Riat

[Regie Mental]

As now is about the time of year that some form of RIAT thread starts, I thought I'd do the honours with the following extract from the latest press release for the forthcoming RIAT:

'AVENGER TAKES CENTRE STAGE AT TATTOO
A Gala Concert compered by former Avengers star Gareth Hunt is among a feast of ground entertainment on offer at The Royal International Air Tattoo, at RAF Fairford, on July 17 and 18.'

Worth the £30 admission fee by itself...

[Neil Porter]

Maybe but the extortinate fee for arrivals & departure days are to be desired - i hear £15/£20 to enter the park & view facilitys - certainly put alot of people who i know were gonna watch the arrivals/departures definetly off attending!!
Better off parking nearby & either biking it to the approach or hoofing it on foot.....
I can remember 10/12 years ago the Park & view was something like £3 per person!

For the average family,Air Tattoos is getting too expensive if you add your fuel bill for the car & food/drink to take with you...... and i guess around 50% of people attending are the average family looking for a good day out, so to keep them interested in attending the admission fees should be reduced, otherwise you loose the public interest & RIAT starts to go down the pan because it is not generating enough income.

[airborne_artist]

A Gala Concert compered by former Avengers star Gareth Hunt

A source tells me Hunt was going to sing until the organisers offered to increase his appearance fee....

[Zlin526]

I wasnt planning on going, but now I hear that Gareth Hunt, from the New Avengers is going to be there, I'll certainly be there!

Surely they can come up with somebody even slightly famous? How about a few disgraced ex-RAF senior officers, or the big bloke who stands in the background of 'Da Vic' in Eastenders?

:yuk:

[airborne_artist]

How about a few disgraced ex-RAF senior officers

Sir Peter Hardon, perhaps?

[BEagle]

The 'New' Avengers? As in 'New' back in 1976? Well, that'll surely pack 'em in.....

Presumably 'Mike Gambit' aka Gareth Hunt (now aged 61) is still a top name artist in some peoples' opinions?

[AlanM]

I guess that this is the concert to stop people rushing to the cars at cease play.

Bet the Wilts Police are pleased about that!

(Glad I am flying in!!) :)

[Navaleye]

I hope he doesn't have another heart attack with all the excitement.

[witchdoctor]

Ooooh, it's the Nescafe coffee man - he's my favourite!:}

[animo et fide]

All this to offer, but still the organising committee couldn't see fit to put the best flying display of this year on their program - the mighty wokka- I suppose it's their loss at the end of the day!!

[Zuma Zuma]

AlanM

Fairford is in Gloucestershire me old mucker! Don't want to start any cross county ownership rows do we!! :ok:

[airborne_artist]

ZZ

Fairford may be in Gloucs, but it's about 2 miles to the co. boundary, and much of the traffic comes off the M4 and up the A419, thus giving headaches for the good traffic bobbies of Wiltshire.

[rivetjoint]

Actually a small part of the 09 end of the airfield is in Wiltshire with the rest in Gloucestershire, same as Kemble!

[Navy_Adversary]

Avenger at RIAT, for a moment I thought it may be a TBM-3....

I used to like RIAT, but now increased admission prices, no parking on the field, traffic jams, decreasing participant list, Gareth Hunt....

However I do believe that you can pay £19.95 on the Friday and watch the Sparrows fly in formation with PDF; may be better to stand in Lechlade and save your money.
Just as an aside, the Luftwaffe have pulled some aircraft from RIAT because of fuel costs, they also are in the process of confirming a Typhoon order, look after the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves.:8

[hairyclameater]

animo et fide-

The wokka is down as a "reserve" item, with some recent losses ( mainly German), there should be at least 4 vacant slots for it to fill in the programme.

Navy_Adversary

The Germans have pulled all jet flying demos due to a policy decision - probably, but not necessarily down to funding. The German Army have also pulled a couple of Hueys and the Bo105 from the flying due to crews being tasked elsewhere.

Oh and there will be a "real" Avenger- a TBM3E in the d-day finale.

[Regie Mental]

Having read teh following page, I'm not so sure I should have been condascending to Mike Gambit.

http://perso.club-internet.fr/fakirpro/tv/gambit.htm

Remember lads, Mike is the man!

[BLW Skylark 4]

Just a thought, but would any Ppruners who are also RIAT volunteers fancy meeting up for a beer sometime over the event, perhaps one eve in the staff campsite bar?

Not quite a PPRUNE bash but you never know.....

[Spacer]

Well, I'll be there from Mon night (staying on the staff camp site), so I'll certainly be up for that! Is Didntdoit going to be around this year too?

[SilentHandover]

Me too, Early Bird carparking for me!
Staying in Fairford village I think.