Cosford Airshow 2022

Forum for information about the annual show at RAF Cosford
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cg_341
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Re: Cosford Airshow 2022

Post by cg_341 »

That's two really unprofessional comments on social media that do nothing but worry me when it comes to the show's organisation!

People are concerned at the slow pace of updates, so your reaction is to say "we're not going to bore you with that information" is pretty abysmal PR.

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Cole
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Re: Cosford Airshow 2022

Post by Cole »

jasonT1981 wrote:
Mon 16 May 2022, 7:15 pm
Frogfoot wrote:
Mon 16 May 2022, 7:13 pm
A comment by one of the organisers on the event’s Facebook page:

“Announcements have been slower this year for reasons that we won't bore you with. There is a lot more coming and the pace of announcements is going to increase over the coming days and weeks.”
Follow up message was
I promise that we are all working hard to make this another spectacular air show.
I was the one he was responding to :slight_smile: Not great PR replying off a personal account with cosford plastered over it imho
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Tommy
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Re: Cosford Airshow 2022

Post by Tommy »

cg_341 wrote:
Mon 16 May 2022, 7:27 pm
That's two really unprofessional comments on social media that do nothing but worry me when it comes to the show's organisation!

People are concerned at the slow pace of updates, so your reaction is to say "we're not going to bore you with that information" is pretty abysmal PR.
As much as I want to give them the benefit of grace for it being their first show since the team change, and also post pandemic, I have to agree.

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Re: Cosford Airshow 2022

Post by UKAirshowTour »

If the show is as disjointed as the organisers it’s going to be a poor show and with what with only a few weeks to go and the frequency of announcements supposedly increasing it’s been nearly a week since the last one already

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Tommy
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Re: Cosford Airshow 2022

Post by Tommy »

I’m sure it’ll be alright on the day, and poor communications doesn’t necessarily mean that things aren’t happening behind the scenes (in fact, poor comms are usually a symptom of other things taking priority, not that it’s an excuse).

Not sure about “nearly a week since the last update” - the Puma (decent addition) was only announced on Saturday, and it’s Tuesday now?

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Cole
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Re: Cosford Airshow 2022

Post by Cole »

Although, We could do with one update a day to fill the show up :sweat_smile:
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cobmauler
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Re: Cosford Airshow 2022

Post by cobmauler »

When you get this close to the 12th and combined with the lack communication, where is harm in telling us what displays they are trying to get. We are used to being disappointed so if they could get half of their hoped for acts, that would be fine. I know this will never happen, I just would like some communication and not the 'don't you worry your pretty little head 'attitude. Am I been a bit harsh? When you get minimal communication, speculation, frustration and impatience rears it's ugly head. Something which never happened with the old team. Sorry for the rant, I'll have a cuppa and calm down.

Flare Path
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Re: Cosford Airshow 2022

Post by Flare Path »

I wonder if the F35 will be allowed to hover - I seem to remember some vague discussion about it not being able to at Cosford, for concern it might damage the runway/airfield or David Austin Roses.

Whatever is due to be announced, please be interesting with some indication effort/thought has gone in to sourcing aircraft.

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Wrexham Mackem
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Re: Cosford Airshow 2022

Post by Wrexham Mackem »

Cole wrote:
Tue 17 May 2022, 8:53 am
Although, We could do with one update a day to fill the show up :sweat_smile:
So a quick look at the flying displays of the most recent Cosfords. 2019 had 27 items, 2018 had 35 (although it was an RAF100 special), 2017 had 22.

It may be unfair to compare to pre-pandemic (arguable, that one) but being at the low end of expectations we might have the currently announced 14 acts made up to, say, 20? a bit more maybe? The static park on the other hand, as far as I'm aware, has had very little announced.

There's something over three weeks to go by my reckoning, and its certain we're going to get an airshow. Cosford this year has been like an 80's throwback in the build up. We know some of it. A little part of me is actually happy having it that way rather than knowing everything in advance - but its undeniable that this level of interaction and engagement is very anachronistic! :-)

Fingers crossed, they're very busy, and a great show is coming together!

