July 3rd - Fly Navy

[disgruntled]

Mostly enjoyed the show but got a bit disheartened as the weather closed in.

People moaning about getting in.

Get over it.

The problem is one of our own making. We all turn up together increasingly early and then expect everyone to magically park exactly where they want the second the gates are opened. I arrived at the getting in queue at 0927(!) and didn’t get parked up until 1039.
So we had to queue - yes it was a long time - but did everyone get in in plenty of time to see the show? Was everyone kept safe? Did everyone feel that it was fair and there was no pushing in??

Society is becoming less and less patient and we as air show goers are becoming more and more self entitled.

I think back the the first time I visited Old Warden. Gentle drive up arrive at the airfield about 1100 pick my spot on the flight line and wander around. Now I’ve fallen into the same trap as everyone else - gotta get there early gotta bag the biggest best spot I can. Where I differ from most is that I understand that if 75% or so of the days crowd all decide to turn up at God knows what time before the gates actually open then we aren’t all going to get in on 5 minutes.

Give them a break. You might even start to enjoy yourselves

[Blackbird]

Sorry but I have to disagree. I arrived about 10.20 - hardly first thing - and then queued for 50+minutes. That is unacceptable when down to inept car park management. They were clueless. It was a shambles and the the Shuttleworth "management" need to know that most of us find it unacceptable.

[disgruntled]

Read the post again Bkackbird. The problem was started by people arriving so early that there was already a huge backlog BEFORE the gates were due to open. It takes time to process that amount of traffic safely and fairly. I thought the system of managing it was pretty good. They opened the ticket check early (they were checking tickets at that point) and then started the secondary queuing system, passed this point and before the main airfield opened. This was safe and well managed to ensure that it was fair.
I’m not sure entirely what else they can do??
Open at O’ crack sparrow? Open an early bird car park way to the back of the site - allowing those that feel it so necessary to be there the minute the gates open to park their car early in return for a substantial walk to the main gates?

[Blackbird]

I think we'll have to agree to disagree - and leave it at that!

[BrawlerO]

Very good show, deserved better weather but this is England.

[Tommy]

Is 9:30 the usual opening time? I always remembered it at about 8:30 or 8:00.

I don’t know, but perhaps that contributed to the traffic.

[disgruntled]

Not sure Tommy, I can’t remember.

You may be right it could help but my suspicion is that give it a season and everything would be back to square one because of the insatiable need to be first in. I think it’s a change of mindset that is needed. Firstly to one where people don’t feel the need to have to be first in and secondly to an acceptance that where there are large numbers of people all trying to enter the same relatively small space at the same time then there are going to be queues and delays.

Incidentally, my pet hate of the lack of organisation and general selfish free for all on the out muster leading to massive delays didn’t arise yesterday. Probably due in the most part to the staggered departure of the crowd once the weather closed in.

Anyway - back in my box as I appear to be a lone voice in this. Although, I stand by every word.

[5944]

Is 9:30 the usual opening time? I always remembered it at about 8:30 or 8:00.

I don’t know, but perhaps that contributed to the traffic.

I'm sure it used to be earlier than yesterday. The family show next month is even later, gates open at 10am.

Yesterday was my first Shuttleworth air show for three years, despite it being 20 minutes from home. Drive in shows didn't appeal, and I've not been too enthused by the line ups for the others. Shame about the weather, but there was some nice light at times. A real pity the Sea King was silhouetted for much of its display!

Getting in and out was easy, but I didn't get there until 1.30 anyway. First time using the new road and it was a lot easier leaving than previously.

Catering actually seemed to be working well for once! No queues even when I went during the shower after the Wasps.

Nice to see they've finally started parking visiting aircraft away from the main part of the crowd line - I always found it frustrating getting there and finding all the way from the control tower to the end of the runway was full of visiting plastic aircraft! At least this time the display aircraft were given pole position.

Some very good flying - Gazelle Squadron were particularly impressive, even a synchronised departure as well! Couple of nice topsides from the BBMF as well, shame it was raining. Catalina impressive as well, and good to see the Avro Triplane get up, I just wish the wind had dropped a couple of MPH to let the Boxkite go for a spin too.

[Roughcutter]

I had a wonderful day at OW yesterday. Okay at first it was a bit chaotic getting in to the grounds, apparently that was down to staff shortage. I don't know why people are so easily ranckled about it, personally having been on the road since 4:30am, I was glad to use that time for a nap. The flying display was great, the much anticipated interrupting shower only lasted for ten to fifteen minute (what's up with you people?) After the shower had cleared the light was glorious, I had some fantastic photography.
I was however concerned about that large marquise and enclosure that was erected along the crowd line, is that the shape of things to come (echoes of Headcorn last weekend)?
On the whole Fly Navy 2022 was great day out.

[grant_w]

We arrived early (9:00) as I took my dad who can't walk far so wanted to park as close as possible, tickets were checked and we waited in the holding area. At 9:30 they started letting in the cars in rows, we were row 5, and we were parked up in about 15 minutes, parked closer than when we went to a couple of drive-in airshows last year, so was happy to set up camp in front of the car and glad my dad didn't have to walk far.
Decent show, shame about the rain but we all had a good day.
Drove straight out at the end too using the exit behind the hangars.

[Tommy]

I must say, perhaps because my expectations from the were slightly lower (and I knew what to expect from the Seafire, TFC birds, OW aircraft), but the Gazelle Squadron were the most impressive act of the day for me yesterday.

They turned the things inside out, and that ex-QinetiQ cab looks glorious.

