Shuttleworth Heritage Day - 2nd September 2018

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IP1960
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Re: Shuttleworth Heritage Day - 2nd September 2018

Post by IP1960 »

So it wasn't just me that thought the commentary was a little odd at times! As others have said they seemed to be surprised/confused by several arrivals, the BBMF Dakota and the Spitfire PRXIs being the prime examples, could they not communicate with those in the tower a few feet behind them? From their chat I gather that one of them was at Old Warden for the first time in his life.

As for the flying, any disappointment over certain missing items and short displays are always tempered by the enjoyment of these wonderful aircraft flying around in front of me at my favourite venue on a lovely sunny day.

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Dan O'Hagan
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Re: Shuttleworth Heritage Day - 2nd September 2018

Post by Dan O'Hagan »

It's been a rum old season at Shuttleworth. The first few shows were among the best at the venue in years and years, but since around the point of the Fly Navy III damp squib, things have taken a notable turn for the worse.

Be it the will-they-won't-they-use-the-bend uncertainty, distant displays, star items flown in the harshest light, formations for the sake of it, lack of topsides at some shows or the proliferation of aerobatic filler guff items, Old Warden has taken its eye off the ball and is in danger of losing much of what makes the shows special.

The first couple of shows this year were as close to perfect as a modern airshow can be - I hope they don't sacrifice that in the apparent desire to chase the non-Shuttleworth tattoos-vests-and-trough-of-Stella audience.

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BrawlerO
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Re: Shuttleworth Heritage Day - 2nd September 2018

Post by BrawlerO »

I pretty much agree with the previous comments but the weather was good and some nice aircraft were flying so not a bad way to spend Sunday afternoon.

Interesting to note that the commentators kept banging on about being the best/only venue to see close up flying when a lot of times yesterday it was clearly not the case. Almost as if they were trying to convince the crowd that what they were seeing was something different. Something has definitely changed from earlier in the year though, there wasn’t much bend action and when I think back to the Lanc arrival in May’s opener it doesn’t compare. I think the main frustration is the inconsistency...

UKAirshowTour
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Re: Shuttleworth Heritage Day - 2nd September 2018

Post by UKAirshowTour »

Just out of interest did that long-EZ that flew over have clearance during the magister display

IP1960
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Re: Shuttleworth Heritage Day - 2nd September 2018

Post by IP1960 »

UKAirshowTour wrote:Just out of interest did that long-EZ that flew over have clearance during the magister display


Yes I wondered that - due to my forgetfulness the batteries had packed up on my radio so heard no tower yesterday.

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Tbolt
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Re: Shuttleworth Heritage Day - 2nd September 2018

Post by Tbolt »

I thought it was a pretty good show, certainly not the worse this year, but not the best either.

It is frustrating when certain acts don't fly the bend properly and I thought the C-47 might at least display with some wide curves like the Lancaster's last visit here, but it's display was quite disappointing.

As for people not liking the formations, well I quite enjoy some of them but prefer them to only do one or two passes before going solo. The Comet spent more time trying to land than it did in it's solo display!

But still a great day anyway, fingers crossed for the weather for race day.

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Re: Shuttleworth Heritage Day - 2nd September 2018

Post by UKTopgun »

The Long Ez was very much an intruder and the tower described it as such, it sought no permission to enter the ATZ.
I loved the first of the PR spit displays, I was stunned by how low it got! Was that JR or PT, because it was not clear from the commentators.
OW missed Ben D yesterday on the mic, was he doing another show?

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Re: Shuttleworth Heritage Day - 2nd September 2018

Post by UKAirshowTour »

UKTopgun wrote:The Long Ez was very much an intruder and the tower described it as such, it sought no permission to enter the ATZ.
I loved the first of the PR spit displays, I was stunned by how low it got! Was that JR or PT, because it was not clear from the commentators.
OW missed Ben D yesterday on the mic, was he doing another show?

