Spirit of Adventure
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Bloo*y big difference between Leuchars and Balado Airfield. Leuchars has a Train station, which judging by the queues after each 'At home' day, a lot of people use. Cant see 40,000 people going by car.
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Spirit of Adventure event which will take place over the weekend 25/26 Aug 07 at Kinross (not Kinloss) in Southern Scotland. . .
Kinross isn't in Southern Scotland, it is in Central Scotland, almost in Northern Scotland. Weekend of 25/26 isn't a Bank Holiday in Scotland, we have the first weekend in August for our Bank Holiday. The organisers want to attract the 40K who usually attend Leuchars. Sorry but there is no way you will be "engaging" me with this guff. 50K on both days, fat chance. If anyone can provide accurate on the day head counts, for both days of this "event" and it is 50K on each day, I will gladly donate the £25 entrance fee to the RAFBF, (but not the booking fee, admin and parking fees ) It goes without saying, the accurate head count must not come from any part of the Jervis/RAF PR Empire.
Kinross isn't in Southern Scotland, it is in Central Scotland, almost in Northern Scotland. Weekend of 25/26 isn't a Bank Holiday in Scotland, we have the first weekend in August for our Bank Holiday. The organisers want to attract the 40K who usually attend Leuchars. Sorry but there is no way you will be "engaging" me with this guff. 50K on both days, fat chance. If anyone can provide accurate on the day head counts, for both days of this "event" and it is 50K on each day, I will gladly donate the £25 entrance fee to the RAFBF, (but not the booking fee, admin and parking fees ) It goes without saying, the accurate head count must not come from any part of the Jervis/RAF PR Empire.
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I can imagine that many of their target audience (teenagers wondering what to do after uni/college?
) will be dancing their tits off at Leeds/Reading.
Certainly where I will be!
) will be dancing their tits off at Leeds/Reading.Certainly where I will be!
Red On, Green On
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Dan Gerous
indeed, but I was referring to a circular email requesting "acts" from RAF bases across the UK, and many of those are in England, where the BH is taking place. My point was that these guys were being asked to save Jervis's and Turner's hide and in doing so give up the long w/e (or most of it).
Weekend of 25/26 isn't a Bank Holiday in Scotland
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
A_A, certainly most of it.
If their airfield is closed then they will have to lob in somewhere else. It's not just the 10 or so aircrew but fire, crash, medical, supply, eng ATC, ops, all of whom will have some presence on the ground somewhere in UK.
If the event was at an airfield and the airfield put on a bloody good aftermath party then you would get volunteers for the static and spare etc. As they is no landing area what exactly are they expecting?
Lots of cooks cooking burgers in CS95 and white hats? Lots of whatever we have spare making look like a workshop?
Boggles.
If their airfield is closed then they will have to lob in somewhere else. It's not just the 10 or so aircrew
but fire, crash, medical, supply, eng ATC, ops, all of whom will have some presence on the ground somewhere in UK.If the event was at an airfield and the airfield put on a bloody good aftermath party then you would get volunteers for the static and spare etc. As they is no landing area what exactly are they expecting?
Lots of cooks cooking burgers in CS95 and white hats? Lots of whatever we have spare making look like a workshop?
Boggles.
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Only now asking for volunteers? Where is Jervis?
I am stunned by that circular e-mail. I had no idea so little work had been done prior to the show!
This beggars a question for Turner/Wakeman/Jervis. Since this show was advertised as star studded (not one star seen) and many features such as the world speed record car and other non-RAF attractions were not there, yet Jervis and Co were paid for these, why are they asking service personnel to give up their time when Jervis should be providing all the attractions he promised for Abingdon and yet more for Kinross?
Have RAFPR been told by Jervis that none of the promised attractions are going to associate with their failure? Does the RAFPR department now have to fill in the complete blanks with whatever it can find? Is Jervis going to return the money?
On last point, since Turner admitted that the private companies involved in SoA are risk managing and therefore presumably taking any profits, is it reasonable to ask busy RAF personnel to give up their weekend to line the pockets of private companies? In fact, is it reasonable to ask the British Public to pay extortionate fees to private companies to see assets they not only paid for, but in fact own?
This beggars a question for Turner/Wakeman/Jervis. Since this show was advertised as star studded (not one star seen) and many features such as the world speed record car and other non-RAF attractions were not there, yet Jervis and Co were paid for these, why are they asking service personnel to give up their time when Jervis should be providing all the attractions he promised for Abingdon and yet more for Kinross?