[Blackbird]

Agree entirely about the Gazelle Squadron and the ex-QinetiQ example - a beauty. There were also some nice visitors parked up - pics to follow!

[Ryan.]

I must say, perhaps because my expectations from the were slightly lower (and I knew what to expect from the Seafire, TFC birds, OW aircraft), but the Gazelle Squadron were the most impressive act of the day for me yesterday.

They turned the things inside out, and that ex-QinetiQ cab looks glorious.

I have to say, the Gazelle Squadron were the highlight of the day for me as well.

I do feel the Catalina makes the most out of the venue, particularly the last low level pass it does. And it’s always nice to see TFC outside of Duxford too.

[pb643]

I think we'll have to agree to disagree - and leave it at that!

I am afraid I standby my critism of the entry. As I previously mentioned, I have not visited since the new entrance, but in comparison with previous much busier shows (Fly Navy, Red arrows and Vulcan) the entry yesteday was awful. I am also not sure that it was fair, the initial 4 lines were definitely not being taken in turn when we came in.

I appreciate that some visitors would prefer to wait and get closer to the hangers, but I would quite happily parked on the parkland near the alpacas, an area that I have parked on several times in the past.

Having travelled 2 hours and spent just short of £80 for two of us to visit, I don't really think it is fair to be criticised for trying to make a reasonable day of by arriving mid-morning.

The gates opening later, could easily explain it. I would say that I arrived a similar time to usual and have never been in a holding area before.

[rockfordstone]

Is 9:30 the usual opening time? I always remembered it at about 8:30 or 8:00.

I don’t know, but perhaps that contributed to the traffic.

i also heard chatter from some of the wardens suggesting people had turned up without tickets and had to be processed which had slowed things down

[Blackbird]

I thought it was (pre-purchased) ticket only, and was sold out?

[IP1960]

I thought it was (pre-purchased) ticket only, and was sold out?

You could pay at the gate, not sold out.

[grant_w]

I thought it was (pre-purchased) ticket only, and was sold out?

In the few days before they were pushing tickets with 20% off for front-line workers, so I wouldn't have thought it was sold out

[Blackbird]

My misunderstanding - apologies.

[keithjs]

Whether its true or not I don't know but someone told me yesterday the first cars turned up at Alder Drive at 5.15am and there were 40 cars there by 7.15am....

[capercaillie]

I must say, perhaps because my expectations from the were slightly lower (and I knew what to expect from the Seafire, TFC birds, OW aircraft), but the Gazelle Squadron were the most impressive act of the day for me yesterday.

They turned the things inside out, and that ex-QinetiQ cab looks glorious.

Funny isn't it.

I was saying to st24 just yesterday as the Gazelle Squadron hover taxied back to the parking slots, back in the 80s the Sharks were always talked about as a toilet break, along with the much maligned Grasshoppers, nowadays they are a star of the show.

You don't miss it 'til its gone

[phreakf4]

I have read the posts on this and am bitterly disappointed by the massive entitlement shown.

I arrived and joined the initial queue just after 08:00 (after driving almost 100 miles) and was surprised by the number of cars already waiting but was prepared for the 1.5 hour wait for the official gate-opening time of 09:30.

Our tickets were also not scanned, but were checked, the reason being that the phones of those checking tickets lost signal that far back in the queue. Once tickets had been checked we were waved forward into the second holding area, as has been the case for all the previous Old Warden shows this year (I have attended all of them).

One factor which may have contributed to the impression of a lack of organisation was that the rows of waiting vehicles were not in a strict right-to-left order, I do not know the reason for this, but it made no difference to when one entered the venue, so should not be a factor.

pb643, if you were in row 4, how did you know which order the lines were formed in? I was in the furthest lane to the right but there were already three lanes to the left of us and which, therefore, were sent forward before us.

Other examples of "entitlement" were the spectator who complained that Old Warden changed runways when the wind went round to the North " because I want a lift-off shot of that aircraft" another who was "angry" because the Corsair did not land on after its display and one who was "annoyed" because the Wildcat could not display due to a canopy fault. "Enthusiasts" such as these only add to the general public's impression of the hobby as only followed by "wierdos".

Someone posted that this was their first attendance since the opening of the new road, Do they not then remember queueing in the parkland in rows and then going through manual ticket check after the queues were released, resulting in further delays as cars then queued again at the ticket check, especially if the vehicle in front carried spectators who were paying "at the gate"?

[capercaillie]

To be honest, I've no idea why people are turning up at ridiculous o'clock at OW for anyway?

Turning up at 12.20 there were still places along the fenceline. If there isn't its never an issue, its easy to shoot over someone's shoulder. Its such an easy going atmosphere. Its not like Fairford with a run to the fence, maybe it is.

OK get there when gates open if you want a look round the hangars or gardens or alpacas or whatever, but to sit in a car for an hour and a half and say the parking staff are inept (overwhelmed). Bonkers.

[grant_w]

One factor which may have contributed to the impression of a lack of organisation was that the rows of waiting vehicles were not in a strict right-to-left order, I do not know the reason for this, but it made no difference to when one entered the venue, so should not be a factor.

We were parked in the 5th row from the right, all rows seemed to be let in in turn, but after row 3 was going in, they had started re-filling row 1 again, so when it got to our row, they had refilled rows 1,2 and 3 again, but they seemed to be letting people in in the correct order. Maybe it was because I arrived before gates open, but I can't see what they could have done more to make the entrance procedure any better

[Blackbird]

I agree entirely about it not being necessary to be at OW hours before the gates open. On this occasion I had a 150+mile drive, and aimed to be there for 10.30 - which I did.