Highlights and Lowlights of the 2015 Season

[MRTT]

Thought I would start the annual thread! What were your highlights and lowlights of the season?

HIGHLIGHTS
Spitfire Finale at Duxford- Was just amazing seeing that many Spitfire's in the air at the same time, noise was just incredible!
Vulcan Flypast at Filton- It was lovely to see her turning into the sunlight with her reflection shining of the clouds, was an emotional moment! :
Ramex Delta at RIAT- I know there not some peoples taste but they were just amazing, one of the best displays of the show!
Gnat Display Team at Abingdon- I was very surprised to even see them try in the weather and they did a brilliant job even thought it nearly ended in tragedy
French Navy Role Demo at Yeovilton- The second best display of the season, was also good to see the Entendard's for the final time!
Vulcan Saturday Display at RIAT- It had to be the best display by the Vulcan since restoration, Kev Rumens really did us proud!

LOWLIGHTS
Aviation crashes (Gnat and Shoreham)- Has been a horrible year in the UK, thoughts remain with everyone effected.
Abingdon Weather- The worst weather I have seen there for a long time, glad it cleared up for the Synchro Pair
Lack of food outlets at Old Sarum- I know it wasn't the organiser fault but will include it anywhere
Being kicked out of the FRIAT grandstand at 5- I was disappointed they couldn't keep it open longer on the Thursday but I guess they had to prepare the area!

Over to you!

[Thumper]

There was a thread on here called "That's it" or something but it only did a couple of pages before being bumped onto page 2.

HIGHLIGHTS

The camouflage RAF Typhoon. I'll admit that I used the Typhoon display at RIAT a few years ago as my cue to get a burger as I found it boring. This year however, just a beast of an aircraft really thrown around and in such a stunning scheme, I'll miss the paintjob but I doubt I'll ever walk away from a Typhoon display again!

2 firsts for me this year, the Super Etendards and the MIG-15, very nice to have 2 of the medium sized shows (Yeovilton and Bournemouth) getting such good acts!

Being in close proximity to the Canadian C-17 landing at Yeovilton, I love heavy stuff and this was great to catch at my local airfield.

Naturally the Vulcan has to feature. So many years of pleasure, it had to come to an end at some point but like many I took it for granted. At Bournemouth I stopped taking photo's and videos halfway through the display and just watched the big old girl fly around with style and grace and exit with raw power.

Quite simple but just some wonderful days spent at Yeovilton, Compton Abbas, Old Sarum and Henstridge with friendly like minded folk. No elbows, no mad rushing around, just folk saying "am I in your way" and "going to get a cuppa would you like one", the pleasure I get from days out like that far outweighs any airshow and has given me food for thought which I will come on to below.


LOWLIGHTS

Carfest. I was listening on the radio and pleased to hear the pilot had ejected. Less than 30 minutes later the news confirmed the pilot had died.

Shoreham Airshow. From the moment my friend rang me in hysterics to feeling very "odd" attending Bournemouth the next day, a truly horrific disaster. The loss of life is naturally the worst part of this but for pilot Andy Hill to have survived it and to then be blamed and hounded by the press and public, well, your heart has to go out to him no matter what the cause turns out to be, he never intentionally set out to crash a plane and kill people. Finally, we are all awaiting news on how this will change airshows as we know them.

Medium to large airshows. I'm afraid I just don't enjoy them any more. I never have liked being squashed into a crowd of people, it's what made me give up concerts and festivals. It's one big bun fight to get to the front and a large majority of people have absolutely no regard for anyone around or behind them. I cannot afford enclosures or grandstands. The aircraft seem to be further away than ever and I feel my 75-300 is almost useless. Shooting into the sun, overpriced food and drink, over the top security, bad traffic organisation, combine it all together and for me it is a stressful day out where the cons far outweight the pro's.

[CJS]

Highlights

The BoB tribute at RIAT (those Spitfires ).
The significance of the P-1 flying at RIAT.
Seeing 558 one last time at RIAT (I only went to one show this year...)