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Re: Cosford Airshow 2022

Post by UKAirshowTour »

The thing is I’m going to the show because I have my ticket from the cancelled shows of the last couple of seasons, if I hadn’t have got that and I looked at the website I wouldn’t even consider buying one with the announcements they’ve made

JMC
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Re: Cosford Airshow 2022

Post by JMC »

Flare Path wrote:
Tue 17 May 2022, 10:18 am
I wonder if the F35 will be allowed to hover - I seem to remember some vague discussion about it not being able to at Cosford, for concern it might damage the runway/airfield or David Austin Roses.

Whatever is due to be announced, please be interesting with some indication effort/thought has gone in to sourcing aircraft.
I just hope they use some burner this time. At RIAT 19 I was left feeling like 'what was the point of that' after its two flybys.

Luke28
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Re: Cosford Airshow 2022

Post by Luke28 »

Yeovilton got a couple of afterburner passes before the hover so hopefully its similar to that at Cosford. .

I seem to remember at RIAT it was low on fuel due to having to hold for so long so didn't use afterburner (On the Saturday).

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Tommy
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Re: Cosford Airshow 2022

Post by Tommy »


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Tommy
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Re: Cosford Airshow 2022

Post by Tommy »

Interesting to hear the planned Falklands display - I was thinking about this recently, it’s surely a no brainer to have Bravo November, the Harrier (and perhaps the Pucara and G-HUEY, a Wasp and Wessex too!) out on the showground.

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Tommy
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Re: Cosford Airshow 2022

Post by Tommy »

They also mention that, subject to PDA, RAF Cosford Airshow will see a joint display between the Typhoon and BBMF of sorts. No details yet, but presume it’s similar to the old Spitfire/Typhoon display we sometimes see?

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jasonT1981
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Re: Cosford Airshow 2022

Post by jasonT1981 »

Tommy wrote:
Tue 17 May 2022, 1:04 pm
They also mention that, subject to PDA, RAF Cosford Airshow will see a joint display between the Typhoon and BBMF of sorts. No details yet, but presume it’s similar to the old Spitfire/Typhoon display we sometimes see?
That was talked about back in Janurary I believe from a snippet in the BBMF Newsletter. Great it's moving along and happening :)

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Tommy
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Re: Cosford Airshow 2022

Post by Tommy »

Tbf the podcast is from around 22nd April (they mention the Threshold nightshoot), and I would have thought practices would be observed by now, but still a few weeks to go!

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jasonT1981
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Re: Cosford Airshow 2022

Post by jasonT1981 »

One very interesting thing from the podcast, they stated they didn't know until around Janurary that there was a show giving them about 5 months to plan, where-as they normally have apx 9 months of planning.

That might be a key factor in why news has been slower. Working within a far tighter time-frame.

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Re: Cosford Airshow 2022

Post by UKAirshowTour »

Seem to have plenty of time to spam my social media to get me to buy a ticket though

Andyph
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Re: Cosford Airshow 2022

Post by Andyph »

UKAirshowTour wrote:
Wed 18 May 2022, 9:01 am
Seem to have plenty of time to spam my social media to get me to buy a ticket though
More than matched by your whinging!

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Cole
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Re: Cosford Airshow 2022

Post by Cole »

Andyph wrote:
Wed 18 May 2022, 9:05 am
UKAirshowTour wrote:
Wed 18 May 2022, 9:01 am
Seem to have plenty of time to spam my social media to get me to buy a ticket though
More than matched by your whinging!
Whinging is whats happening in the RIAT Thread, Theres plenty time left for announcements there.
Here we have 3 and a half weeks until the show and we have 2 static aircraft (Have they not asked the air ambulance yet!) and 3ish hours of flying and when raising these concerns you get an half-arsed response.. Do you not see that as an issue?
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Andyph
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Re: Cosford Airshow 2022

Post by Andyph »

Cole wrote:
Wed 18 May 2022, 9:12 am
Andyph wrote:
Wed 18 May 2022, 9:05 am
UKAirshowTour wrote:
Wed 18 May 2022, 9:01 am
Seem to have plenty of time to spam my social media to get me to buy a ticket though
More than matched by your whinging!
Whinging is whats happening in the RIAT Thread, Theres plenty time left for announcements there.
Here we have 3 and a half weeks until the show and we have 2 static aircraft (Have they not asked the air ambulance yet!) and 3ish hours of flying and when raising these concerns you get an half-arsed response.. Do you not see that as an issue?
Not really - I"m not going!

