Thoughts on the show.

All the chat about the bi-annual spectacular
User avatar
Jetnoise
Posts: 874
Joined: Sun 31 Aug 2008, 11:31 am
Location: Ashford Middlesex, UK
Contact:

Thoughts on the show.

Post by Jetnoise »

I did not attend the show two years ago, but heard and read the horror stories concerning the public days. It was therefore with some trepidation that I agreed to take one of my step-sons and two of the Grandchildren to the show this year. My thoughts on the day are:

Journey in – great. Left home (Heathrow area) with step-son and grandkids loaded at 07:15 – used M3/J4A route as described on this forum (and which I had used on the Wednesday) but on arrival (07:50) found Gate I closed to public and redirected in to Eelmoor car park nearby. 5 minute wait for bus then a convoluted route to Gate F where we queued for the gates to open. Security was slow for our lane (one with baggage scanner) but acceptable and good-natured.

Viewing – good – bagged a spot immediately to the west of the grandstand and set up camp. Kids went off to view static/stalls (I had been in on the Wednesday so was happy to relax with a coffee whilst they did so). Kids loved the spot for watching the show – was personally surprised that we were not crushed/mobbed – all seemed orderly with the exception of 2 young girls who pushed their way to the front and then proceeded to wave inflatable hawks and Red Arrows flags around in front of the assembled lenses – a few curt words from me on a couple of occasions minimised the impact on those around. Parents (as usual) nowhere to be seen.
One gripe – it was bad enough during the trade days having the “security” chaps standing three yards in front of the crowd line, was it really necessary to have them sitting in large golf buggies in front of the crowd on the Sunday?

Display – uninspiring. The Vulcan was better than expected – great noise and agility and the Extra aerobatics spectacular. Highlight for me though was the Lynx – despite my disappointment that the Wildcat was replaced by an older model, the display was quite stunning. The rest seemed sedate and distant with the possible exception of the A380. The P8 was quite yawn-worthy. At least we were not treated to another look at the UAV flying we endured on Wednesday :sleepy: . Kids disappointed by the single Lancaster flypast – their great-grandfather had spent a great deal of his war strapped in the extreme rear end of them and they were hoping to get a better look at it.

Journey out – I hoped to achieve a smooth exit by leaving during the Reds – the kids were happy with this (they mainly wanted to see the Lancaster, Vulcan and Harrier) so we watched the take-off (16:00) and packed up. Straight on to a bus at F gate (last 4 passengers on one that was waiting) and off via the peri-track to I Gate and then the Eelmoor car park – had to walk the length of the car park back to the car as the bus simply stopped on the road outside rather than taking us in. Got to the car at 16:30 and to the M3 and home at 17:10 – excellent – only (small) queue was at the penultimate roundabout before the M3. Saw the Connie flying as we joined the M3 – would have liked to stay for it but avoiding the traffic was more important.

Summary – the Kids loved it – a great day out for them and reasonably priced for what was provided (since the grandkids were included in step-son’s ticket). Took our own food & drink so total personal expenditure (on top of the ticket price) was £2.50 for the rather good Lavazza coffee. From an enthusiast’s point of view, not a great show but some interesting types and a chance to see a Harrier in the air in the UK again (even if the display was lack-lustre). Hopefully the show will have sparked some enduring enthusiasm in the youngsters present – us grumpy old gits need their interest to keep the hobby (and overall aviation scene) alive!

Cheers,
Ralph
www.ralphluntphotography.com
www.jetnoise.co.uk
There's only one way to skin a cat - with a very sharp knife.

User avatar
MRTT
Posts: 3198
Joined: Sun 30 Jun 2013, 9:40 pm
Location: Chippenham, Wiltshire
Contact:

Re: Thoughts on the show.

