RAF Abingdon Battle of Britain Airshows

[Neil Porter]

OK, some of you know i organise the annual 'Abingdon Fayre Air & Country Show ' each early May bank hols at Abingdon Airfield (or former RAF Abingdon or Dalton Barracks to new folk!), and at present for the Air Displays, i use Runway 18/36 as the display line (aswell as the runway in use as much longer & can get in the bigger stuff & jets on the actual day)...

I am thinking of changing the display axis so to be orientated just north of runway 08/26, for safety reasons mainly (because on its present axis on 18/36, now we are getting fast jets involved my concern is for them not to skirt Abingdon town to the south east whilst manouvering back onto the display line ie: likes of the Tornado or Jaguar which use a fare bit of airspace when in the turn)..as next year onwards it is possible of a reheated jet display. It was about ok for the Hawk routine this year, being as its more agile..

But i will also keep the main 18/36 in use for the big stuff / jets etc on the day for take offs & landings - have a cunning plan!.

Can anyone enlighten me to when RAF Abingdon held the Bof B Airshows, 08/26 (or the 230mtr line north of it) was the axis used & the reasons why it was preferred , than 18/36?:ok:

[Man-on-the-fence]

Neil

Just a guess here but there was more space to park punters and hold displays south of 08/26. In addition you could give the Gen Pub access to the Hangers etc (not a concern for you) if you used east west rather than north south. In this case using 18/36 would mean staring into the sun all afternoon and significantly reduced parking.

A wild guess.

[Art Field]

Hi Neil,

I just happen to still have the map I used for a fly past of Abingdon for B of B 18th Sep 1982. The line was over the runway intersection, tracking 082, which is slightly off line from r/w 08 with a start point over Faringdon. As to the why and wherefore I regret I can not help, we were given that line to use with no explanation.

[flipster]

Neil,
Both of above answers correct in principle. I was involved in the co-ord for BofB Airshow for 1987 and 88 (the one that didn't happen after sad crash of the phantom crew on practice day). 08/26 was used for the display with the axis slightly north of the the r/w, if I recall. The crowd were to the south of this - mainly to ensure they looked down-sun, as well for better parking and access to the main site by the hangars, where all the static displays were. There were always complaints from Boars Hill residents - sad giffers!

[tmmorris]

Oh, please use 08/26 - I live almost exactly on that line and wouldn't have to leave home to see the fun...!

Tim

[Neil Porter]

Thanks for the info so far- is a big help....

Boars Hill residents always moaned, tho i heard a funny story from a former Abingdon based WO that a visiting Lightning departing a B of B Airday upon blasting off, turned and 'sort of' aimed for Boars Hill (unintentional of course!) & went ballastic in full burner over Boars Hill!

[Neil Porter]

Any Past Display Pilots from B of B Airdays here can enlighten me (especially ex fast jet display pilots) on when the display line was on the E/W axis, slightly north of 08/26, am i correct in thinking Display Centre was to the right of the runway intersection.... & trying to gauge how close Jet aircraft especially, came to the village of Dry Sandford / Sandleigh area to the north of the airfield (& display line)when performaing a 360 degree turn for example.. and any other areas that were to be avoided??

Flipster or Art Field - can you help in this area??

All help gratefully rec'd please...helps me with my planning for Ab Fayre Air & Country Show 05:ok:

Ops Dragon - ta for the great Lightning story!!!!!!

[elderforest]

Neil,

Judging by the complaints in the Abingdon Herald last week regarding the 'noise' from the RAF Benson Families day, I would suggest avoiding the Benson area entirely with any of the Air Fayre display aircraft !!

Moan when it's noise from helos, moan when it's noise from display aircraft (weren't the Reds doing a flyby!?) and then the locals & politicians moan when the MoD propose closing the base !! You can't win . . .

Seriously, best of luck for Air Fayre 2005 - see you there :ok:

Ian.
(elderforest).

[Neil Porter]

http://www.abingdonfayre.com/RAF/SAVE0043.JPG

Heres an image taken at the 87 B of B Airday (from our website, www.abingdonfayre.com) & go to the RAF page - of a visiting Lightning F6 of 11 Sqn.
Lightnings were frequent visitors to Airdays and other special occasions, anyone got a photo of the Lightning / Tornado / Vulcan here in i think 86 for the POW reunion??


Hope the image is ok, as first time i have tried to post an image whereby you all can see it..

[BigGrecian]

What's on the website? The links don't work!

[Neil Porter]

Website contain info on our charity Airday with a page devoted to RAF Abingdon - i will check & have a look later & have a word with the chap who looks after the site to sort it!!:ok:

[airborne_artist]

Judging by the complaints in the Abingdon Herald last week regarding the 'noise' from the RAF Benson Families day, I would suggest avoiding the Benson area entirely with any of the Air Fayre display aircraft !!

The fuss was less about the noise level, but more about the fact that no advance notice was given. The Station Press Officer quoted the over-used "Security precautions prevented us from making this public" nonsense, despite the fact that the Falcons' (http://www.raf.mod.uk/falcons/falccald.html) page on the RAF official site showed them as booked for the event.

I live under the MATZ and the day itself was fine, once I realised what was going on. The Tornado leaving the following morning at about 250' above Artist Towers was a bit of a surprise, and did quite literally frighten the horses.

[2port]

Art

Tried to resist asking, but why have you still got a 1982 flypast map, and how did you know you had it??
Realise this is of no help to the original question, just curious.
Good luck Neil.

[Neil Porter]

http://www.abingdonfayre.com/RAF/SAVE0022.JPG

Heres another - i was told that this aircraft actually crashed not too long after this photo was taken - maybe someone can shed light on that??

Also, looking for any old RAF Abingdon programs to bolster our collection for our RAF Abingdon memories stand...we have so far programs from the 73, 81 - 90 shows....anyone has a spare to donate??? get in touch.. or come to that anything Abingdon related get in touch..many thanks:ok:

[Art Field]

2Port. I guess its because I'm a natural hoarder or maybe at the time it was wishful thinking for a posting to Brize which fortunately came about. I knew I had it because we have just moved into Abingdon to live and dug it out for local area info though the world has changed a bit since then. Unfortunately as we only did a straight, well fairly straight fly through none of the local area restrictions show up, sorry Neil.

I'm not the worst hoarder, I remember a Nav at Marham by the name of Bushy Sedgley who on retirement showed me his flying clothing locker which contained no flying clothing but was crammed full of just about every map he had used in his long and illustrious career.