Unfortunately I was mixed up in this weekends RIAT...Struggled to get a jet down to it for it to be cancelled approx 2 hours later...Very disappointing.
I will say this though...From our perspective the organisation was fantasic, the organisers incredibly flexible (giving us later and later arrival slots and messing around with their parking plan several times) and all the staff warm and welcoming...When it cancelled for the Sunday we went in for some hosting and even though the disappointment was obvious from the staff they were helpful to the last. It was the oddest feeling walking around a fully set-up airshow in the brilliant sunshine with no public present and nothing displaying.
Having seen the fields that were to be car parks from the bus to our hotel it came as no surprise that it was cancelled...It was absolutely the correct decision in my mind as with just the show setting up traffic driving up and down the access roads it was already cutting up into a bog...With thousands of cars hammering them it would have become difficult and dangerous in no time at all.
I can't guarantee the accuracy of these figures but it was mentioned that they paid £1.4M for the insurance and they were expecting about £20M back to cover everything and apparently the insurance was £400K more this year due to Waddington losing a day last year so the insurance company up the ante...Makes you wander about the fallout from this weekend...Will insurance be affordable again and if it is available will smaller shows be abled to stump up?
Well done to all the RIAT staff for putting on a brave face...Those of us that turned up last night had a good time.