Post by MRTT »

You must nave been near me, those two girls were a pain in the backside .
2016 Shows
Duxford Spring
Weston
Cosford
Yeovilton
RIAT
Bournemouth
Jersey

User avatar
Jetnoise
Posts: 874
Joined: Sun 31 Aug 2008, 11:31 am
Location: Ashford Middlesex, UK
Contact:

Re: Thoughts on the show.

Post by Jetnoise »

I was next to a Japanese gentleman (to his left) who was most affected by these 2 brats but too polite to say anything - they kept pushing between him and a (presumably) father and son combo seated one man away from the grandstand fence.

The flags nearly required surgical removal at one point!

Cheers,
Ralph
www.ralphluntphotography.com
www.jetnoise.co.uk
There's only one way to skin a cat - with a very sharp knife.

User avatar
Aviation94
Posts: 155
Joined: Tue 17 Aug 2010, 1:58 pm
Contact:

Re: Thoughts on the show.

Post by Aviation94 »

I went on Saturday thinking that I would come home soaked having not seen much flying. How wrong could I be.

It was a bit wet when we entered the show ground but it turned into a glorious day. Getting in was a breeze for me. No security problems. Got to a brilliant spot and overall thought the show was pretty good. My highlights were the Red Arrows, Vulcan, Super Connie (even though it only did a couple of passes). I also enjoyed the Dakotas display. My lowlights were The Great War Display Team (I personally felt the display was too busy) & The Starduster.

Overall I really enjoyed the day... although I'm now feeling the side effects of standing in the sun all day!

I do however have one major problem... getting out of the showground was an absolute nightmare! There were empty busses just sat there! It took an hour to get from the back of the bus queue to where they were letting people through to the busses. The marshalls didn't seem to know what they were doing and It was baking hot!

Apart from that I can congratulate the organisers on a brilliant show!

NC

My Farnborough Playlist:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=P ... wjtbm5FN8b
Canon 650d, Sigma 70-300mm, Kenko 1.4 dgx mc4 tc

Youtube: http://ow.ly/zhAed

User avatar
Rampvan
Posts: 769
Joined: Mon 21 Oct 2013, 1:00 pm
Location: Farnborough

Re: Thoughts on the show.

Post by Rampvan »

Being one of the six "security" chaps from Monday to Friday from the Blue grandstand down to the west end of the line working a 12 hour shift (2 on 2 off) from 07.00 to 19.00 it was Bloody hot every day..... !! as aviation94 says , he suffered after one day in the sun all day...try doing 7 days, in long black trousers and no shade !! the buggies turned up Friday afternoon after many of said security chaps wilted with sunburn and sunstroke down the other end of the display line....if you had ventured down to our end (as many enthusiasts did) you would have found us to be very spotter/enthusiast friendly :wave:

User avatar
effects
Posts: 1275
Joined: Sun 31 Aug 2008, 4:36 pm
Location: 1.5 miles west of 06 EGLF

Re: Thoughts on the show.

Post by effects »

As rampers said Mon-fri the crowds were almost non existent at our end, do not think I spoiled a single shot! (waits to be corrected!!), I did post earlier on the forum that Mon-Fri this would be the place to be.
Nikon P900 (Sony DSC-HX400V, Sony DSC-HX300 and DSC-H2 retired)

UKTopgun
UKAR Supporter
Posts: 1360
Joined: Sat 19 Dec 2009, 10:16 pm

Re: Thoughts on the show.

Post by UKTopgun »

I have to say I have seen loads of AAC Lynx displays over the years, and I thought yesterday, oh just another singleton Lynx, but the display blew me away! Best I ever saw from that type. Very punchy and some things I have never seen it do before.
It also got me thinking, I doubt we will get many more AAC Lynx displays as the type is nearing end of life. Well done AAC! :clap:

Rossbeef
Posts: 337
Joined: Fri 26 Sep 2008, 8:40 pm

Re: Thoughts on the show.