The Red Arrows display at Eastbourne on the Sunday - for personal reasons this is my season highlight.

Lowlights - the crashes and sad loss of life, both here and abroad.

Also (but nothing in comparison) not seeing the Lancaster in the air this year.

[FarnboroJohn]

Highlights:

The Camo Typhoon at Dawlish and with P7350 at RIAT.

The Vulcan at RIAT on Saturday, at Beachy Head, and that arrival pass at Dawlish.

Goodwood Battle of Britain celebration - who'd have thought anyone could get so many Spitfires and Hurricanes together!!

The Blenheim in its latest incarnation.

Not a show but the Big Stick in the Solent and the BUFFs and B2s at Fairford.

Lowlights:

Shoreham and its fallout

Immediately following Two Lancasters: No Lancaster!

Three hours to escape from Eastbourne. Next time I'm going to the pub.

John

[HeyfordDave111]

Highlights for me....

The spitfires at RIAT, absolutely lovely
Mig 15 at Southport, subdued display because of Shoreham but more graceful because of it.
The P-1's at RIAT, as it could have led to a great aircraft in our diminished forces inventory
Access to aircraft at RIAT, including the Osprey. Thanks USA!
The Vulcan at the Saturday RIAT that had us all reviewing our pics to see if Kev had really done what we thought he did. Thanks Kev!
The Vulcan at Southport in perfect light, and matching Saturday RIAT.......thanks Kev, again!

Lowlights

I was in a pub in Dublin when I heard of the Shoreham crash, reviewed the video already online and was sick.
Such a terrible accident following on as it did from the equally tragic Oulton Park crash.

The Vulcan
A bit trite, considering what's written above, but I climbed over 2 1/2 hours from Windermere to get up a mountain for its farewell pass, for it to last 20 seconds, bank away, push the revs up and head south east in a pall of smoke from the 4 Olympus. Totally tail on to me as she went away, I watched, knowing that that was it. Over, finished, gone.
The smoke hung there for a long time after 558 had disappeared like a dark rain cloud which indeed it was in a way. Goodbye old friend, it's been fun.

[Slappywag]

Vulcan finally consigned to terra firma.

Absolute highlight.

[JJC]

Vulcan finally consigned to terra firma.

Absolute highlight.

Classy.

[Brevet Cable]

Nope....puerile

[CJS]

Still, at least it was 6 posts before this thread became VTTS thread number 386,721.

[Harvo266]

Highlights of 2015
- The camo typhoon ZK349 - never thought a colour scheme could grow on me so much
- Getting two separate tours round ZK349 and ZK353 at my local airport (Bournemouth) by the fantastic engineers
- Getting a photo with all 10 Red Arrows pilots (even though they aren't everyone's cup of tea)
- Getting a flight in a Puma 2 with Air Cadets - fantastic going low level in formation with another Puma
- RAF Synchro 75 - The most fitting tribute - Old and New in one formation.
- Seeing the Vulcan touch down safely, and ending her career safely.
- The TTTE flypast at RIAT - Tornado's are my favourite aircraft of all time and was amazing to see not one but 3!
- Seeing 3 Typhoon's (ZK349/ZK353/ZK331) all do full afterburner vertical takeoff's at Bournemouth (Gave me goosebumps!)
- Getting a tour round a Tornado GR4 at Marham by a friend of a friend who is a pilot
- Spending 10 brief minutes at a dead Lakenheath until a formation of 6 roared overhead - Right place, Right time!
Lowlights of 2015
- Hearing of the Gnat crash and hearing of the death of Kev - Still feel sick thinking about it
- The Shoreham crash - put a bit of a downer on a fantastic day at Bournemouth, especially after hearing he didn't survive
- Plenty of bad weather and conditions - Abingdon, Cosford, first day of Bournemouth and Dunsfold weekend

Overall, it is 10-3 which is good in hindsight and they are the main highlights, I could state many more highlights whereas they are the only lowlights I have had this year and couldn't really name anymore

Roll on '16!!!

