RAF Waddington airshow 2011

[garethbrum]

Why waddo can not hold back a Nimrod for a good bye flight to the locals of LIncoln,+ airshow crowd.

Agreed. It says a lot about the show. All the bleating about what a great job they do and how they try to cater for enthusiasts. Can't even postpone a final flight of a unique aircraft for a couple of days? Come on, that's just ridiculous.

You should know better than that - as Maylfy says, it has nothing to do with the show at all. They've tried their hardest but this decision is clearly made elsewhere.

[jon93]

I think it will be nice to see both side by side hopefully, for one last time before there gone for good.

[Gary]

Posted on twitter..

RAF Typhoon Display

Hot off the press! We've just confirmed a static Typhoon for Waddington Air Show 2/3 July.

Better than nothing

[jon93]

The typhoon party in the static continues to grow please park them side by side, also should be noted waddington has more USAF flying than RIAT that has to be a first.

[Sheff]

Decisions about disbandment go way beyond station level.

Yes, of course the decision is beyond the control of the organisers. But this goes back to what I've said many times before. Unless the organisers make a fuss and follow the issue right up to the people who do make the decisions, then obviously this is the result we get. Frankly, if I was responsible for organising the event, I'd be on the point of walking-out if I was met with that kind of attitude from the "top brass". I mean really, it's impossible to keep one unique aircraft flying for a couple of days to mark the retirement of one of the RAF's (and British industry's) most successful weapons systems? It's ludicrous.

Trouble is, ultimately, the organisers aren't going to lose any sleep over a mere Nimrod. They have a show put together which is good enough to entertain the public and that is all that matters as far as they're concerned. I'm sure they did try to get the Nimrod "held-over" for a couple of days but as ever, the answer is that "we tried and the answer was no", so, the way I see it, we get to a situation where somebody should be taking this issue to the highest level and asking just what the show is all about and what it is for. It wouldn't upset the MoD's machinery to hold onto one aircraft for a couple of days and it could have been a major attraction for the event - especially for those who are not just there for a day out with the kids. But the show has become simply a source of entertainment and a money-raising event. That's not what the RAF's "showcase" should be all about, is it? Surely, it's not just a glorified fete in aid of charity is it?

As I've said, I don't blame the organisers for their approach. Why would they do anything differently? They get a big crowd and they raise money. The rest is not really an issue for them. But in terms of showcasing the RAF (or even the wider aspects of military aviation) to the public for just one day, the show is a joke. Likewise, while we keep saying "it's great" or "they've done the best they can" then we are simply encouraging the situation to remain the same - and therefore get worse every year.

The way I see it is this:- The RAF is over-stretched and short of cash. They have one opportunity to stage an annual show where they can show the taxpayer what the RAF and air power is all about. They could do that with great flair if the will was there. Money is not an issue - there are many ways in which this could be achieved within the costs of pretty normal training activities. The problem is that the event is ostensibly regarded as a simple "show" to raise money. It isn't about showcasing at all. I accept that the issue is far beyond the control of Waddington's organisers but at the same time, if they are not willing to fight for something better (and they clearly are not) then we're doomed to accept more (or less) of the same thing year after year until the show collapses completely. This is why I keep saying that it's a really bad idea to continually congratulate the organisers for making the best of a bad job. I know it's only human (and typically British) to adopt a stiff upper lip and stoically accept what we're given but in the long term it's suicidal. It is going to destroy the show, it's going to destroy one of the few things that are left for enthusiasts to enjoy and - worse still - it's going to deny the RAF the one remaining opportunity they have to show the public what they're all about. Madness!

They have a Typhoon for the static park... is this really what we've come to? We're talking about the RAF for heaven's sake, not a Third World nation...

[GOOSE]

Agreed Pam, ultimately the decision will be made right at the top!

[urkles]

100% agree Sheff, and a couple of points that have been made before.

1- The FAA EVERY year at Yeovilton launch a significant amount of aircraft and do an airpower demo without fail, no matter operational commitments and serviceman availability, why cannot the RAF do the same?

2-The RAF do a couple of flypasts with a few aircraft over the Queen every year, would it be too difficult to do the same at Waddington in what is their main event?

No one doubts the hard work that goes into creating the show, just the mindset of how it should be acheived. And as Sheff has pointed out, alot of what the RAF could showcase could be part of there own training, thus costing nothing except whats in the budget anyway.

[RJ79]

Spot on Urkles, a couple more thoughts, would it be easy to do a 'dummy' QRA, launching Tiffies and a VC-10 or a engines running refuel on an Apache and make an exhibition of it? Really all you would have to do would be substitute a Waddington weekend for two days in the week, no one loses any time during the week and it doesn't cost Waddington apart from possibly a bit more fuel in refuelling?

I may be duplicating some of what Sheff says but just some thoughts, and simple ones at that!

[NAM Updater]

....or a engines running refuel on an Apache and make an exhibition of it? ....

They already cover such items with displays like the Deployment Support Display in 2008!

Admittedly not live flying but of great interest to members of the public as you can get close and amongst the display, but perhaps not so interesting to the ‘enthusiast sector!’

[cottesmore09]

To make some happy there should be some flying updates because the RNHF are still to comfirm what aircraft they are sending, please dont be static!

Sea Hawk flying??