Post by Rossbeef »

I am glad i did not go in the end. After 2012 being an absolute disaster i said to myself i would never go again unless it was a very good line up. The good days are long gone sadly and the prices are extortionate. It would have to be a very very good line up for me to go in 2016. I have seen better air shows at Southend!

User avatar
DanH
Posts: 2126
Joined: Mon 09 Mar 2009, 2:35 pm
Location: Worthing, West Sussex

Re: Thoughts on the show.

Post by DanH »

I thought the show was okay but way overpriced for what we got. My only couple of gripes were that having parked in the Eelmore car park we saw the long queue for the buses and decided to walk it instead as there was a sign saying it was a 1km walk to the airshow. My arse was it 1km, more like 1 mile. The security was way over the top again, I had to take all the contents out of my bag and was me with a look of horror and great suspicion when I took out my airband scanner. The security guy had no idea what one of them was and I had some trouble convincing him that it was only for listening in and not for transmitting radio messages.
Always seeking to lower the tone...

https://danhphotography.picfair.com/

User avatar
MRTT
Posts: 3198
Joined: Sun 30 Jun 2013, 9:40 pm
Location: Chippenham, Wiltshire
Contact:

Re: Thoughts on the show.

Post by MRTT »

Jetnoise wrote:I was next to a Japanese gentleman (to his left) who was most affected by these 2 brats but too polite to say anything - they kept pushing between him and a (presumably) father and son combo seated one man away from the grandstand fence.

The flags nearly required surgical removal at one point!

Cheers,
Ralph


That father and son combo was me but I am not his father, I am his uncle- he also likes planes so I decided to take him. :smile:
Last edited by MRTT on Tue 23 Sep 2014, 6:53 am, edited 2 times in total.
2016 Shows
Duxford Spring
Weston
Cosford
Yeovilton
RIAT
Bournemouth
Jersey

FreyaEvo
Posts: 31
Joined: Tue 30 Apr 2013, 1:29 pm

Re: Thoughts on the show.

Post by FreyaEvo »

I went to this air show on 17 and 20 July 14. This was my first time at this air show. Trade day was quiet and people were well behaved. However, I noticed that the crowd on public Sunday was different from those at the other air shows that I have attended. Littering was quite noticeable. One family next to me left behind a pile of food containers even though the rubbish bin was 10 yards away.

I saw at least three cases of very enthusiastic people squeezing to the front of the crowd line to get a better view of the action on the runway. Only one of them apologised and moved away after those people behind him complained. One of them argued and refused to give way. The other one could not speak English and only shifted slightly. I also saw a father complaining to a passer-by that he had stepped into his camera view. I thought this was inevitable considering the huge crowd that day.

The ticket price was too expensive. I have attended better air shows such as RIAT and those at Duxford and their tickets were less costly.

Toilets were insufficient. I saw long queues and the pungent smell were unbearable under this summer heat.

Nevertheless, we got in and out pretty quickly. I guessed I was fortunate to join the queue that did not have any security checks.

User avatar
skidd40
Posts: 147
Joined: Sun 09 Aug 2009, 8:08 am

Re: Thoughts on the show.

Post by skidd40 »

It was the about 11 o'clock when the sudden realization that ,there was a reason as to why i have not been back in 15 years sunk in ........

FGR2
Posts: 2952
Joined: Mon 15 Sep 2008, 11:12 am

Re: Thoughts on the show.

Post by FGR2 »

I got into the airshow just gone 9am, you have got to be there early to get in early :)

Gone are the days when you could roll up at any medium/largish show an hour or two before flying starts.
I thought it was a good show, lots of classic jets, Meteor/Vampire, Canberra, Vulcan, plus heavies and modern jets. None of this duplication of fast jets i.e 3xF-16s, 2xTyphoons and 37xdisplay teams that you get at some shows. :whistle:

For me it is about a few quality/unusual display items that you want to see, not lots of the same thing, hence why I didn't consider RIAT this year.

Nice to see the Great War Team and Dakota's commemorating WW1 and D-Day.