[MicrolightDriver]

Highlights
As you might expect, XH558 will feature on this list!

RIAT - both Saturday and Sunday - on both days the finishing zoom climbs were something I thought I'd never witness.
Dunsfold - 558's display and an opening pass howl that had even hardened observers staring in awe.
Sywell - October and the last ever Vulcan display. What a privilege.
All season - the true level of 558's popularity breaking undeniably into the open and the silencing of all but the most silly of trolls.
Shoreham - a strange one but after the initial crash and without knowing the full extent of the accident, it all became quite calm and reflective and unified. The pernicious myth that lots of people go to airshows to witness accidents was, I think, finally kicked well and truly into touch by that response.
Shoreham - I also had a chance to speak for a short while with Eric 'Winkle' Brown. Despite the circumstances, I thought that was another great privilege and another few moments that I'll never forget.

Lowlights
Shoreham - Surely everyone who was there will list the Hunter crash and its aftermath. Awful.
XH558's retirement - a huge loss from my perspective, and also I think to the airshow scene in the future. So a lowlight, but also mixed with a huge sense of collective achievement for the last decade or two.


No major concerns about traffic, toilets or eateries so another one with the highlights well outweighing the lowlights in 2015.

[Gregg]

Highlights
As you might expect, XH558 will feature on this list!

RIAT - both Saturday and Sunday - on both days the finishing zoom climbs were something I thought I'd never witness.
Dunsfold - 558's display and an opening pass howl that had even hardened observers staring in awe.
Sywell - October and the last ever Vulcan display. What a privilege.
All season - the true level of 558's popularity breaking undeniably into the open and the silencing of all but the most silly of trolls.
Shoreham - a strange one but after the initial crash and without knowing the full extent of the accident, it all became quite calm and reflective and unified. The pernicious myth that lots of people go to airshows to witness accidents was, I think, finally kicked well and truly into touch by that response.
Shoreham - I also had a chance to speak for a short while with Eric 'Winkle' Brown. Despite the circumstances, I thought that was another great privilege and another few moments that I'll never forget.

Lowlights
Shoreham - Surely everyone who was there will list the Hunter crash and its aftermath. Awful.
XH558's retirement - a huge loss from my perspective, and also I think to the airshow scene in the future. So a lowlight, but also mixed with a huge sense of collective achievement for the last decade or two.


No major concerns about traffic, toilets or eateries so another one with the highlights well outweighing the lowlights in 2015.

You forgot to include meeting me.

[AndyXH558]

Highlights

Vulcan over Woodford twice. the sight of her over whats left of her birthplace was something ive wanted to see for quite a while. Just glad i was there for it.
Vulcan at Riat saturday. That take off was something else and reminded me of the old displays of the late 70s and early 80s.
Polish MIG 29 on friday at RIAT. He came between the hangar and the datum line. and pulled up vertical. amazing yet he didnt repeat it again
P1 at RIAT.. What a machine.. think we should be buying them instead of the P8
Battle of Britain Commemorations at RIAT, cosford and Goodwood. to see so many spitfires and hurricanes, then to see the 3rd incarnation of the Blenheim/Bollingbrooke.
727 at Cosford... nice to see something like that displaying
Sea King at Cosford.
Anson and Vulcan flypast at Shuttleworth.
Cammo Typhoon.. loved it
Indian airforce SU30s.. ok not airshows but it was good.

Low Lights
Shoreham accident. i was about to get on a plane to Murcia when i heard the news and i did not want to get on the plane... didnt find out till monday that the pilot , andy hill had survived. the press are still hounding him
The Gnat accident at Car Fest.
Getting disillusioned with the whole FRIAT package. Just didnt do it for me anymore and I strongly doubt i will be going to RIAT for a while.
Vulcan being retired.
Feeling that some night shoots and photo shoots are being priced out of the normal punter like me. exclusive photo clubs and such like..