Eastbourne Airshow 2017

News on all the seaside airshows up and down the country in one forum
Milguy22
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Eastbourne Airshow 2017

Post by Milguy22 »

Belgian F16 confirmed but not sure what dates as on his schedule it said dates tbc.

MattS
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Re: Eastbourne Airshow 2017

Post by MattS »

Latest addition is the Auto Gyro on the two quieter days. The Catalina replaces the B-25, Miss Helen is the Mustang flying now, not the previously thought Tall-In-The-Saddle....suggests possibly a dogfight or set piece with the Buchon and Catalina? Maybe a joint flypast of the F-16 and Mustang is on the cards too? Looks good so far, great variety.

MattS
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Re: Eastbourne Airshow 2017

Post by MattS »

Had a chat with ARCo yesterday and they have confirmed that the Buchon will keep the desert camo and smoke system and she will be using the smoke at Eastbourne, and eluded to her being shot down wherever she goes, when I mentioned a dogfight, suggesting she will indeed be in a dogfight reenactment over the weekend. Also been told by the team that the F-16 is appearing all 4 days hopefully, at least that is what they are working towards.

(Before anyone says anything again, no I didn't copy and paste this info, I found it out myself ;))

CalumG
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Re: Eastbourne Airshow 2017

Post by CalumG »

MattS wrote:Had a chat with ARCo yesterday and they have confirmed that the Buchon will keep the desert camo and smoke system and she will be using the smoke at Eastbourne, and eluded to her being shot down wherever she goes, when I mentioned a dogfight, suggesting she will indeed be in a dogfight reenactment over the weekend. Also been told by the team that the F-16 is appearing all 4 days hopefully, at least that is what they are working towards.

(Before anyone says anything again, no I didn't copy and paste this info, I found it out myself ;))


Ooh interesting! I'm planning on going on Saturday, and maybe go to Shoreham for some of the aircraft on Thursday (that's if some stay there which should be the case since some acts do it every year).

I believe the organisers said they'll be posting the provisional list of displays each day sometime next week, but I could be wrong though!

SEMAE
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Re: Eastbourne Airshow 2017

Post by SEMAE »

The only reason I ever went to Eastbourne was to view and photograph any of the aircaft that transit in out of the area via in front of Beachy Head.

I have been doing that the about 15 years now back to a time when there were only a few general public at Beachy Head on show days and only two or three photographers with serious gear taking pictures of the aircraft on the slopes including me .

With the many more number of people up there in recent years, I am very sure that over the next few shows and with the effects of social media, the CAA changes will eventually take its toll in the reduction in monies being taken from the car parking machines up there .

I will go to Eastbourne on the Thursday and Friday and see if there are any changes this year.

Quite rightly, there are no displays in front of Beachy Head, it even says so on the airshow web site but transits?

Eastbourne has stiff competition this time with Biggin Hill at the weekend on two days and Herne Bay on the one day.

I have will be doing Biggin Hill one day at the weekend. Herne Bay with the sun behind also has a solid line up.

i will wait and see

Martin Eames

MattS
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Re: Eastbourne Airshow 2017

Post by MattS »

Biggin and Eastbourne are two different types of show and I am almost certain that Biggin will have more restrictions than Eastbourne, given location and that fact there is built up areas around the airfield and seeing how other shows have been affected. Beachy Head is counted as a secondary viewing area due to the number of people that are up there and that's just a fact. Gone are the days of aircraft buzzing over the crowds heads at 400ft, and so it should be. Aircraft still transit round the cliffs, they're just further out. Seeming they are there to display for the crowds on the seafront and not to flypast the people on the cliffs, I think it's a fairly moot point to suggest they should do so for a handful of photographers to be fair. The other thing to consider is that Biggin Hill this year is likely a one off show of this calibre and Biggin is only on that weekend because of Eastbourne, not the other way round, so as to secure displays they wouldn't otherwise get I imagine. I don't think Eastbourne are under any kind of threat or pressure from Biggin this year and will likely pull massive crowds as per usual.

MC hammer
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Re: Eastbourne Airshow 2017

Post by MC hammer »

I've done Beachy Head for a few years now.

The photographers there don't expect aircraft to fly past the cliffs for their benefit, well maybe the Vulcan, they just wait there and hope for the best, with previous years being quite productive. I've been there and got nothing much from a particular aircraft for three days and then nailed it on just the one day, when the pilot just happened to fly it just right from a photographer's point of view, it's just pot luck and we know that.

Last year was particularly poor for us at Beachy Head, whether that was to do with new regulations was hard to tell, as there would appear to be no danger to a secondary crowd in flying below them and over the sea. Meanwhile some aircraft arrived over the land, having cut the corner, so I don't really know what was going on. As I've said, it is pot luck, so maybe last year was simply a year for being a bit unlucky.

