Your Favourite UK Airshow Venue

[Professor_M]

With the UK Airshow season reaching its conclusion today at Duxford, I was wondering what forumites view as their favourite (current) UK airshow venue - and why?

The question is primarily centred on the venue, less about the overall airshow and participation - for me, my choice would be Shuttleworth for its closer and curving crowd line, (a perhaps fairly generic answer, but it would be interesting to hear of other venues that people are particularly fond of).

Answers on a postcard...

(Any notable past or foreign venues may make interesting postscripts).

[Rick]

Can't disagree on Shuttleworth. The whole feel of the place is totally unique in the UK and when the weather plays ball and the Edwardians fly you just can't beat the it.

[jasonT1981]

Newcastle, but sadly we've not had an airshow since 2019.

In-fact we haven't had an airshow at all in NI since 2019 lol. However, it has to be Duxford and Fairford.

Fairford because it is the biggest and best of the UK shows, most of the displays you see there won't be seen anywhere else in the UK.

I like Duxford as it is easy to get to, and a great museum so there is plenty to do pre-show.

As much as I enjoy Cosford, I find it terrible to get to and from.

[Mike]

^^^
Tell me you’ve never been to Shuttleworth without telling me you’ve never been to Shuttleworth

[iainpeden]

Fairford because it’s the only place likely to get a (live) Phantom.

[Unknown74]

It's either Ayr Low Green, (but would be great to have a static at Prestwick), or Duxford, was at BoB last year. Was somewhere near Lossie for Lossie Fest but sadly not on base, not that lucky.......

Oh how I miss Leuchars, Mildenhall, Waddington.............

[FarnboroJohn]

Derwent Reservoir. No static but great background.

[Alpha Delta 210]

Until my first visit to the Victory Show at Cosby, I would have said Old Warden. However, I was blown away by the position of the sun, the closeness of the runway and flying displays and the continuous top-side passes at this year's show at Foxlands Farm. I hope to return in 2024!

[jasonT1981]

^^^
Tell me you’ve never been to Shuttleworth without telling me you’ve never been to Shuttleworth

Nope, sadly never been to Shuttleworth

[farnboroughrob]

For me its Fairford, it is the only real airshow left for me. While I love warbirds and vintage aircraft Duxford and OW are just too samey year after year for me. I like fast jets operating from the show site, I want to smell the jet fuel and feel the ground shake, thats why I love RIAT departures. I want to wander round an interesting staticdisplay, really miss Yeovilton with it's chance to nose round the hangars. To be honest I enjot a day at Lakenheath or Coningsby as much as I enjoy an airshow.

[AndyXH558]

I really like the little airshows nowadays, old warden and Cosby are 2 perfect examples.

Why?
580A5129 by andrew abbott, on Flickr
511 by andrew abbott, on Flickr

Thats why

[Gt5500]

Until my first visit to the Victory Show at Cosby, I would have said Old Warden. However, I was blown away by the position of the sun, the closeness of the runway and flying displays and the continuous top-side passes at this year's show at Foxlands Farm. I hope to return in 2024!

Seconded, as a venue (note to all those talking about content rather than the venue) it's very hard to beat.

[Mike]

As a venue, Old Warden trumps all others to me (even Cosby) as unlike almost anywhere else you have the ability to park right by the crowdline, on a gentle slope which means that wherever you are parked you can watch the display from beside your car if you wish, or have just a short walk to the crowdline. Add to that a curved display line with the sun largely behind you, a relaxed atmosphere, a nice selection of historic vehicles and hangared aircraft to look around in the morning, reasonably-priced catering, and the occasional evening airshow, and I’ve yet to encounter a better venue in my many visits to other airshows worldwide.

[capercaillie]

Cannot argue against Old Warden, its perfect, picturesque, open and easy to view all that is going on, sun is in the right place and the dog legged crowdline makes for great topsides.

Cosby for a temporary strip is excellent and the availabilities once the aircraft are airborne is as good as Old Warden, but its difficult to access all of the crowdline and you are almost too close to the runway for take offs.

We are also very lucky in the fact that our remaining one major military show in the UK is at an airfield where the sun is behind us, facilities are put on for arrivals and departures and its big enough to land anything there. Probably no other airfield in the country could facilitate that for us now.

[5944]

Definitely Shuttleworth for current air show venues. For shows that don't exist any more, easily Dawlish from the hillside at Smugglers Cove, pre-Shoreham. Nice relaxing day, sat on a picnic blanket, while various aircraft get thrown about above and below you.

[EGDR]

Well obviously I'm biased here, but I'd say the dearly missed RNAS Culdrose Air Day would be near the top of my list for a few good reasons:

- sun always to your back
- nice amount of static displays interspersed with many 'on-topic' stalls and displays
- flight line long enough to allow for the bigger acts but not so long that the smaller acts would get lost
- near uninterrupted crowdline
- nice backdrop behind a good portion of the runway

Obviously there was always one big downside: the Cornish weather

EDIT: I only just noticed the "current" bit in the original post, but I'll leave this one up anyway, I'm always holding onto a small slither of hope it might one day come back!

[Seahornet]

Speaking of smaller venues, I'd suggest that Ragley Hall would take some beating. The intimate garden-party atmosphere, and the natural amphitheatre of the terrain - it's just a very pleasant place to watch planes....

[GeeRam]

Another vote for Old Warden of the current active venues (not that I've been to one for a few years now)

Of past venues, I always likes BoB At Home at RAF Abingdon, as sun was behind you, as was Alconbury, which was always like a Mildenhall-lite as well.
But, top of the tree was RAF Binbrook and massed Frightnings

[Mike]

Another vote for Old Warden of the current active venues (not that I've been to one for a few years now)

Of past venues, I always likes BoB At Home at RAF Abingdon, as sun was behind you, as was Alconbury, which was always like a Mildenhall-lite as well.
But, top of the tree was RAF Binbrook and massed Frightnings

But what was so great about Binbrook as a venue (rather than the show content)?

The only time I went, I got absolutely drenched!

[GeeRam]

Another vote for Old Warden of the current active venues (not that I've been to one for a few years now)

Of past venues, I always likes BoB At Home at RAF Abingdon, as sun was behind you, as was Alconbury, which was always like a Mildenhall-lite as well.
But, top of the tree was RAF Binbrook and massed Frightnings

But what was so great about Binbrook as a venue (rather than the show content)?

The only time I went, I got absolutely drenched!

I actually rather liked is old WW2 remote, stuck up on the top of the wolds old RAF charm, and apart from the Q-shed and a few others things, it was not much changed from its WW2 era, so along with the Frightnings, I thought is was quite an atmospheric old place really.

[FarnboroJohn]

I'd agree with the assessment of Binbrook having sat on the post and rails fence, feet inside the base, waving at the Lightning pilots waving back with both hands (steering with feet of course).

[JMC]

Used to be Biggin Hill!

[cometguymk1]

Old warden for their summer evening shows. There is something magical to me about 20s-30s biplanes puttering around in that golden sun

[Cole]

i know everyone has said Old Warden, but i have to agree, there is some thing so magicial and awe-inspiring about the place that no other venue has.

[UKTopgun]

For me Little Gransden may be my fave. The atmosphere is warm and relaxed, the planes start up and taxi very close, the trip there through country lanes is a delight. It's the epitome of an English show on a summer day.