Have RAFPR been told by Jervis that none of the promised attractions are going to associate with their failure? Does the RAFPR department now have to fill in the complete blanks with whatever it can find? Is Jervis going to return the money?
On last point, since Turner admitted that the private companies involved in SoA are risk managing and therefore presumably taking any profits, is it reasonable to ask busy RAF personnel to give up their weekend to line the pockets of private companies? In fact, is it reasonable to ask the British Public to pay extortionate fees to private companies to see assets they not only paid for, but in fact own?
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
Wobbler, you make some interesting points. Certainly when I was first told about SoA, at the end of February, there was no mention of the Contractor Link. Nor was there any mention of participation; we just assumed that it would be standard Air Force content etc but served up in a different way.
We were certainly told that there had been consternation at the Participation Committee meeting in January when the new format was unveiled. Consternation because the professional airshow organisers had already put in up to 6 months work on this years shows. (Professional as in Waddington etc).
Now if the concept was unveilled in January and the framework only alluded to in February, just how much work could be put in March and April? Notwithstanding ongoing operations there was the small matter of forward planning, leave, etc.
We were certainly told that there had been consternation at the Participation Committee meeting in January when the new format was unveiled. Consternation because the professional airshow organisers had already put in up to 6 months work on this years shows. (Professional as in Waddington etc).
Now if the concept was unveilled in January and the framework only alluded to in February, just how much work could be put in March and April? Notwithstanding ongoing operations there was the small matter of forward planning, leave, etc.
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
Wobbler, giving your post a further couple of minutes thought, we started with a barnstorming session. Who knew who who could provide what? Would we have a theme? What theme? What did we need to support that theme?
Why did we need a theme? It provided a focus. It gave a reason to tell Sqn X that we needed them and where they would fit in that theme.
So far it looks like some of that happened at Abingdon. A round robin appealling for help in Scotland looks like sheer desparation. So:
How about - an Expeditionary Air Wing? Well Leuchars is the nearest lets have AOC 1 GP task OC EAW.
But there is no airfield. But the RAF still provides air services to support other services. How about a model based on Camp Bastion - no airfield there.
OK, what do we need?
Security - RAF Regt and RAF Police, STO.
Catering
Supply, Fuel
Air Support - Helos, a FARP, CAS, FAC, Ops
etc etc.
Having identified the theme and the requirments for an isolated outpost in Jockistan the rest is simple. This is part of the CAS Engagement Strategy simply task those units that can set up such a camp.
All you need now is a WO or MAcr to organise it. (I didn't say 'competent' as that goes without saying; and I mentioned MAcr TR
)
Job done.
Why did we need a theme? It provided a focus. It gave a reason to tell Sqn X that we needed them and where they would fit in that theme.
So far it looks like some of that happened at Abingdon. A round robin appealling for help in Scotland looks like sheer desparation. So:
How about - an Expeditionary Air Wing? Well Leuchars is the nearest lets have AOC 1 GP task OC EAW.
But there is no airfield. But the RAF still provides air services to support other services. How about a model based on Camp Bastion - no airfield there.
OK, what do we need?
Security - RAF Regt and RAF Police, STO.
Catering
Supply, Fuel
Air Support - Helos, a FARP, CAS, FAC, Ops
etc etc.
Having identified the theme and the requirments for an isolated outpost in Jockistan the rest is simple. This is part of the CAS Engagement Strategy simply task those units that can set up such a camp.
All you need now is a WO or MAcr to organise it. (I didn't say 'competent' as that goes without saying; and I mentioned MAcr TR
)Job done.
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I've just followed the link to www.spiritofadventure.info from the RAF front page. I am ashamed - a few paragraphs in a non-internet-friendly font slapped up there. There are no details for the next event - or anything to be honest. I cannot believe we are linked to such pap.
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Something like an MOB/FOB scenario? With a bit of foresight() Balado could have been part of an 'all arms' EAW training deployment (a la Fairford) and then opened up to the public at the weekend? Bit like the public (OK, bus loads of wives & kids) visits we used to get to the Harrier field deployments at weekends? Sounds like someone got suckered by someone else promising flashing lights, bells, whistles, go-faster stripes, furry dice, etc etc. For Balado read anywhere in the central belt, in fact.
Something like an MOB/FOB scenario? With a bit of foresight(
) Balado could have been part of an 'all arms' EAW training deployment (a la Fairford) and then opened up to the public at the weekend? Bit like the public (OK, bus loads of wives & kids) visits we used to get to the Harrier field deployments at weekends? Sounds like someone got suckered by someone else promising flashing lights, bells, whistles, go-faster stripes, furry dice, etc etc. For Balado read anywhere in the central belt, in fact.