User avatar
Big_Gareth
Posts: 158
Joined: Sun 15 Sep 2013, 5:06 pm

Re: Thoughts on the show.

Post by Big_Gareth »

Aviation94 wrote:My lowlights were The Great War Display Team (I personally felt the display was too busy) & The Starduster.



Funny how everyone has different opinions; I loved The Great War Display Team and especially enjoyed that you didn't know where to look next, because so much was going on at once!

Definitely agree on the Starduster though, pointless considering how high the display was.

User avatar
captchaos
Posts: 95
Joined: Fri 17 Jul 2009, 10:27 pm

Re: Thoughts on the show.

Post by captchaos »

The GWDT display being too busy is new one on me. The routine is designed to try and show the chaos of WW1 dog fighting of the middle period. Being busy and having a lot in front of the crowd is part of the concept.

FGR2
Posts: 2952
Joined: Mon 15 Sep 2008, 11:12 am

Re: Thoughts on the show.

Post by FGR2 »

I like the GWDT, for the reasons already stated. There is something happening all the time in different parts of the sky.

User avatar
MetMan
UKAR Supporter
Posts: 132
Joined: Mon 01 Sep 2008, 8:41 pm
Location: Ottery St Mary, Devon

Re: Thoughts on the show.

Post by MetMan »

I was taught a very useful lesson yesterday....

After being turned away from Car Park I at 0710 (which had used on the Wed) and then a few minutes later from Eeelmoor for being too early I ended up at Queens Parade and got into the queue a bit grumpy at about 0740. I stood next to a fairly local family who had the same experience but it didn't seem to dent their cheerfulness. They were not av-geeks and were just expecting to be entertained. When the gates opened I jogged to the flight line just W of the 24 piano keys where I wanted to be. By some weird coincidence they strolled up about 10 mins later and sat next to me where there was still plenty of space - much more relaxed than me. Throughout the day their interest and enthusiasm never waned. They watched each act, made positive comments about what they liked about them and were truly blown away by things like the Reds cross-overs and the Lynx backflip. Nothing about 'displaying too high/far away/sedately'. I began to get the point and started to enjoy the displays from their perspective - yes the Reds are good (usually my toilet/static break), yes the Lynx did put on a fine display (usually not much into helicopters). They clearly had a wonderful time. Naturally the Reds were their favourite ('made them proud to be British') and they particularly liked the Harrier too. (Their toilet break was the Connie!). Their only slightly negative comment I guess was they thought the Vulcan was going to be louder and bigger, but they enjoyed it and seemed genuninely appreciative of all the pilots' efforts to entertain us. I have to say their enthusiasm rubbed off and made me realise what a grumpy old cynic/av-snob I've become at airshows over the last few years.

As a bonus, traffic leaving Queens Parade 7pm was a breeze - never driven so fast out of Farnborough on any day I think! - excellent organisation.

So, although it is not cool to admit it, if I'm truthful I had one of the best days at an airshow that I remember for many a long year. I would like to think that I will be more appreciative of what we get to see and get more smiles per £ at future airshows. :smile:

UKTopgun
UKAR Supporter
Posts: 1360
Joined: Sat 19 Dec 2009, 10:16 pm

Re: Thoughts on the show.

Post by UKTopgun »

The roads around Farnborough seemed to clear quick enough on Sun but was anyone else then stuck in the crawl all along M3 and also M25 north to well past LHR? Added 1 hr to trip home.

User avatar
Rampvan
Posts: 769
Joined: Mon 21 Oct 2013, 1:00 pm
Location: Farnborough

Re: Thoughts on the show.

Post by Rampvan »

UKTopgun wrote:The roads around Farnborough seemed to clear quick enough on Sun but was anyone else then stuck in the crawl all along M3 and also M25 north to well past LHR? Added 1 hr to trip home.


