How was the RAF Waddington Airshow?
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Britain
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BEagle wrote:
I was working on the liveside, getting ready for the first aircraft to arrive on Sunday, when I got a heads up that the show might cancel. About 2 minutes after that I was told that it was, so I jumped in the wagon to get out the rain, very shortly after which I heard on 'Airshow FM' that it had been binned. A little channel hopping showed that this same news was also being broadcast on Lincs FM as well as BBC Lincolnshire. I know we're in the 21st century and we can get mobile internet on our phones, but I would suggest that only a very small percentage of visitors that day would have checked online to see if the show was still going, whilst they travelled up the road. I was as surprised as everyone when I heard the news, but having seen the quagmire along the western taxiway, I think a tough decision was well made.
I wouldn't want anyone to think that we packed up for an early trip to the pub either (and I appreciate that no-one has suggested this) - for the record I was still working at 1900 on Sunday just moving aircraft and equipment about the airfield, and I consider myself better off than the poor buggers up to their knees in mud sorting out the static side problems. A 12 hour day was better than the 13 hour Saturday and 15 hour Friday!
Apologies to those who missed out, I hope it hasn't put anyone off coming next year.
Nonetheless, the cancellation could perhaps have been better promulgated? But how - Internet? Local radio??
I wouldn't want anyone to think that we packed up for an early trip to the pub either (and I appreciate that no-one has suggested this) - for the record I was still working at 1900 on Sunday just moving aircraft and equipment about the airfield, and I consider myself better off than the poor buggers up to their knees in mud sorting out the static side problems. A 12 hour day was better than the 13 hour Saturday and 15 hour Friday!
Apologies to those who missed out, I hope it hasn't put anyone off coming next year.
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I was gutted to miss the Sunday, but accept that the necessary decision had to be made. Having seen the rain on Saturday from just down the road, I can imagine why the site would have been unsuitable. Tough call, and maybe lessons to be identified (nb not learned - we don't do that anymore...
), but I have no criticism of any aspect of the handling.
Being close, I was able to listen to Airshow FM for most of Sunday - have to say the choice of songs being requested reflected a slightly twisted sense of humour! I Can See Clearly Now being just one of them!
Blunty
), but I have no criticism of any aspect of the handling. Being close, I was able to listen to Airshow FM for most of Sunday - have to say the choice of songs being requested reflected a slightly twisted sense of humour! I Can See Clearly Now being just one of them!
Blunty
I had the great good fortune to be operating the Lincs/Notts Air Ambulance over the airshow weekend, allowing me a close view of proceedings. While in the met office to pick up the day's forecast I saw a senior officer receive his brief on the weather, including mention of the effects of the particularly heavy downpour that we'd all waded through (it ran from around 0600 to 0800). Having made my way over to the other side of the airfield past the hard-working, relentlessly-cheerful service personnel who were there trying to make everything work for the good of Joe P, I briefed the crew about the likely probs. We were actually in the standby aircraft, turning-and-burning prior to deploying to Gamston for the day's shift, when ATC told us that the show was cancelled. We shut down and headed back into the office, mulling over the possible reasons for the stop.
All became clear when we went over t'other side around midday to move the normal aircraft back (so's we could transfer the medical kit onto the Explorer and provide better coverage for the 2 counties) - the ground where the cars and members of the public would've been thronging was in no state to take such a pounding. The exceptionally heavy shower mentioned earlier had saturated the ground so that the water table was - in places - temporarily on the surface. The ability of Waddo's ground to cope with normal amounts of rain would justify the website's promise of a wet-weather programme. However, there was nothing normal about the amount of rain that fell in those 2 hours; I've not seen anything like it since I left Borneo. So, tough call by the Grown-Ups, but the right decision.
For those who're unhappy with the way the decision was made or propagated, perhaps a few moments could be spent pondering the likely outcome if the public had been allowed in then exposed to bogged-in transport, overflowing honey-bins and all the other delights of Glastonbury minus the music. The volume of protesting voices would've been a damn sight louder than now, with much better reason.
Oh, and let me join the others here who've mentioned how much they appreciate the work put in by the grafters at Waddington - both at the airshow and at other times. I've not done many shifts on the air ambulance there, but each time I visit I'm treated with courtesy and professionalism that you can be proud of. Very many thanks!
All became clear when we went over t'other side around midday to move the normal aircraft back (so's we could transfer the medical kit onto the Explorer and provide better coverage for the 2 counties) - the ground where the cars and members of the public would've been thronging was in no state to take such a pounding. The exceptionally heavy shower mentioned earlier had saturated the ground so that the water table was - in places - temporarily on the surface. The ability of Waddo's ground to cope with normal amounts of rain would justify the website's promise of a wet-weather programme. However, there was nothing normal about the amount of rain that fell in those 2 hours; I've not seen anything like it since I left Borneo. So, tough call by the Grown-Ups, but the right decision.
