FighterControl

Hi All,

After many years of working in aviation, I am finally going to RIAT next year for the first time. We have tickets in the viewing grandstand, and camping at one of the sites locally, so wondered if anyone else is also attending for the first time next year?

I'm not sure what to expect after going to many of the smaller shows, but though it was about time to go large!

Any hits/tips/ideas/do's & Don't would be greatly received to ensure my son and wife also have a great time... Knowing the field is slightly bigger that I'm used to, I've decided to upgrade to a bigger lens in the canon 100-400mm as well as keeping my 70-200mm.. although, I don't want to spend all the weekend looking through a camera of course!

Thanks for now..

Chris

Not my first time, this will be my second time. However, get in as early as you can and be there before gates open. I got there at around 7:20am in 2017 (my first show) on the Saturday and was on site and through security by 7:40am. (Though this was on the shuttle bus queue area)

Grandstand is a good view. I've gotten top row seats there this year. Just be careful not to stand in-front of anyone, so if you are getting up for a toilet break, best to do so when the display has finished or before one starts.

Best advice, sit back, relax and enjoy.

expect all types of weather - except snow. take small denomination notes if you buy stuff from the flight line stalls as the often say they donot have change. expect to walk miles.plan your day when you get the flying programme, if you are there for 1 days accept that you will miss something. Visit the STEM enclosure for manufactures giving things away and games for teens.take a spare battery and memory card. expect expensive food and drink and lots of people. enjoy, it wont be there for many more years!

Redflag17 wrote: ↑

Tue Nov 06, 2018 8:52 am

enjoy, it wont be there for many more years!

What? Do you know something the rest of us don't??

current contract covers up to and including 2022. not clear if the US will allow it in 2023 onwards. the base might be more active and it will go the same way as the Air Fete. hope I am wrong.

Redflag17 wrote: ↑

Tue Nov 06, 2018 9:48 am

current contract covers up to and including 2022. not clear if the US will allow it in 2023 onwards. the base might be more active and it will go the same way as the Air Fete. hope I am wrong.

Give over

If you can stretch to a lens that starts lower than 100, if advise it as you’ll find switching between static and flying shots tricky- a 100 upclose wont get the whole plane in!
Enjoy it tho- it’s like no other show I’ve been to!

Hi Chris, if the weather is anything like RIAT18 it will certainly be the highlight of your aviation year!...despite what "Nay sayers" go on about each year RIAT approaches, it's always a fantastic spectacle and well worth the asking price-particularly as it supports a worthwhile charity.

Although you mentioned you are camping, I'm not sure how many days you will be around the area for, having a great day in the show is an absolute given, you will see rare aircraft, meet crews, walk lots, walk a bit more, and take many, many photographs (bet you do spend most of the time looking through your lens by the way despite what you think).

There is tons of stuff to see apart from aircraft and if your family are feeling a little over-faced with aeroplanes they can go and seek some interesting things to do and see in the other activity areas.

If you are around for a few days, the "Park & View" areas on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday are great for seeing aircraft arrive for the show that otherwise you may not be able to photograph when they are parked up in static.

There are "Park & View" areas at each end of the runway at Marston Meysey (West end) and Fairford (Eastern end), one end will be good for landing shots, the other for very close taxiing shots, obviously depending on the wind direction.

If you are camped close enough I would suggest walking into the show, get yourself a small buggy for chairs, coolbox, picnic rug etc, I got one this year and it saved carrying (very) heavy camera equipment in a rucsac.

The general area surrounding the airfield is good for social activity too so you shouldn't be short of something to keep your family happy after the show if so desired but be aware of the one way systems and parking restrictions in place.

The real solution is to be prepared in advance;-

For a range of weather conditions- take notice of the weather forecasts and take appropriate clothing it's a long day at the show if it's raining or alternatively hot!
For expensive food vendors- take your own food and drink, more than you think you'll need- particularly drinks if the weather is hot
For walking miles on concrete hardstandings- no new high heeled shoes (you or the missus!), comfy trainers and good cotton socks make things manageable
For taking 1000's of photographs!- spare batteries, cards etc
For buying stuff- as mentioned before, take lots of cash, many of the units have stalls selling unit memorabilia such as T-shirts, patches etc that you may not see elsewhere

I'm not sure what camera body you are using but 100-400 will be OK if you are using a cropped sensor, you should get decent side on shots from the grandstand with that and some flying activity.

Your shorter zoom will be good for taxiing shots and landing shots of larger types.

If you want to photograph anything in the static you will need a short zoom as somebody else has pointed out, there will be some big aircraft in the static for sure and you will struggle sometimes with a 70mm focal length.