As for this year, I expect the Typhoon and F-16 will arrive and depart from/to the east, as they normally do, i.e. not around Beachy Head, as I assume they will both be operating out of Biggin. I also assume the Chinook on Sunday will come from Biggin, rather than it's normal location of Shoreham, which would have brought it around the Head, so I really don't expect much this year photo wise from modern military. I am aware that the Typhoon and F-16 have come around BH one year each only, so I hope to be proved wrong.

The real issue is the lack of displays being offered by the modern military for the organizers to book. Had there been a Tucano, King Air, Belgian NH-90 or Sea King, Dutch AB-412/ NH-90, operating out of Shoreham, we might have had a better chance of getting something. Could do with some settled weather also.

I think Eastbourne and Biggin are the same weekend next year according to some dates that I have seen.

MattS
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Re: Eastbourne Airshow 2017

Post by MattS »

The aircraft flew wider or not round beachy head at all, because they were told to keep well clear, I asked several of the teams and pilots last year and that's what they were instructed to do. Give it a wide birth as the distance line is the same as down on the seafront, which last year was from the end of the pier not the seafront itself, and for the cliffs it is the same distance away from the secondary viewing area, which starts from the beach below the cliffs I believe. The exception was the BBMF as it's military and exempt to some degree, and obviously the Reds as they move around to get into different formations - although who's to say that won't also be affected this year.

Chinook hasn't operated from Shoreham for a number of years now, always comes straight from Odiham. Saw on Twitter that the Typhoon guys said the Chinnie team are coming from Odiham this year too, not being based at Biggin for the weekend, as they're only doing Biggin one day and Eastbourne the other, with a flypast at Headcorn as well over the weekend. I'd imagine the usual suspects basing at various airports, warbirds and aerobatics at Shoreham, big military at Biggin and classic Jets at North Weald or Lydd again. Exceptions being Catalina at Headcorn and Chinook at Odiham.

We'd have a better idea of what to expect and when once they release their daily lineups, believe it's a few last minute changes/additions which has delayed things somewhat. I know "Doc" said he'd try to flypast EB in the Wasp on his way to Herne Bay so maybe it's him :P

MC hammer
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Re: Eastbourne Airshow 2017

Post by MC hammer »

Thanks MattS,

To give the top of Beachy Head a wide berth I completely understand, as that is where the secondary crowd is and the pleasure flight helis operate from there during the show.

The huge irony is, that one could be forgiven for thinking that by doing this, more aircraft would have to route around the Head and for once, a regulation might benefit photographers but to have specific clearances when aircraft are below and wide of the secondary crowd seems like unnecessary overkill, unless there is something that is not apparent to me.

But then in the greater scheme of things, I don't suppose it matters to anyone other than the few dozen photographers that used to make the time and effort to get there and this very point was debated at some length on this forum after last years show anyway, so it's just going over old ground again.

If anyone has not already seen them, take a look at the wonderful photos entitled "a look down on Bray 2017" by Niall Grant, in the Airshow Photos section on this forum, just to see how things could be. (And yes I am aware that Bray is not in the UK, so is treated differently).

CalumG
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Re: Eastbourne Airshow 2017

Post by CalumG »

Army Historic Flight saying they are attending Eastbourne with the Beaver and Scout; Thursday and Friday only.

MattS
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Re: Eastbourne Airshow 2017

Post by MattS »

Daily provisional Lineup has been announced for Eastbourne. Looks like the F-16 is only the weekend days which is still great. Army Historic Flight are Thursday and Friday plus Sunday, with the Chinook moved from Sunday to Saturday. Looks a good lineup.

clearstone
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Re: Eastbourne Airshow 2017

Post by clearstone »

If you don't want to trawl through MattS's wish-lists and fantasy - go here: http://www.eastbourneairshow.com/Flying-Lineup.aspx

CalumG
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Re: Eastbourne Airshow 2017

Post by CalumG »

Not a bad line up actually! I look forward to going on the Saturday! :smile:

MC hammer
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Re: Eastbourne Airshow 2017

Post by MC hammer »

I have just e-mailed the Eastbourne Airshow team, to clarify the Chinook is displaying on Saturday the 19th, as the Chinook Display Team site says the 20th for Eastbourne. Social media may have the answer but I can't be bothered with looking through all that.

I also e-mailed them last week asking how the Red Arrows pilots would be doing a meet and greet at Eastbourne from 14-30 on the Friday and then displaying at 15-00 flying from Biggin Hill. Even they cannot be in two places at once. For info, they did reply saying that the Arrow's pilots won't be coming back to Eastbourne this year and it was an error, which has since been taken down.

clearstone
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Re: Eastbourne Airshow 2017

Post by clearstone »

Chinook now displaying on Sunday 20th August.

[fb-post]http://www.facebook.com/AirbourneEastbourne/posts/10155287501778429[/fb-post]

MC hammer
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Re: Eastbourne Airshow 2017

Post by MC hammer »

Well there you go, Chinook now on Sunday, seems it was worth me dropping them an e-mail. Eastbourne did say the change happened this morning though.

