View from an exhibitor.
Last Year - 80-90 degrees, 2200 aircraft fly in and everyone has a great rally. (Shame about the toilets which was sorted this year - well done PFA)
This Year - Crap weather - 970 (approx) aircraft turn up.
Something is screamingly obvious with this one. The reason so many people didn't turn up was due to the weather. I don't doubt some people were put of with prices but come on - last week I spent £220 on flying (student) and didn't go anywhere more interesting than Fenland (no offence Fenland!). To land at an event with so many things to see and learn from and pay just £25 is something that I am looking forward to. I just hope the PFA continue to organise it.
Last year the PFA made a loss. This year they need to break even. They had to put prices up. Where they went wrong and Mike Cross and myself have discussed this for some time is in the marketing. If you landed, paid your £25 as a non member and were given a voucher for say £15 or even the whole lot to use against the cost of a full membership then the PFA would have gained many more members - not just this year but for many years to come.
However, I do have to say that I thought the organisation of the rally was excellent and the PFA deserve a lot of credit for the rally itself. It's the highlight of the GA event calender for me (personally) and the most successful event we have ever attended. Would have been a lot better if the sun had stayed out but there you go.
I think the PFA deserve all the credit in the world for putting on this event. It just needs some thought about how to turn more attendees into PFA members and some other 'GA' attractions.
On another note Mark Jeffries display was awe inspiring. Real style and the man has areobatics down to a fine art.