Farnborough Air Show advice

[xrayalpha]

Hi all,

Have decided I might quite like to go the Farnborough Airshow this year, and I have always wanted to stay in the Aviator Hotel.

So, two questions:

First: how is the view from the hotel's spectator terrace?

Two: I really want to see stuff flying, rather than static. But the hotel is less affordable during the show, as one would expect. The final Sunday night is cheap - so I could enjoy the Sunday public day.

But what about any rehersals before the official show opening? Is it worth staying the day before the trade show starts and seeing any rehearsals?

Thanks in advance,

[chevvron]

It will be all booked up by now for airshow week. If there's not a suitable terrace, you would still get a good view of the display from the car park as it is situated on the site where the RFC/RAF Officers Mess once stood; indeed Cody's first flight commenced from a point in it's grounds as it is on a small ridge above the airfield.
Rehearsals as you call them take place for a whole week before the show week but the weekend before show week is 'emergency use only'; they aim to get them finished by friday afternoon.
They are actually validation flights carried out for observation by the Flying Control Committee (FCC), a group of at least 4 experienced test pilots taken from a slightly larger 'pool' of them. Unlike certain displays, ALL flghts displaying - even the Red Arrows - MUST be observed by the FCC before they are allowed to fly with the public present, however, in order to preserve airframe hours, aircraft like BBMF are usually 'validated' at RIAT by the Farnborough FCC.