Their reply also stated the Army Historic flight will now be the Scout and Beaver, instead of Scout and Sioux.

clearstone
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Re: Eastbourne Airshow 2017

Post by clearstone »

F-16 now all four days!

[fb-post]https://www.facebook.com/AirbourneEastbourne/posts/10155294131503429:0[/fb-post]

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paullangford
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Re: Eastbourne Airshow 2017

Post by paullangford »

Beachy Head viewing opportunities will be the same as last year, secondary crowd status & aircraft to give a wide berth, according to the Eastbourne Tourist Information Board :tumbleweed:

MC hammer
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Re: Eastbourne Airshow 2017

Post by MC hammer »

I will give it a go one day from Fri-Sun and see how it goes but I fear the worst.
Shame, I used to go up there with such anticipation.

FGR2
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Re: Eastbourne Airshow 2017

Post by FGR2 »

I used to go to Beachy Head, never went into town as the unique top sides, with a view out over the channel and also being able to avoid the mass hoardes on the sea front made Eastbourne a bit special.

I won't be going, as it has lost it's uniqueness now :(

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Re: Eastbourne Airshow 2017

Post by timuss »

Same pointless now last year was a waste of time.
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blackcat
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Re: Eastbourne Airshow 2017

Post by blackcat »

And still the the web site says you can watch from beachy head for a unique view.
It does state that the display are not there but even so i still find it a bit strange.
http://www.eastbourneairshow.com/Visit.aspx

clearstone
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Re: Eastbourne Airshow 2017

Post by clearstone »

It's not wrong - you can see the displays alongside the seafront there, just from a distance.

Beachy Head is popular all year round and more so during the airshow. Not everyone who goes up during the airshow there is a photographer and many just enjoy a different view to normal.

It is Eastbourne Borough Council's land up there and therefore they have a duty of care to keep the roads accessible for visitors, public transport and the other businesses. If they didn't offer the larger car parking areas on the Downs during Airbourne, it was cause chaos on the Beachy Head road.

You can argue about Beachy Head and previous photo opportunities until you are blue in the face but it will not change anything. Events now get permissions that define very specific display areas and outside of them, aircraft have to fly to normal rules of the air.

MC hammer
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Re: Eastbourne Airshow 2017

Post by MC hammer »

I don't think anyone is really arguing about the lack of photo opportunities.

Despite my previous comment suggesting that aircraft flying over the sea and below spectators are not a danger to them, even I can see that a simple "don't fly over BH" is too ambiguous, with a regulation requiring specific distances away from the affected area having to be written in.

It's more, as others have pointed out, that without Beachy Head, Eastbourne loses it's best asset that drew photographers there and it becomes just an airshow with limited opportunities, mainly facing the sun, offering little or nothing that you could not get anywhere else, hence why people are understandably saying they won't bother going.

As I said, I will give it a go on one day, I'm local enough to give it a shot but I think that maybe all I will get might be a decent pass by one of the Red Arrows singletons, although the possibility of getting something from the Chinook on Sunday, if it comes in that way, might tempt me back up there for a second go if the weather plays ball. If I go Friday or Saturday, I will let you know how I got on, if others have not already done so.

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paullangford
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Re: Eastbourne Airshow 2017

Post by paullangford »

clearstone wrote:It's not wrong - you can see the displays alongside the seafront there, just from a distance.

Beachy Head is popular all year round and more so during the airshow. Not everyone who goes up during the airshow there is a photographer and many just enjoy a different view to normal.

It is Eastbourne Borough Council's land up there and therefore they have a duty of care to keep the roads accessible for visitors, public transport and the other businesses. If they didn't offer the larger car parking areas on the Downs during Airbourne, it was cause chaos on the Beachy Head road.

You can argue about Beachy Head and previous photo opportunities until you are blue in the face but it will not change anything. Events now get permissions that define very specific display areas and outside of them, aircraft have to fly to normal rules of the air.


The website stated (until a few days ago) that the Beachy Head site offered............. "excellent views of flying displays over Eastbourne"
I emailed them and asked why (as per last year) they are still selling this area as "excellent", when they know, from their own FDD, and last years implementation of the new regs, that the area will be avoided by aircraft........they seem to have dropped the word 'excellent' from the website now.
I fully understand that their FFD has his hands tied, but Eastbourne CC shouldn't be selling the area as it used to be, the regs have changed, and so have the viewing opportunities that made this place have a unique selling point......i.e aircraft flying lower than you, aircraft flying over you, & aircraft transiting into and out of the display area near to you.
I went last year and it was a wasted trip, Eastbourne CC didn't tell anybody then about how the new regs would drastically affect viewing from there.

It's just a real shame, I loved it on that cliff, and for the life of me I can't see how aircraft flying lower than you, not displaying, just transiting past or holding..............over the sea !, are a danger.........but hey ho, someone with greater responsibilities than me have deemed that it is too risky to keep things as they were.

I..........might.................pop over there if I see some half decent photos from the week though................if not........... Biggin Hill have won.

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