For those who're unhappy with the way the decision was made or propagated, perhaps a few moments could be spent pondering the likely outcome if the public had been allowed in then exposed to bogged-in transport, overflowing honey-bins and all the other delights of Glastonbury minus the music. The volume of protesting voices would've been a damn sight louder than now, with much better reason.
Oh, and let me join the others here who've mentioned how much they appreciate the work put in by the grafters at Waddington - both at the airshow and at other times. I've not done many shifts on the air ambulance there, but each time I visit I'm treated with courtesy and professionalism that you can be proud of. Very many thanks!
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I heard on Monday morning from someone involved with the organising side that they were told early Sunday morning to cancel the show due to the country's security state going 'Critical' after the events of Friday and Saturday. Since the weather had obviously turned the site into a quagmire in places, it seemed resonable no doubt to then blame the weather. Thats what I was told.
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I decided to attend on the Sunday, due to the forecast being better. As normal I travelled overnight.
As I waited for the entrance to open the rain started and came down so hard the road drainage system was overloaded very quickly and while the rain stopped some 30 mins later and roads didn't recover for some time.
However I was let in and for the entrance I came though was about the 6th vehicle in. I then walked to the AEW compound when the rain came down again and was worst than the earlier downpour that morning.
The weather cleared up and as I was going round the NATO AWACS I heard the crew talking about closing the aircraft due to the show being cancelled. They only spoke about the show being closed due to Health and Safety reasons and when I spoke to an RAF Sqd Ldr he confirmed that this was because the emergency services were being withdrawn to cover an expected river bank burst in Lincoln and if that happened he also expected the local military to be called out to assist the local services with rescue and repairs.
Yes I could ask for a refund but I did manage to get a few photo's into my collection so as far I'm concerned that money needs to go to the charities as they won't get what anyone might have expected.
Given the two downpours between 0600 and 0800 I don't think anyone was going to get any more notice and they had planned for the show to go on.
I don't think the Linc's Chief Constable and Fire Chief had any option to divert their forces to Lincoln. Any life lost due to lack of emergency cover would have had the moaners on this thread no doubt making complaints that the emergency services were not ready.
By the same scale you can't expect any public function with a large amount of people attending to go ahead without any emergency services cover because if the unexpected happens then people could die due to that lack of cover and that’s to big a price to pay, full stop.
As I waited for the entrance to open the rain started and came down so hard the road drainage system was overloaded very quickly and while the rain stopped some 30 mins later and roads didn't recover for some time.
However I was let in and for the entrance I came though was about the 6th vehicle in. I then walked to the AEW compound when the rain came down again and was worst than the earlier downpour that morning.
The weather cleared up and as I was going round the NATO AWACS I heard the crew talking about closing the aircraft due to the show being cancelled. They only spoke about the show being closed due to Health and Safety reasons and when I spoke to an RAF Sqd Ldr he confirmed that this was because the emergency services were being withdrawn to cover an expected river bank burst in Lincoln and if that happened he also expected the local military to be called out to assist the local services with rescue and repairs.
Yes I could ask for a refund but I did manage to get a few photo's into my collection so as far I'm concerned that money needs to go to the charities as they won't get what anyone might have expected.
Given the two downpours between 0600 and 0800 I don't think anyone was going to get any more notice and they had planned for the show to go on.
I don't think the Linc's Chief Constable and Fire Chief had any option to divert their forces to Lincoln. Any life lost due to lack of emergency cover would have had the moaners on this thread no doubt making complaints that the emergency services were not ready.
By the same scale you can't expect any public function with a large amount of people attending to go ahead without any emergency services cover because if the unexpected happens then people could die due to that lack of cover and that’s to big a price to pay, full stop.
Saturday
I attended on Saturday with my 8yo son. Despite the weather, we had a great day and were made to feel very welcome by the station staff.
Big thanks to the lady (sorry can't remember rank) who hunted down my lad in the Grandstand after we had been shown to our seats to give him a RAFcareers baseball cap etc. Made his day !!!
In some respects, I think the weather made the Typhoon display even more impressive, along with some of the other aircraft.
Ignore the negative people, keep your chins up, and I hope to see you all next year !!!!
Big thanks to the lady (sorry can't remember rank) who hunted down my lad in the Grandstand after we had been shown to our seats to give him a RAFcareers baseball cap etc. Made his day !!!
In some respects, I think the weather made the Typhoon display even more impressive, along with some of the other aircraft.
Ignore the negative people, keep your chins up, and I hope to see you all next year !!!!