Thanks for that. The first one was John in the new restoration

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Re: Shuttleworth Heritage Day - 2nd September 2018

Post by UKAirshowTour »

I must be missing something. I always love old warden and I thought the navy day was brilliant again and the June evening show was one of the best I’ve been to

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Abbo46
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Re: Shuttleworth Heritage Day - 2nd September 2018

Post by Abbo46 »

Ben was in Portrush. :up:

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Re: Shuttleworth Heritage Day - 2nd September 2018

Post by UKTopgun »

So that turned out to be Peter's OW swansong then... Anyone know where his last ever display will be?

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Abbo46
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Re: Shuttleworth Heritage Day - 2nd September 2018

Post by Abbo46 »

Unless he's confirmed for another event between now and then, it's looking to be Duxford on the 23rd.

stuart n
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Re: Shuttleworth Heritage Day - 2nd September 2018

Post by stuart n »

I'm sure yesterday's show was advertised as extraordinary women for the theme but I didn't pick up on any of that :question:
As others have said the commentary was awful and he certainly waved the red rag to a bull with his comment about the LLA show being full of spam, can't see him being asked back to Old Warden.

The show itself was as enjoyable as ever and John Romain gave a masterclass in PL983, an absolute joy to watch. Not the best show at Old Warden but by no means the worse. Without naming names a couple of the pilots were chatting to the crowd near me after their displays and they are as frustrated as the rules as we are. "We'd love to fly lower and closer but we have to comply with the CAA rules otherwise we'll just fly in circles at 1000 feet" was the comment one made.
Not sure I get the issue with the bend, all 4 shows I've been to this year have offered plenty of topsides :dunno:

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Tbolt
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Re: Shuttleworth Heritage Day - 2nd September 2018

Post by Tbolt »

stuart n wrote:I'm sure yesterday's show was advertised as extraordinary women for the theme but I didn't pick up on any of that :question:
As others have said the commentary was awful and he certainly waved the red rag to a bull with his comment about the LLA show being full of spam, can't see him being asked back to Old Warden.

The show itself was as enjoyable as ever and John Romain gave a masterclass in PL983, an absolute joy to watch. Not the best show at Old Warden but by no means the worse. Without naming names a couple of the pilots were chatting to the crowd near me after their displays and they are as frustrated as the rules as we are. "We'd love to fly lower and closer but we have to comply with the CAA rules otherwise we'll just fly in circles at 1000 feet" was the comment one made.
Not sure I get the issue with the bend, all 4 shows I've been to this year have offered plenty of topsides :dunno:


I don't know what the regulations are but why can a Spitfire, Hurricane or Comet can fly reasonable low and at a reasonable distance yet when aircraft like the Gladiator displayed it was a lot higher and didn't fly a proper curve? Or is that just some pilots being more cautious than others?

IP1960
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Re: Shuttleworth Heritage Day - 2nd September 2018

Post by IP1960 »

UKTopgun wrote:The Long Ez was very much an intruder and the tower described it as such, it sought no permission to enter the ATZ.
I loved the first of the PR spit displays, I was stunned by how low it got! Was that JR or PT, because it was not clear from the commentators.
OW missed Ben D yesterday on the mic, was he doing another show?


Another thank you for the Long-EZ confirmation. At least this time he was readily identifiable unlike the "Unknown aircraft" during the Typhoon display at OW in May.

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AlexC
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Re: Shuttleworth Heritage Day - 2nd September 2018

Post by AlexC »

LN Strike Eagle wrote:Just go back to basics. One aircraft at a time, with an emphasis on being low, close and using the bend.


Just about sums up everything that I would have said. And as an aside, is it really going to cost £100,000 to refurbish two Mercury engines?
Pte. Aubrey Gerald Harmer, R. Suss. R. (att. to the Sherwood Foresters) KIA 26/9/1917 Polygon Wood, aged 19, NKG. RIP

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LN Strike Eagle
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Re: Shuttleworth Heritage Day - 2nd September 2018

Post by LN Strike Eagle »

LN Strike Eagle wrote:Commentators very much had a feel of local radio DJs. Some odd remarks besides the points you made too, like praising a Shuttleworth crowd for not littering...?

