Thousands attend. Many stuck in traffic

[Velvet Glove]

.

Up to 50,000 people have attended this year's airshow at RAF Leuchars in Fife, which celebrates the past, present and future of Britain's air defence.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-e ... e-11271391" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

BBC Video Clip: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11274383" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Rory]

i travelled from near edinburgh. left at 8am got there before 10.. and that was in a bus

was a cracking day!

[Mike]

Another disaster !
Nothing but nothing will ever work with the car-parking at Leuchars,it is situated miles away from any decent road (as are most RAF bases),they had set-up a Park n' Ride system for today but at least one of the the 3 was a mud-bath this morning and couldn't be used-so that traffic had to be diverted to another mud-bath !

The only way in and out of the Leuchars show is by train,going there by train is fine but leaving the show after even 16.00 is a joke.The fittest and strongest survive and get on the trains,it's just "every man for himself".

Leuchars is a really good show,obviously not the same scale as RIAT,but I hope the poor buggers stuck in the carparks get out before 21.30 this year !

[Binnman]

It is the same old story every year.

Many folks forget that;

a) The position of RAF Leuchars is not conducive to either a mass influx or a mass egress of traffic.
b) Opened in 1911, it was neither designed nor intended to cater for 50,000c people at any one time.
c) When it rains, fields used for parking tend to get muddy
d) It's only once a year

[Mike]

"d) It's only once a year"

And your point is.................?

[Richard B]

Once a year, just like many of the great outdoor events
all these Music festivals and other events like F1 etc, all are a pain to park and exit but its worth the effort,
cannot understand the complaints from some of the Airshow goer's.

I hate the fact i have to muck about parking at the airport, then have to sit around for hours then get jammed in a tin box for a few hours flight.
But hey when your sitting by the pool bakeing like a spud its all worth it and we do it every year.

[Binnman]

"d) It's only once a year"

And your point is.................?

Your fellow moderator has answered you.

[Mike]

He didn't answer me at all,he was just adding his opinion of outdoor events.

Leuchars was,is,and will always be an absolute nightmare to get away from due to it's location.

[Thunder]

He didn't answer me at all,he was just adding his opinion of outdoor events.

Leuchars was,is,and will always be an absolute nightmare to get away from due to it's location.

True, one of the reasons that I stopped going. However I don't think it's the location that's at fault(it doesn't help matters though), as the British Open was held in St Andrews this year and a few guys from my work that went down for the final 2 days Sat/Sun said there wasn't any problems getting to and from the venue, yet it's the same road with more people.

[Binnman]

He didn't answer me at all,he was just adding his opinion of outdoor events.

Leuchars was,is,and will always be an absolute nightmare to get away from due to it's location.

Exactly........and guess what? It happens only once a year. I first went to Leuchars Airshow in 1972, it was a problem getting in and out then and it has been every year since. Yet still folks pop up on forums moaning....................................every year

[ythanpythan]

We were in Yellow on base car park, coming from Aberdeen, it seemed all the southbound on base traffic came in from Leuchars rather round the southern perimeter road and the two streams had to merge so it took a wee while to get on, only about 30 minutes though having started queueing just after St Michael's at 8:30ish. Got to car park at 6pm after walking the static it was almost empty then, cup of tea then straight off base and home with no trouble at all.

I'll take that any year! A mate did get caught in the P&R fiasco though.

[adamc8rd]

Another disaster !
Nothing but nothing will ever work with the car-parking at Leuchars,it is situated miles away from any decent road (as are most RAF bases),they had set-up a Park n' Ride system for today but at least one of the the 3 was a mud-bath this morning and couldn't be used-so that traffic had to be diverted to another mud-bath !

The only way in and out of the Leuchars show is by train,going there by train is fine but leaving the show after even 16.00 is a joke.The fittest and strongest survive and get on the trains,it's just "every man for himself".

Leuchars is a really good show,obviously not the same scale as RIAT,but I hope the poor buggers stuck in the carparks get out before 21.30 this year !

Finally got out of the car park after a 4 hour wait and car park was still half full at 20:15. Apparently fife council took the decision to close the road for 30 minutes to clean the road

[gaviscon]

Parked in Blue carpark and was out and on my way home within 30minutes! Guess I was lucky!

[headset 57]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11274383" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

no sympathy for the car, let the train take the strain...

[tomcat79uk]

We arrived the gates at 07.15 and waited until 08.15 was getting worried show was cancelled due to the amount of rain that had fallen.

Parked up in Yellow car park after show walked down to B52 static line and back to car for 18.10 packed up and left and never encountered any traffic was a clear run to Dundee and from there to Balloch.

In total took us 1 hour 45 mins to get home better than the 7 hours last year perhaps we were the lucky 1s this year.

[scotty2681]

Travelled up from Lincolnshire Friday night to Glenrothes,took car to St Andrews park n ride was a wet field not muddy got on to bus was on base within half an hour,No problems Vulcan was amazing my dad couldnt beliveve it could fly.

[geordiebaloo]

fiasco getting on to site 2.5 hrs from cupar to the yellow car park thanks to the park and ride convoy system we encounterd from the blue car park. leaving was a different story left at 6.30 never stopped once till cupar which is normal and home bye 10 to morpeth with a coffee break as well
dissapointing start great show easy finish
bring on next year

[np1991]

Got the 5.19am train from Forres straight through to Leuchars arriving around 8.30. Into the show by 8.50 and after the show wondered the static until about half 6 with next to no people still inside. Went back to the station and the platform was packed, but a train appeared on both platforms within minutes, so it emptied. Wainted until the 20.28 train straight through to Forres, only had to stand til Dundee when some party goers gots off. Didn't get home til 23.40ish, but it was alot easier then being stuck on a cramped train til Aberdeen then having to change.

[nugget44444]

We travelled from Lossiemouth were in Yellow carpark got in about 8 30ish after a few folk had to be diverted back down road . Police were very good at keeping traffic flowing all directions once moving we got straight in no problems. At the end of the show we wandered around static and the stalls again got to car about 6 and straight out of car park was home by 10 . Fantastic job it was just unfortunate the other carpark nearby and the park and ride got flooded and had to be diverted .

[Bluetail]

Well I got into the Yellow Car park queue at 7.50, I was in and parked by about 8.20 with no problem, (I did have a small concern with the rain storm )

I departed at 6pm and the only hold up I had was at St Mikes, apart from that no problem at all, thought it was pretty good