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Wobbler Fang asks whether it's fair that RAF personnel be dicked to line the pockets of a private company.
At the end of the month there will be an event at CBY to mark the end of the Jaguar in RAF service. Tickets are being sold by an aviation magazine which will make a donation to service charities (i.e. not all proceeds, just a donation). Further, spotters who have subscribed to join a special club get six hours on station escorted by service personnel (who presumably have nothing better to do). Am I alone in being uncomfotable with this? Should we in effect selling access to a station for a limited few for the profit of said magazine (which incidentally has also got it's club members on an AAR sortie)?
The only PR benefits as I see it are for the magazine.
Now don't get me wrong, I think it's great that at least something is being done to mark the demise of the Jag, it's just that just as with SoA the RAF seems to want to take the easy option of letting someone else organise it irrespective that RAF guys and gals are in effect providing free labour for private profit.
At the end of the month there will be an event at CBY to mark the end of the Jaguar in RAF service. Tickets are being sold by an aviation magazine which will make a donation to service charities (i.e. not all proceeds, just a donation). Further, spotters who have subscribed to join a special club get six hours on station escorted by service personnel (who presumably have nothing better to do). Am I alone in being uncomfotable with this? Should we in effect selling access to a station for a limited few for the profit of said magazine (which incidentally has also got it's club members on an AAR sortie)?
The only PR benefits as I see it are for the magazine.
Now don't get me wrong, I think it's great that at least something is being done to mark the demise of the Jag, it's just that just as with SoA the RAF seems to want to take the easy option of letting someone else organise it irrespective that RAF guys and gals are in effect providing free labour for private profit.
Red On, Green On
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And at the bottom of the SoA.info page you read:
DOWNLOAD ACTION MOVIES & WALLPAPER: text message RAFSHOW to shortcode Tel: 61616
Downloads cost 50p per wallpaper and ?1 for movies.
What currency is a ? ?
DOWNLOAD ACTION MOVIES & WALLPAPER: text message RAFSHOW to shortcode Tel: 61616
Downloads cost 50p per wallpaper and ?1 for movies.
What currency is a ? ?
Red On, Green On
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Contrast and compare:
Yeovilton Air Day page with http://www.spiritofadventure.info
Which one makes the more interesting (and informative) offer?
Yeovilton Air Day page with http://www.spiritofadventure.info
Which one makes the more interesting (and informative) offer?
Perhaps a thought should be given to tasking a more suitable organisation to run such a scheme as SoA in future.
A group with the time to spare since they don't (yet) deploy and can easily give up weekends for a worthy cause. They're representative of the target audience, and even speak the same language.
I believe that they could do a better job of producing a website, and they've years of experience at organising traffic at airshows.
Ladies and Gentlemen, time to call in the ATC Team.
A group with the time to spare since they don't (yet) deploy and can easily give up weekends for a worthy cause. They're representative of the target audience, and even speak the same language.
I believe that they could do a better job of producing a website, and they've years of experience at organising traffic at airshows.
Ladies and Gentlemen, time to call in the ATC Team.
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Chance for the Vulcan at Yeovilton???
I'm off to check with TVOC and then buy a ticketses, they stole the precious, didn't they. Flithy litlle hobbitses.
I'm off to check with TVOC and then buy a ticketses, they stole the precious, didn't they. Flithy litlle hobbitses.
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I have just read through the address list of the email that was asking units to assist. It will really work: OC 3 Sqn at Wittering!
Also lots of possible aircraft don't have very long legs. As the nearest airfield is Edinburgh that will help keep the cost down. The nearest military airfield to the south is 150 nm to the south east that will be very convenient.
Were any airmen involved in planning this?
Also lots of possible aircraft don't have very long legs. As the nearest airfield is Edinburgh that will help keep the cost down. The nearest military airfield to the south is 150 nm to the south east that will be very convenient.
Were any airmen involved in planning this?
Red On, Green On
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Were any airmen involved in planning this?
Perhaps the RAF should have put the SoA requirement out to tender - I'm sure the Yeovilton Air Day team (mostly RNR IIRC) could have shown a very good track record in running popular events, and beaten Jervis on performance, and perhaps price
How many such events had Jervis run before he took on SoA?
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I know several people who work in PR in London who consistently despair of the RAF's PR efforts (but actually rate the RN and the Pongos quite highly). Wonder what they'll make of this?
