Mildenhall airshow 2010

[Dunk]

Those were the days indeed, driving onto the airfield and being stuck in a huge queue didnt matter, as beers and burgers were forced through your windows at 0700, sometimes had 2 visits from the BBQ people by the time we parked up!

[GOOSE]

Im just wondering how you all drink beer at these events, i wouldnt dream of going to Waddo and drinking

Lee, most people would stay or camp in the local area, then walk into the show. Therefore no problemo.

[Leuchars Fan]

Im just wondering how you all drink beer at these events, i wouldnt dream of going to Waddo and drinking

The last time I can remember doing something like that I was at Finningley 1989, with my Brother and co. By the time we got back home that evening I had a hangover and as I recall spent most of the, unusually for me, chatting to other people in an increasingly drunken torpor.

LF

[viper3111]

Im just wondering how you all drink beer at these events, i wouldnt dream of going to Waddo and drinking

The last time I can remember doing something like that I was at Finningley 1989, with my Brother and co. By the time we got back home that evening I had a hangover and as I recall spent most of the, unusually for me, chatting to other people in an increasingly drunken torpor.

LF

Easy, we camped on ted's site and walked on, took our pictures for model details, bought our model kits, ate our 'wet burgers' and then drank as much bud as we could then walked back to the camp site and enjoyed the evening with our friends. Happy days

Sadly I have to drive to waddo and all other shows due to work (not that that matters at the moment ), the burgers arnt the same and the beer is expensive so the mildenhall tradition died when the shows stopped

[vinnyboy]

If only the organisers at Fairford could get the Yanks to do the catering Mildenhall style. That would be a big step towards the good old days and should inject a huge amount of atmosphere into the event. Think I'll suggest it although I'm sure others already have.

Darren

My thoughts exactly.....how hard could it be?!?!!?

My brother was at a kids party last week and there were some of the USAF Mildenhall committee members there...they confirmed that there will be an event next year but not quite the size of the historical air fetes of old.....lets just keep the enthusiasm and desire for the event to return and I'm sure it will happen as for me personally, it was always the best event of the year, by far!

Spiritwalker.

Yes but it will probably be like last year invites only and a small show But if they get an airshhow next year even on a small scale open for the general public i will be there for those lovely hot dogs hamburgers with bbq sauce and ice cold beer.Sadly cant see it happening

[Sheff]

Far better to remember Mildenhall Air Fetes in their heyday and enjoy the memories! Can you imagine how utterly rubbish a 2011 version would be?! Eww nooo!

[vinnyboy]

8 or 9 years of planning it could be a corker of a show but i guess your right its nice to remember the good ole days

[EF-111]

I assume the "security reason" is on field parking. Would it not be possible for them to co-ordinate things with Newmarket racecourse so they could rent thier car parks for the weekend and shuttle everyone to base by bus?
I know this happens at many European shows where they rent local farmers fields for duration of shows.
Volkel and Gilze-Rijen in Netherlands do it, as do Buckeburg in Germany. Liege/Bierst in Belgiun use a local industrial park.
If they then charged £1.50 per person (with free return) it would pay for itself, and security would be sorted
Just a thought, Steve

[RichardS]

If the enthusiasm shown on here for an event at Mildenhall was extrapolated to the whole population I suggest that demand for entry would be enormous.
The last Air Fete held we tried to take the family and turned round about 5 miles from the base after the display had started as there was no hope of getting in.
I think they would have to restrict entry in some way rather than make it 'open' or the entry fee would have to be self regulating in much the way that RIAT is.
A large number of people who went to Air Fete were not enthusiasts but general day trippers who habitually went there - probably for the burgers and beer but
wouldn't know a Dutch F16 from a Belgian F16.
It's a shame but I cannot think, if anything does materialise, that it will be an "Air Fete" as remembered.

[Danny]

Always a great atmosphere at the Air Fete's. Some of my earliest memories were from the shows in the mid to late 90's. I suppose i didn't realise how much of a fantastic show it was until they stopped it. Would be fantastic to see it return.

[TankBuster]

If the enthusiasm shown on here for an event at Mildenhall was extrapolated to the whole population I suggest that demand for entry would be enormous.
The last Air Fete held we tried to take the family and turned round about 5 miles from the base after the display had started as there was no hope of getting in.
I think they would have to restrict entry in some way rather than make it 'open' or the entry fee would have to be self regulating in much the way that RIAT is.
A large number of people who went to Air Fete were not enthusiasts but general day trippers who habitually went there - probably for the burgers and beer but
wouldn't know a Dutch F16 from a Belgian F16.
It's a shame but I cannot think, if anything does materialise, that it will be an "Air Fete" as remembered.

It was always a busy airshow. I remember the first year we went we got stuck in a 6 mile jam, but still got onto the base, although it was after the flying had started .
Every year after that we always left home at 4am just to do the 40 mile journey in order to beat the queues & there was still always a queue to get in the base during those early hours, we must have been amongst the first 200 cars or so to get there.

TB

[biglamp]

come on chaps,anyone remember the $1 wine cooler from Alconbury ?

then there is the Symmonds Cider wagon at RIAT

Hic

[Bobby Jo]

Berry's Wine spritzer I think they were called

Now they were Godd Times



Bud Light which you cant get in the UK. You could drink that all day

There were so many beers to choose from it was so cool

Right.................Tonight I will be digging out my pictures of all the old USAF Airshows to reminisce

[Richard B]

Would have been at Berts field end of Beck row this weekend.
used to love camping the weekend, cheap beer and food, great atomosphere and very many happy weekends over the years,
never will they be repeated so just keep those memories is the best thing.

[Unknown74]

Ah the memories, Mildenhall, the greatest American/ British Airshow I've been to. Now as my father always says the Americans know how to run an Airshow, Mildenhall seemed to have a very special atmosphere as has been mentioned.

My best memories of it were Stealth Fighters and Stealth Bombers and The Special Ops Demonstrations (MH-53s and HC/MC-130s).

[viper3111]

We would have been on Teds campsite for two weeks, amongst the landing lights.
I met some good friends on there, sadly some have past away but still remember the good times.

If only it could be brought back, I know it probably never will

[smith368]

Don't knock it... Been talking to Americans at Waddington from Mildenhall on the first day of Waddington Airshow and they said it will be next summer date not confirmed but will be one as soon as I find the date its on the first holiday booked off work next year

[TankBuster]

I do hope they have something planned. If so, they should be well into planning it now, as they always started planning for an Air Fete a year ahead of the event. Planning used to start as soon as the previous Air Fete had finished!

Would be cool to have it back on the calendar, but I fear that too much time has passed to bring it back on the scale that it used to be. I'll just keep my fingers crossed & wait & see if anything official is announced. If anything is announced then I would expect to see it on BBC Look East, as they have always had a close link with covering previous local events at Mildenhall & Lakenheath.

TankBuster

[robbo]

info i have is its a 70/30 chance of next year but restricted to max 50,000 entrants,

robbo

[TankBuster]

50,000 . Too much time has passed by the look of it if thats the case! Surely thats gonna be a 1 day event then instead of the old 2 day Air Fete weekend. Probably be something similair to the American Air Day that they have been having at Duxford, which is cool

50,000? The Air Fete weekend usually had a crowd in excess of 500,000+ through the gates over both days!

TankBuster