Sunday Evening Summer traffic on the M3 is notoriously busy even without airshow traffic added to it.....generally its everyone coming back into London after a weekend on the coast !

wv383
Posts: 1147
Joined: Mon 01 Sep 2008, 2:46 pm
Location: Fleet

Re: Thoughts on the show.

Post by wv383 »

MetMan wrote:I was taught a very useful lesson yesterday....

After being turned away from Car Park I at 0710 (which had used on the Wed) and then a few minutes later from Eeelmoor for being too early I ended up at Queens Parade and got into the queue a bit grumpy at about 0740. I stood next to a fairly local family who had the same experience but it didn't seem to dent their cheerfulness. They were not av-geeks and were just expecting to be entertained. When the gates opened I jogged to the flight line just W of the 24 piano keys where I wanted to be. By some weird coincidence they strolled up about 10 mins later and sat next to me where there was still plenty of space - much more relaxed than me. Throughout the day their interest and enthusiasm never waned. They watched each act, made positive comments about what they liked about them and were truly blown away by things like the Reds cross-overs and the Lynx backflip. Nothing about 'displaying too high/far away/sedately'. I began to get the point and started to enjoy the displays from their perspective - yes the Reds are good (usually my toilet/static break), yes the Lynx did put on a fine display (usually not much into helicopters). They clearly had a wonderful time. Naturally the Reds were their favourite ('made them proud to be British') and they particularly liked the Harrier too. (Their toilet break was the Connie!). Their only slightly negative comment I guess was they thought the Vulcan was going to be louder and bigger, but they enjoyed it and seemed genuninely appreciative of all the pilots' efforts to entertain us. I have to say their enthusiasm rubbed off and made me realise what a grumpy old cynic/av-snob I've become at airshows over the last few years.

As a bonus, traffic leaving Queens Parade 7pm was a breeze - never driven so fast out of Farnborough on any day I think! - excellent organisation.

So, although it is not cool to admit it, if I'm truthful I had one of the best days at an airshow that I remember for many a long year. I would like to think that I will be more appreciative of what we get to see and get more smiles per £ at future airshows. :smile:


What an excellent post. It just shows how cynical we become as enthusiasts when, in fact, shows are not organised for us but actually in the main for the public at large.
Simon

User avatar
Adie1980
Posts: 707
Joined: Fri 07 Jun 2013, 1:09 pm

Re: Thoughts on the show.

Post by Adie1980 »

I last went to Farnborough in 2010 (public show) and didn't have the best of experiences (not helped by the fact I chose this airshow over RIAT and missed the F22 Raptor) :mad:
So with great hesitation, bought a ticket this year on the strength of seeing the F35 again (having hoped to see it the week before at RIAT) and obviously it didn't appear at either show in the end (not Farnborough's fault at all).

Took my wife with me (casual aviation enthusiast!) and agreed we'd make the most of the day anyway and enjoy some of the rarer items on display (Spanish Harrier, Super Connie, Poseidon P8 etc).
We did have a good day, but at a total cost of £92 (not including petrol) for 5.5 hours of flying, felt that it was poor value for money considering what was actually on show.

The following items:
Red Arrows, BBMF (not just 1 Lancaster bomber, but 2 of them plus spit/hurri), Breitling Wingwalkers, Vulcan, Canberra, Typhoon, Dakota, Spitfire
are eight (yes EIGHT) of Farnborough's line-up that I will see (or have seen) for FREE at my local seaside show but constituted about 34% of what I paid £46 for on Sunday.
You can't deny that's terrible value for my money.
What is also disappointing (as with 2010) is that Farnborough are always very vague about the public line-up, so it's sad that they made lots of noise about the A350 and 787-9 which cleared off home before the weekend. Surely they can negotiate something with Airbus/Boeing for sticking around at future events???

Last weekend, I paid £60 (just £14 more than FIA) in total for 2 days at RIAT (Friday & Saturday), got a combined total of 11.5 hours flying with some fantastic displays and great static. Makes you think...