Woodford_was_wicked
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Re: Cosford Airshow 2022

Post by Woodford_was_wicked »

Why is everyone assuming there's only about half the necessary flying announced? Maybe the tutor's doing a three hour display.

In all fairness though it is pretty frustrating how many updates they have telling us there will be updates but how few actual updates there are. Trying to give them the benefit of the doubt that all will be great and that there's not much time for communication because of other stuff. However, it does leave a bad taste how quickly they updated the official website to show the F35 and puma yet they still haven't updated it to remove the gripen. Honest mistake or coding trouble perhaps but it could give fuel to conspiracy theorists!

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jasonT1981
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Re: Cosford Airshow 2022

Post by jasonT1981 »

We've been told on a few occasions that there are a lot more to come in the coming days and weeks. I don't get why people are getting freaked out over it. If it's still in the same position in a few weeks, sure. But for now we know there is still a lot more to come.

We've had 2 more announcements (3 if you include the Podcast telling us about the BBMF/Typhoon display) in the last 6 days, so it does look like things could be picking up.

Yes, communication has been bad, that is something I do agree with. We need more openness. RIAT was accused of the same a few years ago and made changes, so hopefully Cosford will take the lessons of this year and apply it in 2023.

As for posts about tickets. Most likely they are pre-scheduled ones to post at certain times. Maybe even made weeks ago to be posted on a specific date.

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Ian G
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Re: Cosford Airshow 2022

Post by Ian G »

I agree to some extent to the notion that other things may have taken priority, especially given a potentially short(er) timescale to put a show on, but I'm quite disappointed with the disjointed communications and updates albeit not really from a personal point of view, but from that as a communications professional myself. And I can see how it reflects on the show as a whole - we've got proof here on the forums of the same feeling (and I've seen similar gripes on social media) and I totally get where they're coming from. It could be a combinations of things; the rush to get the show ready, notwithstanding factors from covid; not having the communications professionals or indeed complete staff structure as a whole; not having the actual aircraft to announce - I don't know.

Having spoken to the media relations officer at the Threshold shoot the other week, I was told they hadn't planned to do a press event for the show at all this year which is something we would normally cover. To me it kind of alludes to the fact that although we're seeing a return to normality now and getting airshows and events back, this year's show has an awful lot of "oh well, if we really have to put on a show then" feeling to it, almost a thorn in the side and a much more low key affair, despite those stellar international participants already announced.

I think the last few shows we had before lockdown we almost had a RIAT-style weekly or fortnightly expectation of an update and SM, comms and engagement were spot on. Sadly this year they've not lived up to those expectations and even if someone says it's a case of "well, Covid happened", communications are vital in this day and age and it's something that should be at the forefront of an event like this. And for god's sake, this is the ONLY REMAINING RAF air show. "Announcements have been slower this year for reasons that we won't bore you with" is an abysmal line to take on an official channel as well. My mind is actually blown. One saving grace is the nature of Cosford shows themselves in that they're the family friendly day out where the majority of punters are not aviation enthusiasts and it's a day out for all the family. As long as there's an advert for the show rather than updates - and that the red arrows are there - they ain't gonna care! In fact, I wonder how many will even notice that there'll be 7 instead of 9?

I agree with you Nige, it's like a step back in time to the unknown, not knowing what's displaying until you hand your crisp tenner over to the spotty 'erbert selling programmes who then frantically tries to find the correct change in his little money apron. Oh how times have changed. Let's hope we get a plethora of updates from now until the show - there is still plenty of time! I just hope they're not all announced on the 10th June!

Don't get me wrong; I'll still be going, it'll be a fantastic show and I'm grateful for the effort that every person puts in to make it happen, knowing what goes on behind the scenes. Seeing as this is the first big show I've been to since RIAT '19, any hype and expection I may feel leading up to this year's show is tinged with what I can only describe as 'meh', mostly as a result of absolutely no structured communications campaign whatsoever. If the comms teams are indeed under the cosh then I do sympathise and I guess the biggest thing that I'm conveying is frustration - this kind of stuff should have been in the bag from how well they've got comms and engagement oh so spot-on for the last few shows. A good lessons learned campaign for 2023 and something I'm sure we'll reflect on in this year's UKAR review.

Also, as an aside, you may want to consider Shawbury on the Thursday and Friday for arrivals there........(ah knickers, there's no 'ninja' emoji any more!)
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