RAF Waddington airshow 2011

[Flyingmonster]

Also, The Thunderbirds will be doing their usual ground routine. However there will be no commentary because there shall be other air displays displaying until there allotted 1 hour time period

John

Is it really an hour long display. I'm not complaining that just seems long when compared to the reds.

Jon93 it is an hour including the start up sequence hope that helps dude!

[jon93]

Thanks for the info flyingmonster, just been watching a few thunderbirds displays on youtube, will have to keep an eye out for the sneak pass.

[b0nd08]

cheers john!

[davedubya]

I read on a forum somewhere that someone was actually excited about the Albatross coming - I kid you not! Presumably he'll be inconsolable now?!

The Monty Python fan club will also be disappointed.

[Sheff]

Stormy Petrel on a stick...

[urkles]

I have read this thread from the period i departed to Turkey on Wednesday, and I would like to make the following points;

1- The serviceman/war issue - I love the way this is a RAF Base and the poor little blighters are away on detachment. During my time in the Navy we were always short of personnel at Yeovilton, because a fair proportion were ALWAYS deployed! I cant remember people moaning leave was stopped for one weekend out of 52 because we had to airshow duty, in fact I thought most ( I did!) enjoyed it, free tickets for family and a chance to show off!

2- The airshow not being good as it was - well lets me honest it isnt! The reason I go? To relax, I love aeroplanes and thats what Waddington does for me, gives me a chance to relax and watch aeroplanes as there is nothing there to keep me rushing around all day making sure I see it. its a nice little show to just sit and enjoy, but thats the point - quantity doesnt mean quality, but this is a personal issue, some may enjoy seeing the aircraft that turn up every year.

3- Value for money- this is a british thing im afraid, 20 pounds is cheap for this country, but to Europe its a rip off. To get to see some good stuff, the last few years I have to go to Europe to see it, in fact I do more shows there than the UK now, and some, particular fairly local ones like Koksijde and Cambrai which work out cheaper than british ones anyway. I just did the turkish show - the spottersday was free (and we had a free run of the airfield - no barriers and a chance to get real close to working aircraft) and the show as well was free, All aircraft were modern miltary and the static and flying was varied and exciting, if you replaced Turkish Air Force for RAF aircraft it would still have been an exceptional show. They also did an Inventory flypast, a bit like the Queens flypast but with more aircraft ( well theres a thought, how about the Queens flight flypast aircraft doing the same a month later at Waddo? )

These are just my opinions, I dont want none of the abuse Sheff got for having an opinion

[Sheff]

I would not walk around Sainsbury's looking at products and making complaints left, right and centre without purchasing them

Eh? Are you in the habit of complaining about something and then buying it?!

[tomcat79uk]

There is some fair points on here about the airshow.

I was planning to go to the show and the £20 per ticket is not that bad but add in £90 fuel , £50 for camp site and about £100 for food and drink for 3 days then the value starts to fade away.

If I was a local then this would be a great show for £20 but at the moment for £260 it just does not have that wow factor for me well yet anyway.

Add in a german phanton , A10 , F-15's then perhaps yes.

So really depends where you are coming from for the show if your local (1 hour drive away) then the show is value but if your are paying extra's for travel and over night stay then sadly the value fades away.

Just my views.

[benyboy]

John, I have seen you mention this before. I guess there will be no Leuchars show next year so thats one and maybe some money will be transfered to the Waddington Budget. Is the other one Cosford ?

On the subject of budgets (this may not be popular). If Waddington was to come into a position where lack of money had a major effect on the number or quality of displays, would it not be better to cut the caritable donation as appose to having reduced visitor numbers and the donation being cut in that way. I say this as it is inevitable that as military aircraft reduce in both numbers and variety, the organisers will have to increasingly look to private operators to make up the display. With this will come increased cost. Especialy as it will take types such as the Vulcan, Sea Vixen and other `noise makers` to fill the gaps left by frontline fighter aircraft.

Any way cant wait for the show. Planning on camping but cutting it a bit fine now to book.

[cottesmore09]

Since nothing else interesting happening on the thread i thought i will be the annoying one and bring up the Weather

Well as we know the weather men/women are usually wrong when it comes to predicting tomorrows weather, but here is there long term outlook for Waddington week,

Monday 20 June 2011 to Sunday 3 July 2011

Continuation of the northwest/southeast split
There are indications that the northwest/southeast split will continue into the early part of July.Sunniest and driest spells of weather wil again dominate in southern and eastern England whilst Scotland and Northern Ireland will be both cooler and wetter. Is it any comfort in these areas that rainfall should only be 'average'?

I do hope they are right!

Also hope the next update it good that we are expecting because i have a feeling it will be the last!

[Sheff]

If it does disappoint you then the best advice I can give is do not go
As I've said before, it's an easy answer. Bit like complaining about TV programmes ("if you don't like it then don't watch")... all very well but it doesn't address the issue of the license-paying or the downward spiral in the quality of TV shows. Same applies to the air show scene.

The charity issue is not really an issue at all. Ultimately it's irrelevant where the profits from an air show go. Great if the proceeds go to a deserving cause but the problem we have is that more and more emphasis is placed on the fund-raising for charity. The reason why is obvious. It enables organisers to effectively say okay, we know the show isn't as good as it was but please come along anyway as you'll be donating to charity. That's just an easy excuse for fobbing-off the punters with a poor show. As I've said before I think we should be very careful not to allow the question of charities to cloud the issue. The show should stand on its own merits - not excuse itself on account of where the proceeds go.