FIA 2014 PROS:
Spanish Harrier - Great to see one flying again
Vulcan - After much deserved criticism over recent displays, this one was a belter
Super Connie
P8 Poseidon
A380 - Always a great spectacle
Commentary was decent and informative
Traffic wasn't as bad as I expected, getting in or out
Decent weather!

FIA 2014 CONS:
Static was poor (as in 2010), poorly laid out (as in 2010) and terrible for any kind of decent photography (again, as in 2010)
Showground layout is awful, so many bottlenecks and narrow walkways
Security - Bit of a joke really, don't appreciate being treated like a terrorist (going through main entry), being shouted at (queuing to walk out of the show) or lines of golf buggies blocking the crowdline which meant I (and I imagine others) lost several good photo opportunities
Crowd - Is it just me, or are people 10 times more rude/selfish at Farnborough than just about any other show I've ever been to?? Despite having made the effort to leave home early, get in early & get a spot right on the crowdline, it didn't stop people pushing (yes literally pushing) inbetween and then in front of my wife and I during the Red Arrows display! I had a go at one guy, who reluctantly moved back, but not without an argument which was unpleasant.
Too many kids pushing and shoving in and around our legs and no parents to be seen anywhere, annoying.
Display line-up (as previously discussed)

To summarise, we made the most of our day out (and the sunshine helped) but I won't ever be going back to Farnborough unless they book something incredibly special or reduce the prices. I would say £20 is a fair price for what we got on Sunday (and even then, I'd think twice about it again)
I appreciate that there is a lot of amazing history associated with Farnborough, and I've no doubt it probably was an awesome airshow 20+ years ago, but it's living/trading off a reputation that probably hasn't been deserved since the 1990s.

Having being able to compare Fairford and Farnborough over consecutive weekends, I have to say that RIAT is FAR superior, much better value for money, a more pleasant experience and I would urge any true lovers of aviation to attend there in the future! :smile:

User avatar
LN Strike Eagle
UKAR Staff
Posts: 11191
Joined: Mon 21 Jul 2008, 3:29 pm

Re: Thoughts on the show.

Post by LN Strike Eagle »

Just in response to the earlier posts regarding the family, they were so delighted probably because they won't go to another airshow this year. As a seasoned airshow-goer, you should trust your gut instinct as you, unlike your friendly neighbours, will know exactly how overpriced and poor the show was in comparison to what the varied UK airshow scene can and does serve up elsewhere. They were oblivious, you are not.

If you attended one random Motorsport event (for example), you may be delighted with your day out, while hardened motorsport enthusiasts may in fact think it's poor for spectating or not good value for money in comparison to other events you don't know about.

Delighted that they had such a great day out - days out like are what gets kids into the hobby, but as the airshow regulars we are, we should not be happy to have the wool pulled over our eyes and should champion for better, because that will make it better for everyone.
"You really are an oafish philistine at times!"

duxfordhawk
Posts: 968
Joined: Sat 04 Oct 2008, 11:32 am
Location: South London/Croydon
Contact:

Re: Thoughts on the show.

Post by duxfordhawk »

Having been to every Farnborough since 1998, it has become one of those "I just do" events. But this year I was put off by the £46 entry fee at the weekend, so decided to try the "Fabulous Friday" display instead.
I booked the ticket around 2 weeks in advance realising that I had more chance of seeing the Pope on a snowmobile than the F-35 displaying so wasn't so disappointed by the news it was staying States side until its instant Barbeque tendencies were cured.
Arriving from the station by bus, plenty of buses provided and now delays unlike Waddington 2 buses and nearly 2 hours wait. Security at gate B were really good with the crowds and managed to keep things good spirited and got people moving as quick as possible. I think it was 20 minutes from back of the queue to walking on the airport side which is pretty good considering.

