PHOTOGRAPH ICONIC AIRCRAFT
Look back to the summer of 1940 through your camera lens as a private area of the museum is dressed to form a life-like Battle of Britain scene. Capture Duxford’s historic buildings and airfield just as they were 80 years ago.
Take photos of iconic Battle of Britain aircraft and vehicles up close, including the Spitfire Mk.I N3200, Curtiss Hawk 75, Bristol Blenheim, Westland Lysander, Hawker Hurricane Mk.XII (painted in the markings of a Battle of Britain period aircraft from 303 Squadron) and Fiat CR.42. You will also have the option to direct our 1940s fighter pilot and Women’s Auxiliary Air Force life models to get the perfect set up for your shots.
This intimate photography event is strictly limited availability and includes exclusive after-hours access into the evening – perfect to capture the serene sunset on this historical base.
Standard Tickets - £65
Premium Ticket - £75 (includes engines running on two warbirds.)
Good lord. That's an extra tenner to get a bit closer and to see two running engines folks. So for 65 notes you don't get right up close, and the aircraft don't run. You did read that correctly.
Yes in this time of uncertainty with job losses and further redundancies, furlough schemes, and difficult circumstances for many, we're going to charge even more money than normal.
Its great things are being put on for people to try and get out and enjoy their interests but does it all have to be so expensive?
Museums need to find some way to recoup their devastating losses over the last few months.
This isn't my sort of thing so I won't be going - but anything that aviation organisations can put on to keep going seems a good idea to me - and if people don't go, they'll drop the price no doubt.
Considering their previous photo days with Darren Harbar were around the £150 mark for one aircraft and one reenactor, this looks like pretty good value for money Honestly, the aircraft line-up is pretty exciting as it's not often you get a chance to see a Blenheim/Lysander/Fiat CR42 after dark, but you must laugh at how they're charging an extra £10 just so you can watch the engine runs. Imagine attending any other nightshoot/photo event and being kicked out before the highlight of the evening. And by all accounts it sounds like the aircraft may be positioned with the buildings in the frame too, which is not everyone's cup of tea.
This has now been postponed due to the weather forecast. While it's disappointing, it's also understandable given the weather forecast and I think its the correct decision in the circumstances. I was looking forward to it though, as its probably my last aircraft 'fix' of the season.
We have to inform you that we have had to take the unfortunate decision to postpone the Battle of Britain 80: The Night Shoot on Saturday 3 October.
We have been monitoring the weather forecast closely and it is now clear that the predicated combination of strong winds and persistent rain means that we would not be able to deliver the event we intended, given the conditions.
To give you a bit more detail as to why this decision has been made we have outlined the reasoning below:
The forecast rain is likely to be persistent and heavy at times throughout the duration of the event and this alone means that two of our planned aircraft, the Lysander and Fiat CR-42 would not be leaving the hangars.
The wind is likely to be gusting at 25 plus knots South/South-East meaning at least one more of the aircraft, in this case the Blenheim would be kept inside.
The direction of the wind/rain will be straight into our faces meaning rain on lenses will be a factor.
We would have limited options in positioning the aircraft out on the airfield due to the wind speed and direction.
The planned engine run would be in question due to where they would be positioned in relation to the wind direction and position of the photographers as well as the weather.
We know this will come as a disappointment and we were very much looking forward to welcoming you on site for this inaugural Night Shoot event.
We want to make the event the very best we can and will be looking into alternative dates in the coming days.
Please bear with us as we look for a new date for the Night Shoot and we will follow up shortly with details when this has been confirmed and what this means for current ticket holders.
Your first post implies you heard something and now you're saying you didn't?.
I didn't go in the end but had I known there would be access to the hangars instead of the engine runs I would have gone. From what I've been reading on-line, those who went enjoyed it despite the rain.
I've seen posts saying there were issues and people regretted going. They haven't elaborated, so I thought I'd ask here as well whilst waiting to hear from them.
So I heard something, I shared what I heard, and asked for more information.Bloody hell you're making a simple question hard work!
Are you saying there were no engine runs? If so, what extra did those who paid more money get out of the event?
Are you saying there were no engine runs? If so, what extra did those who paid more money get out of the event?
There will be another, smaller, event hosted for Premium ticket holders in the spring. The alternative plan was told to photographers during the brief and people were given the option to go and get a refund if they didn't think it was a decent alternative, which I thought was a very honest move.
A great night considering the conditions the team were up against, and they worked hard to make a workable alternative plan. How many chances do you get to do a nightshoot with a CR.42!?
Nothing outside (understandable given the weather). Duxford decided on Thursday it was too late to cancel, despite the forecast for the Saturday being horrendous for the last week. But if you asked at the gate you could get a refund. Not much use when you've driven a fair distance to get there. Cafe open until 6.30pm but no hot food after 3.30pm. General poor organisation with no one in control of what was happening.
He reckons he might have a couple of shots at best that he's happy with. Definitely not worth anything close to £65. To say he's not happy with Duxford is an understatement, especially as he hasn't had a refund for the BoB show yet.
I went, was actually fairly impressed given the conditions. The offer of refunds was a good move, and Liam Shaw who was running it was very helpful, moving and shuffling things to people's requests.
The Hawk 75 was outside Hangar 2 for the duration, and the CR42 pulled to the front of H2 South which actually then left a good amount of space behind it allowing for some excellent photos. It's a shame the same couldn't be done with the Blenheim and Lysander.
The shoot then did move inside the hangars but I decided to leave at that point - in honesty, I just wanted some nice shots of the CR42 so saw no point in getting absolutely soaked in the downpour which finally arrived about 7pm.
It probably wasn't the best value for money (at least, for me - they actually made it into the AAM after dark, which looked interesting!) but I think with the challenges of the weather we were lucky to get what we got. Certainly TFC should be applauded for being so willing to help.
I really hope they are able to organise a second one - The site has a wealth of interesting airframes and backdrops and at last night sort of helped prove the concept.
Last edited by hmeasures on Sun 25 Oct 2020, 1:22 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Thanks everyone. I'm not sure I'd agree that Thursday is too late to postpone, but that's a decision only IWM can take of course.
As for shoots in the hangars Brian, been suggesting this for some time also but there's "no market" - Cosford, Hendon, FAAM Yeovilton and Middle Wallop beg to differ
Having travelled up from the south coast i had no intention of dropping out and was glad i stayed. Being able to wander the hangers and cross the barriers more than made up for the terrible weather and i came away with some very different photographs than i usually get at museums. Big bonus having the american air museum open where we based ourselves during the downpoor later in the evening. I got the shots i was after and am looking forward to the next one should there be one.
I'm not sure what 'issues' cg_341 is referring to. I only saw one where a museum visitor that happened to have a camera and a tripod but no wristband and therefore hadn't paid, joined the group.
Sure, there was weather, but thats life. 5944's mate was incorrect as the Hawk 75 was outside as indicated by hmeasures as were the various vehicles and re-enactors.
Liam and the team for tried so hard to make the event work despite the weather. Was it as advertised, no. However, I enjoyed it. Its possible that the notifications could have gone out on Thursday but I don't think that was the issue. Had they done that, there is always the chance that some people may not have received or read the notification and they would have been pretty disappointed to have turned up to find the event had been postponed. I could only imagine what would be written in those circumstances.
Huw and Harry have summed it up nicely. Did I get what I expected? No, but I enjoyed it all the same and I was happy to support the museum in these trying times. Well done to Liam and the team, especially the volunteers, re-enactors and vehicle providers.