As for the show needing money to pay for civilian aircraft, this is at the heart of the problem. What the hell is going-on when a show needs more and more money to pay for civvy acts? It was supposed to be the RAF's showcase event. Why have we got to a stage where there are more civil aircraft at the show than military ones?

Let's be straight about this; I'm sure everyone who goes to the show this year will enjoy themselves. That's great. But I do hope that people will not look at the event through rose-coloured specs. It really is no crime to make an honest judgement about the show. Likewise we are not obliged to continually thank the organisers for their efforts and excuse them for an increasingly disappointing show. On the contrary. We are the tax-payers and we are the people who potentially buy the admission tickets (or do not), so we have every right to say whether we think we're getting value for money. It's very easy to get into this daft situation where everyone thinks they will be shot if they dare to tell the organisers that a show was rubbish. Why? They are not there to do us any favours. They get paid a lot of money to produce a show that they hope will persuade punters to part with their cash.

It's easy to look at the good aspects of a show and ignore the bad ones. Problem with this approach is that it will ultimately leave us with no show at all. It's rather like standing on the deck of the Titanic, slowly edging onto the remaining parts of the deck that are not submerged and saying "ooh this bit is nice and dry"... far better to abandon the deck and get in a lifeboat, if you see what I mean!

[cottesmore09]

But the thing is Sheff that hundreds of thousands of people will go to Waddington and thoroughly enjoy the show, aircraft, stalls etc etc and will want to come back next year. That alone makes it a success.
No one is saying the show will be as good as years gone by, thats simply impossible, but its the best we can expect under the circumstanes, so get on with it and enjoy it while we still have it

Benyboy,
The rumours and i add they are just rumours is that Leuchars and Cosford and Waddington are all being looked at for there shows to be cancelled next year, with only one show of the three being saved. Whether this is true or not, we wont know until next year for certain, but due to Waddington being the premier RAF air show and a two day event, its odds on this will be in the strongest position to be saved.

However, as previously mentioned, this is rumour, but from a very good source.

John

Also waddo can still have its usual weekend which will fall on the 30th June and 1st July next year and personaly i don't see Waddo to be cancelled because out of the 3 it is still the biggest show...

[cottesmore09]

Well when my tickets come through it said on a letter that came with it and i quote "The large range of ground displays will include over 100 aircraft, 250 trade stands....", i counted 56 aircraft so far which means either we are all expecting a very big update of atleast 44 aircraft or they are even going to be below there own standards, but unless it going to be full of civies i dont really see them being able to get another 44 aircraft added

The next couple of weeks could be very interesting, but if they can not match what they put on paper i will be disapointed myself..

[Sheff]

but its the best we can expect under the circumstanes, so get on with it and enjoy it while we still have it


That's what I've been talking-about if anyone actually reads what I've said. Simply repeating this mantra year after year is pointless. It's a self-fulfilling prophecy. Firstly it's not true and secondly we will not "still have it" if everyone passively accepts what we're given year after year.

[Andyph]

To a large degree I support Sheff. I do think the airshow organisers do try hard but the level above them is not interested in supporting airshows.

I started attending airshows in the 70s and the thing I have noticed recently is not the lack of machinery but the lack of effort. We get half a dozen RAF types each year and that is that.

I am sure if Queens birthday fell upon the same day as Waddington the show will still not receive the flypast. Many RAF shows in the past would have a one off airfield attack but how long since those stopped. Even 5-10 mins of a four ship of Typhoons doing missed approachs/touch and goes I would Imagine would be a highlight - what chance of seeing it - zero. Yet of course it will be taking place 30 miles down the road on the monday after the show (as every day)

My other bug bear with 'big' shows like Waddington is how far the crowdline is away - anything the size of a hawk or smaller might as well not bother for me - I do not have telescopic vision!

The same machines that are so boring at waddington and fairford (because they are so far away) are delighful at Shuttleworth (because they are so close)

I know in New Zealand if an aircraft is slow and making a straight and level pass down the runway it is allowed much closer to the public - seems a cracking idea.

[jon93]

If you think the display line is far away at waddington, you should try sunderland.

[Gary]

Update today 07/06/2011

Flying

E3D Sentry (FP) 54(R) Sqn, RAF Waddington (Station Flypast)
Sentinel R1 (FP) 54(R) Sqn, RAF Waddington (Station Flypast)
RC135 Rivet Joint (FP) - 95th RW USAF /51 Sqn RAF (Station Flypast)

Static

French Air Force
Alphajet x2 (S) - Sqn TBC

[jon93]

Looking forward to seeing the RC-135, note to self leave earlier than last year to see the station flypast take off.

[blakey]

Ive not been for 4 years and i said i would never go again, but a good friend is coming up from the south and staying with me for acouple of nights, this and the fact the Thunderbirds will be flying im gonna go and enjoy it

Im not bothered about anything else attending, i dont want to speak with pilots and my job depends on me not being violent so id be more than happy if any member of the services stays away from me, then i wont get tempted to do something i'll regret

No, i'll just sit down in good company and enjoy USAF's finest, in fact i'll be more interested in what machines Roger Tuby's bringing this year

[Flyingmonster]

RC135!!