again for me and my girlfriend this year.

[wamovements]

Monday 15 - Monday 22 Kemspford.
Monday 15 July: Yeovilton departures + arrival Kempsford
Tuesday 16 July: Fairford-Coningsby-Lakenheath-Mildenhall-Fairford.
Wednesday 17 July: Fairford & Brize
Thursday 18 July: P&V
Friday 19 July: Grand stand
Saterday 20 July: Grand stand
Sunday 21 July: Totterdown
Monday 22 July: Departure Grandstand
whoop whoop

[mstares]

Folks,

Coming from Canada, I am rather looking forward to the show. Being used to Canadian/American shows the line up looks incredible with a nice balance of fast movers, display teams and heavies. It will be nice to see a Vulcan in the air rather than the static version we have at Goose Bay.

I'll be arriving in the UK from Newfoundland on the 13th. Will be doing the touristy thing (and Heathrow spotting) for the first few days then I will head to Swindon on the 16th. I've decided that, different side of the road or not, a car is essential for arrivals/departures days so I will be renting. Have reserved a room at a Hotel in Swindon and having signed up for FRIAT Mach3 here is my tentative plan:

Weds - P&V East
Thur - P&V East moving onto the field if they have a static tour for FRIAT members (Though I will be torn if this conflicts with any planned interesting arrivals/practices)
Fri - P&V East , though again I will be torn if there are conflicts with any planned interesting arrivals/practices
Sat - FRIAT enclosure
Sun - FRIAT enclosure
Mon - FRIAT enclosure. Looking at photos from past shows it appears that most departures hold off on rotating/climbing until they are even with the FRIAT grandstands so this would appear to be the ideal choice.

Monday evening I hope to hop a train back to London, and then fly home on the 23rd.

Being my first trip to RIAT I do have a number of questions. Hopefully someone can help:

1) For Saturday and Sunday I am debating taking the shuttle buses rather than driving from Swindon. Are the line ups for these buses reasonable or would I have to line up at 6am?
2) Are there evening arrivals, on arrivals days, or do they usually clue up around 5 or so?
3) Still with arrivals, if there are evening arrivals, is it possible to shoot arrivals from a vantage point north of the arrival path (The sun crosses the runway somewhere around 1700hrs)?
4) Does everything depart Monday, or does one often see Sunday evening departures (Ie is it worth sticking around after the flight display ends)?
5) How crowded is the P&V on arrivals days? For approach shots can one just stand back from the fence/crowd and not use a ladder, or is a ladder essential?

Any help would be appreciated,

Mark

[aviodromefriend]

1) For Saturday and Sunday I am debating taking the shuttle buses rather than driving from Swindon. Are the line ups for these buses reasonable or would I have to line up at 6am?

I've been on the first or second bus every day they ran since '06, and there wasn't any issue about a queue at any of those days. Most of the time they left even before they were fully loaded. (If it helps making your decision: during these years they only experienced some traffic problems not more than three times, and never earlier than two corners from the base.)

[bowler]

This is my eight RIAT. I have camped at Totterdown the last few years but this year will be staying in a Travelodge on the M4.

Drive up from Sussex early Thursday morning I have my P+V tickets for Thursday and Friday and show tickets for both days.

I can already hear the sound of jet engines spooling up and the smell of jet fuel. Heaven.

Home Sunday after an amble around the statics at the end of the show.

See some of you on the crowdline.