Just to go back on this, I've remembered the other thing they said that I found very odd. It was a remark about airmanship and how it's so much better at Shuttleworth as there's no pressure or competitive nature between the pilots to try and out-do each other that there is at other airshows. First and foremost, it's absolutely not true, because the bulk of pilots at any given airshow will also make up the pool at the next one you go to at another venue, and secondly, it's not very wise in the current climate to put that sort of message out there, especially given that they're still not naming pilots at Shuttleworth until they're safely back on the ground...
"You really are an oafish philistine at times!"

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AlexC
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Re: Shuttleworth Heritage Day - 2nd September 2018

Post by AlexC »

Yes, I agree, that was an odd thing to say. And as far as littering is concerned, perhaps he was right to praise the Shuttleworth crowd as I've seen vast amounts of litter left at some other events, not least Farnborough allbeit many years ago. Hopefully things have improved there now?
Pte. Aubrey Gerald Harmer, R. Suss. R. (att. to the Sherwood Foresters) KIA 26/9/1917 Polygon Wood, aged 19, NKG. RIP

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Re: Shuttleworth Heritage Day - 2nd September 2018

Post by UKAirshowTour »

The commentary also said the LAA event was full of uninteresting aircraft even though the collections mew Gull was there. It isn’t my sort of event but I’d never dig at another event associated to the hobby

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AlexC
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Re: Shuttleworth Heritage Day - 2nd September 2018

Post by AlexC »

UKAirshowTour wrote:The commentary also said the LAA event was full of uninteresting aircraft even though the collections mew Gull was there.


I didn't catch that, but sounds like a rather unprofessional thing for him to say. We need to know who this person was so he can be taken to task! :wat:
Pte. Aubrey Gerald Harmer, R. Suss. R. (att. to the Sherwood Foresters) KIA 26/9/1917 Polygon Wood, aged 19, NKG. RIP

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Re: Shuttleworth Heritage Day - 2nd September 2018

Post by Ryan. »

AlexC wrote:is it really going to cost £100,000 to refurbish two Mercury engines?


It's a very rare engine. Have no reason to doubt it.

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AlexC
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Re: Shuttleworth Heritage Day - 2nd September 2018

Post by AlexC »

Ryan. wrote:It's a very rare engine. Have no reason to doubt it.


OK, fair enough. :up:
Pte. Aubrey Gerald Harmer, R. Suss. R. (att. to the Sherwood Foresters) KIA 26/9/1917 Polygon Wood, aged 19, NKG. RIP

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Re: Shuttleworth Heritage Day - 2nd September 2018

Post by UKAirshowTour »

AlexC wrote:
LN Strike Eagle wrote:Just go back to basics. One aircraft at a time, with an emphasis on being low, close and using the bend.


Just about sums up everything that I would have said. And as an aside, is it really going to cost £100,000 to refurbish two Mercury engines?

The Merlin costs about that much so it’s probably true

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Re: Shuttleworth Heritage Day - 2nd September 2018

Post by UK Airshow Review »

  • "PRU Blue" - Nick Jennings reports from the Collection for UK Airshow Review.

    Image Image Image Image Image

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Re: Shuttleworth Heritage Day - 2nd September 2018

Post by svas_volunteer »

Just a quick note to say the ex Peter Holloway Steiglitz is still alive and well in one piece in Virginia with the MAM as far as I know, also as you may have noticed many of the aircraft you list as not participating are not flying due to unserviceability not through choice. I think sometimes people forget how unique these aircraft are and how we assume they will always work every time.

Just the quick private views of one of the volunteers at the show and in no way an official statement from any of the groups.


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