[Sheff]

RAF do a couple of flypasts with a few aircraft over the Queen every year

That one has been mentioned before. The stock response is that Waddington "has" to be on the same weekend every year because of crew accommodation which requires the local university blocks, etc. I'm inclined to think that the notion of the same weekend in July being the only available date is a teensy bit unlikely. Likewise, there's always the obvious option of staging the show somewhere else - Cottesmore, Wittering and Wyton spring to mind as fairly central locations and all three are Class One airfields.

It's just another one of those subjects which could be explored if there was any interest in exploring it. Evidently there isn't!

[garethbrum]

To make some happy there should be some flying updates because the RNHF are still to comfirm what aircraft they are sending, please dont be static!

Sea Hawk flying??

Sea Hawk isn't serviceable at the moment and isn't expected to be so until later in the season.

[jakdaw]

i will be there first thing on the saturday like a kid i a sweet shop, i love aircraft what ever they are, waddington is my second christmas so echo johns comments a big thank you to the team who seem to have had a tough year with not just the airshow acts but also some members of this board

[jon93]

Couldn't agree more, I will be there as early as I can, but bearing in mind its a good three hour plus drive for me early for me is about half nine. Some of the posts on here just make me shake my head and feel sorry for the organisers, but three weeks to go.

[Mike]

I am absolutely certain that the Waddington Airshow office has done their very,very best to get what they can into both the flying and static displays.
Well done to everyone there for what they have come-up with so far I can't manage to get there myself but I'm certain it'll be a fantastic weekend for all of you guys that can get there.
I'm looking forward to all of the photos already.

[turtle 21]

I agree with the last posts roll on waddington airshow. Why it is the same people get anal about what is and isn't at airshows. I am one thats looking foreward to the 30th June when waddington starts.

[Sheff]

Nimrod cannot fly
Yes it can

so all these super duper aircraft cannot be afforded
What "super duper" aircraft and what do you mean "afford"? Thou speaketh in riddles.

Waddington puts on a great show for what they have
Yes - problem is they don't have much

Sheff and one or two others
Actually it's thousands of people. But by all means keep your head stuck in the sand. That's always achieved great things...

a big thank you to the team
For what? Doing their job? They're not doing you a favour, they're creating a show, and an increasingly bad one at that.

shake my head and feel sorry for the organisers
Why? Haven't you read a word of what has been said here?

I am absolutely certain that the Waddington Airshow office has done their very,very best
See the previous posts. It's my assertion that they certainly have not, for the reasons I've explained.

Why it is the same people get anal about what is and isn't at airshows
Because there's only a few of us that are sufficiently concerned about the situation. The rest just want to pretend that the show is great (even though we all know it is patently awful compared to past years). I don't know why this is - either people are terrified of speaking the truth, or perhaps they must think that if they accept how bad things are, then reality will dawn on them and they'll have a mental breakdown?!

Why it is the same people get anal about what is and isn't at airshows
The other obvious point here is to ask why the hell anyone wouldn't "get anal" about the matter. I assume that the term "anal" means being concerned? Well why wouldn't you be concerned? Are you saying that you're actually happy with the meagre line-up this year which will inevitably be even poorer next year? Or do you propose to stoically turn-up every year until all that is left is wing walkers, the Blades, the BBMF and a balloon?

[NAM Updater]

Once again Newark Air Museum’s opening hours have been extended on both Airshow days to accommodate the hugely popular Airshow Helicopter Shuttle Flights!

[jakdaw]

sheff a lot of points there fella and you seem quite excited, the thunderbirds, the reds and the vulcan three of the biggest airshow attractions in the world, the blades the best at what they do, bbmf one of only two flying lancs in the world, seems like you take stuff for granted. sure not as many fast jets as before but the RAF twenty years ago could call on phantoms, buccaneers, jaguars, harriers, tornado f3 and tornado gr1 and most of these attended the big shows now the RAF has two fast jets, one only just really getting on its feet with the RAF and both heavily deployed doing there proper job. all european air forces have similarly cut back and have decided it would be a cheaper or better fit to attend a more local show. heard stats previously that enthusiasts make up 4% of airshow goers the fact they try to accomodate spotters requirements at all is a surprise, the fact that there the queues outside suggest that there are a lot of people that do enjoy the show your comments do make me happy though one less person in the queue to get in, go to the loo, catch the car park bus etc but if your right i will be the only one there anyway. i admit i have enjoyed the indians, F-117, gripen, F-16 and all the other stuff. but things change finningley used to do a fly by with 4x jetstreams 4x dominie 4x jp 4x bulldog wessex and sea king, things are tight enjoy what is there, dont lament what is not. lifes too short.

[Sheff]

Not about lamenting, it's about accepting that when a horse has been flogged to death, it's best replaced by something else.

We've done all the arguments about why and how we got to this stage but the point is that it is a one-way street. If nothing changes it gets progressively worse. The Vulcan will probably be gone after this year, the Red Arrows have another 5-6 years left to go probably, the BBMF might survive but it may well be sold-off. Even the "main acts" which entertain Joe Public will be gone. Then what?

The event is supposed to be the RAF's showcase and a money-raising opportunity. At present it fulfills only one of those aims. In a few years it will fulfill neither. The aircraft are there, it is just that they cannot be allocated to a "show" any longer. The key to the future is to abandon the notion of the event being a "show" as such, and more about being an opportunity for the public to see the RAF/Nato in action. Make no mistake, there is much which could be done, if the RAF's Chiefs and MoD mandarins were not bogged-down in dogma. They will stay bogged-down while people like us keep patting them on their backs, telling them that they're doing a good job. We're digging our own graves, metapohrically-speaking.