Once in I had a walk round and to be fair the statics were as normal for the show, although sadly I never found the Scorpion to photograph it. I managed to find a decent spot near the front and settled in. I had come along mainly to see the A400 and the Spanish Harrier and hopefully Boeing P-8 Poseidon ( I fully understand why Boeing pulled it and the Dreamliner after the Ukraine incident) and to catch the Vulcan taking off and landing as I had in mind its possibly the last time I will see that. Overall I enjoyed the display although I wish Farnborough would wave the rules slightly and allow items like the Great war team and Spitfire fly a little bit lower and closer to the crowd as they get lost a fair bit at height in such a big display arena. It was really nice to see Bruce Dickinson flying something I hope to see more of soon.
Getting out and getting the bus back to the station was easy and all in all I had a good day out and saw something I had not seen before, and it was wall to wall sunshine as well, Nice one FIA14.
Martin
To see my Photos go to
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dxhawk/

User avatar
effects
Posts: 1275
Joined: Sun 31 Aug 2008, 4:36 pm
Location: 1.5 miles west of 06 EGLF

Re: Thoughts on the show.

Post by effects »

"Security - Bit of a joke really, don't appreciate being treated like a terrorist (going through main entry), being shouted at (queuing to walk out of the show) or lines of golf buggies blocking the crowdline which meant I (and I imagine others) lost several good photo opportunities"

just to answer a few of your gripes,
Security- how can it be a joke when they are thorough?
Golf buggies- this has already been explained the guys were out there, stood for hours with no shade you had a choice to sit or sit under cover.
weekend display- this was roughly known a while ago if you read other forums
http://farnborough.proboards.com/ is a good source, register well before show though.
Trade days- go on a trade day it has been spelt out time and time again! The trade day flying is shorter most of your 'see for free' items are not present and you can recoup a lot of your entrance money with memory sticks, pens, mugs, mags, models (pick up one from Qatar and you have got your entrance fee back!).
You get opportunities to chat to aircrew a lot of whom are test pilots(very interesting people) you can also have a look around some of the aircraft as well. if you want to get in for free talk to me closer to the show about joining my band of people for the week.
Nikon P900 (Sony DSC-HX400V, Sony DSC-HX300 and DSC-H2 retired)

User avatar
Adie1980
Posts: 707
Joined: Fri 07 Jun 2013, 1:09 pm

Re: Thoughts on the show.

Post by Adie1980 »

effects wrote:"Security - Bit of a joke really, don't appreciate being treated like a terrorist (going through main entry), being shouted at (queuing to walk out of the show) or lines of golf buggies blocking the crowdline which meant I (and I imagine others) lost several good photo opportunities"

just to answer a few of your gripes,
Security- how can it be a joke when they are thorough?
Golf buggies- this has already been explained the guys were out there, stood for hours with no shade you had a choice to sit or sit under cover.
weekend display- this was roughly known a while ago if you read other forums
http://farnborough.proboards.com/ is a good source, register well before show though.
Trade days- go on a trade day it has been spelt out time and time again! The trade day flying is shorter most of your 'see for free' items are not present and you can recoup a lot of your entrance money with memory sticks, pens, mugs, mags, models (pick up one from Qatar and you have got your entrance fee back!).


Thorough yes, but compared to the security at Fairford (an active military base) over the top and politeness doesn't cost anything.

I bought my ticket in May, a confirmed display line-up was only sent to me (via e-mail) on Saturday 12th July, up until that point the FIA website was embarrassingly vague other than promising (falsely in my opinion) that the whole show had been given a "shake-up" for this year after what I hear was a disastrous 2012 public show.
RIAT have an excellent website that is updated weekly (flying and static) and enables you to make an informed decision on what you are going to get for your money.

I considered going on a trade day this year, I really did. Have to admit, I was uncomfortable at the prospect of "making up a trade" as was advised by others when buying my trade ticket, and wasn't sure about turning up and potentially being turned away. Paranoid? yes probably :grin:

Post Reply