What would I like from a fly-in?
1. Less pumped up high viz vest wearing jobsworths being patronising when I want to go and look around the visiting aircraft parking area.
2. A decent area for the kids to play in that is secure and supervised to allow parents to wander safe in the knowledge that their precious little ones aren't trying to Cellotape themselves to a prop somewhere.
3. A Met unit like the one at the G-VFWE. It was perfect considering the weather this year. Well done to the men on the stand.
4. No tarmac (it's for girls)
5. Minimum of £10 landing fees to know that I have contributed to the longevity of the success and survival of the strip I have visited.
6. Free landing fees for DubTrub when he demonstrates his "minimal air-time circuit"
7. No "banned arrival/departure times" due to displays. I arrived to two fly-ins this summer (one was two hours flight away) and was told not to land for another hour as a display was due to start. One was my fault. The long distance one was a mis-print on their website that had confused GMT and BST. Needless to say I was annoyed and made my feelings clear. I was asked not to return in future years!!
8. No stickers on aircraft. It is little short of vandalism. I had one placed on my tail (aircraft tail) this year without my permission and was so annoyed that I peeled it off and stuck it over the airfield's weather web cam lens. Guess the field!
9. Sausage baguettes in those nice well-buttered chewy baguettes.
10. Marshallers who understand that the gesticulation of "Follow your current direction" does not mean "Head towards me". This issue nearly put me in a ditch at Sandown earlier this year. Had I not been with the mild tempered Mike Cross at the time I would have told the chap what I thought
11. Becky from Compton Abbas washing visiting aircraft in a bikini.
12. Cat Deeley with the chamois.
13. Yak pilots being asked to park well away from the rest of us as they seem to find it funny whe they start up at full throttle and blow every other aircraft away within 50 yards.
As you will see, I'm not choosy or opinionated...
M