Anyway, as the days are getting longer from today I am getting excited about RIAT19 already!

I'm sure you and your family will have a terrific time and hopefully it will be the first of many visits.

I hope this short insight into the things I think you may need input on is OK, only glad to help a "newbie" with lessons learnt from going to "The International Air Tattoo" in one form or another since RAF Greenham Common in 1973!....I wish somebody had given me similar advice then!

Take care and enjoy yourself- that's all that matters.

Droptank.

Have been the last two years staying overnight in Chipping Norton and Evesham- after a leisurely breakfast on both visit's followed the road routes on the RIAT website- which is both cases allowed me in before 09:45 with hardly any delay allowing me to park handily the second time went on the Friday mainly for the flypast but it was the only day the weather did not play ball and the flypast was cancelled. Also was stopped at the entrance for a short while for the arrival of Prince Charles and his entourage.

Never the less fantastic day's my first RIAT's for just over twenty years- going again 2019- this time on Saturday- hopefully will have a good day- weather wise as well.

If you want to get some great photo's I agree get there early albeit I managed some good ones myself whilst walking the static lines after parking the wife up where she could watch the flying.

Enjoy the experience.

Bob

Hi All,

Thanks for your all the comments and suggestion and am very lucky that we are an aviation family so no issues in getting bored! We are planning on walking from the camp site to the display ground anyway, so not a problem :-)

I thought it was best to choose a back row seat to allow for standing and not causing an issues with the view of people behind, was a bit of a premium, but worth it i think. We spent some good times at Dunsfold, but its becoming same old displays every year, so am excited to see some fast jet action!

Look forward to reporting back after the show on our experience!

Thanks again,
Chris

I'm up on the back row too, say hello if you see me.

Will do :-) Not sure exactly where we are, but will drop a seat number once I can find the details :-)

Just going to decide if I should go for the Sigma 150mm-600mm Sports or Contemporary?

tayloss wrote: ↑

Fri Jan 04, 2019 1:28 pm

We are planning on walking from the camp site to the display ground anyway, so not a problem :-)

In my personal experience, I walked in on my very first Saturday at RIAT from Townsend farm where I camped, did the static park, watched the show, and walked back - we were knackered!! Especially after lugging our kit around. The traffic system at RIAT is nailed to a T most of the time, so I would honestly recommend driving in, it's worth it! We did on Sunday and it was much better.

I went for the sigma C. the weight difference between the C and the S is significant and I did not fancy holding it all day. also the price difference. still getting use to the lens but works well.

Did you find you had to calibrate the lens for the camera or are the images spot on? Some users are saying that it needs to be calibrated to your body for the perfect pictures... Going to pair it with a 7Dii i think to go along with my 70d..

Redflag17 wrote: ↑

Tue Jan 08, 2019 3:48 pm

I went for the sigma C. the weight difference between the C and the S is significant and I did not fancy holding it all day. also the price difference. still getting use to the lens but works well.

I got the Sport recently and will deffo need to hit the gym for some shoulder work before Riat!!

Is the sports the version to get? I was under the impression that its lighter than the comp version?

Statics:

Droptank wrote: ↑

Sun Dec 23, 2018 6:26 pm

If you want to photograph anything in the static you will need a short zoom as somebody else has pointed out, there will be some big aircraft in the static for sure and you will struggle sometimes with a 70mm focal length.

Only if you want stereotypical shots. With all the clutter in the foreground, those are usually pretty dull and forgettable.

I usually do the statics with a 100-400 on a full-frame and concentrate on details; cockpits, rotorheads, squadron insignia, helmet hanging on seat, various odd features. Much more interesting to review years in the future, and more Instagrammable than Another Grey Jet With People's Heads Photo. I have a friend who uses a 70-200 on a cropper and he does similar. He has a fetish for anything streaked or sooty!

Flying:

Even with long lenses, with the display line so far away there isn't a great deal of opportunity for unusual shots. I usually try to catch tight turns, top-side passes and sudden pitch-ups. Everything else sees the camera resting. What really, really peeves me is dirty passes; I'm at an airshow, I don't want to see your jet with its gear down! I can stand at an airfield fence and see that...

I guess one man's "dull" is another's "interesting". Personally I'd rather be able to see what the aircraft is than try to guess based on a close up of a small part. But then I'm not one for posting my photographs for show. Plus I think the added "clutter" sometimes adds to the feel of the occasion. Each to their own.

If you have a kit lens I would take it for the small size and added weight. Purists would disagree but there is nothing wrong with the newer Canon 18-55 models in my opinion.

Canon 18-55mm's are brilliant lenses, and actually get some very good shots when used, it's what I use combined with an 18-135mm for static shots so I know what aircraft I've shot