Disappointing F35 display at RIAT
Suppose the tax payer got to have a glimpse on where their hard earned cash is going....
At least when I went to air displays all those years ago, the spectator line wasn't the province of fat men in silly hats, cargo shorts and camouflaged waistcoats covered in badges, toting hugely expensive camera equipment as they wobble about on little aluminium stepladders.
I remember well the airshows of the 1980s, when people collected badges and stickers, wore bomber jackets festooned with patches, and took lots of photos and video with equally outrageous kit. By contrast, if your baseline is the 1950s, then no wonder you sound so absurdly out of touch.
Gentlemen,
Can we not just have a reasonable discussion without degenerating into snide comments, please?
Ref the comments on the Dutch airshow. Yes it would be nice if the RAF could do a similar thing. However, the sharp end has been effectively at war for over 20 years.
That is where the efforts are going, not into showboating. Please give the guys and girls credit for their sustained efforts into doing the bidding of our politicians.
Whether that bidding is right or wrong is nothing to do with this thread.
Finally, as a spotter of some 50+ years, I tend to side with Beagle re some of my fellow spotters. I never knew so many overweight 30 year old men flew 100 missions+
in Vietnam (or so their badges say). As with all things, it's the few that get to many tarnished.
End of rant, and swift move to garden to dig a slit trench to avoid the incoming.....
Can we not just have a reasonable discussion without degenerating into snide comments, please?
Ref the comments on the Dutch airshow. Yes it would be nice if the RAF could do a similar thing. However, the sharp end has been effectively at war for over 20 years.
That is where the efforts are going, not into showboating. Please give the guys and girls credit for their sustained efforts into doing the bidding of our politicians.
Whether that bidding is right or wrong is nothing to do with this thread.
Finally, as a spotter of some 50+ years, I tend to side with Beagle re some of my fellow spotters. I never knew so many overweight 30 year old men flew 100 missions+
in Vietnam (or so their badges say). As with all things, it's the few that get to many tarnished.
End of rant, and swift move to garden to dig a slit trench to avoid the incoming.....
Should they instead wear a panama hat, blazer and silly cravat, like you? Your contempt for ordinary people is staggering.
I remember well the airshows of the 1980s, when people collected badges and stickers, wore bomber jackets festooned with patches, and took lots of photos and video with equally outrageous kit. By contrast, if your baseline is the 1950s, then no wonder you sound so absurdly out of touch.
I remember well the airshows of the 1980s, when people collected badges and stickers, wore bomber jackets festooned with patches, and took lots of photos and video with equally outrageous kit. By contrast, if your baseline is the 1950s, then no wonder you sound so absurdly out of touch.
And then you get those ones swaggering around wearing flying suits and aviator sunglasses trying to impress the female visitors into thinking they are 3000hr fast jet veterans. Oh, sorry, they're aircrew.
Enough of the sniping at those who are actually interested in being there and pay money to do so, eh?
Shouldn't this thread be moved to Spotters Corner where it belongs?
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I think enthusiasts come in all sizes and shapes and range in intelligence as per the normal population. I’m actually quite heartened when I see small children at the airport gates watching the planes.
one of my former 757 colleagues, had a thing for buses and used to get bus spotter monthly ......he completely brazened out any p... taking by leaving the mag around for us to peruse.
A couple of colleagues have a thing for steam engines, no big deal.
one of my former 757 colleagues, had a thing for buses and used to get bus spotter monthly ......he completely brazened out any p... taking by leaving the mag around for us to peruse.
A couple of colleagues have a thing for steam engines, no big deal.
I think enthusiasts come in all sizes and shapes and range in intelligence as per the normal population. I’m actually quite heartened when I see small children at the airport gates watching the planes.
one of my former 757 colleagues, had a thing for buses and used to get bus spotter monthly ......he completely brazened out any p... taking by leaving the mag around for us to peruse.
A couple of colleagues have a thing for steam engines, no big deal.
one of my former 757 colleagues, had a thing for buses and used to get bus spotter monthly ......he completely brazened out any p... taking by leaving the mag around for us to peruse.
A couple of colleagues have a thing for steam engines, no big deal.
one of my former 757 colleagues, had a thing for buses and used to get bus spotter monthly ......he completely brazened out any p... taking by leaving the mag around for us to peruse.
having done display flying, I can attest there’s considerably more involved than just turning up and having a go at a few loops ands rolls in front of a crowd. The ‘due care’ process is essential to protect the lives of the pilots and the spectators. Shoreham is a perfect example of what can happen when this is not done. I can fully understand why an F35 full display is not being flown this season.
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Well it must be a pig to fly with those sticks, just look at them, no wonder it needs a computer 
You may be closer than you think. I know nothing about RAF operations or F-35, but in my previous work life was involved with the F-18 simulator at the manufacturer. One of the things that was done in our sim was developing flight demo routines to be flown by company test pilots. As I recall a long week was spent developing and practicing a display routine only a few minutes long with the demo pilot in the seat and a bunch of experts at the control station. Airshow routines for tactical aircraft are not casual exercises.
NutLoose, there must be some very delicate switchery on both throttle and stick to warrant those protective covers. Never seen that sort of cover on other fighters. Or perhaps they're for security purposes.....
Last edited by 57mm; 30th Sep 2019 at 19:39. Reason: Additional material
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I'm obviously weird, as I find those covers somewhat phallic. I wonder if they have a nickname within the force? "Left Rabbit" and "Right Rabbit" ? 
Last edited by MPN11; 1st Oct 2019 at 15:41. Reason: bloody typos!
‘I bet there are some former EE Lightning drivers looking at that and thinking 'where are all the switches?'
But have these new ‘inceptors’ more functional switching than on The Lightning radar controller - 21 ?
But have these new ‘inceptors’ more functional switching than on The Lightning radar controller - 21 ?
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As you know I do photography, the odd show but being in the industry I tend not to do much aircraft stuff, I do the odd show like Cosford but working at a busy international airport I wouldn't dream of going to sit at the fence and photograph them, however I realise some it is their dream, so if I can help I do, you would be surprised how many I have got to sit in and photograph a Spit, really it's just another aircraft to me, but I realise it's big and small boys dreams, so if I can help I do.
Strangely I tended to favour bird photography, not because I am into birds, but because hides have seats, it's peaceful, relaxing and my prime lenses weigh a ton weight, I just like capturing them at their best and different subjects, you get the "twitchers" that say have you seen the greater spotted lesser humped duck and I just shrug my shoulders and say no.
I've picked up a few species names but most allude me, for me it's about the photography and improving, not really the bird.
i must be doing something right as one of my shots was one of the ten images featured on I think last years BBC TV's Spring Watch page, favourites to photograph has to be Kingfishers, simply because they are rather shy. Sorry for the thread drift but I did feel the need to address some of the adverse comments re photographers. And now perhaps you will allow me one more drift.
Strangely I tended to favour bird photography, not because I am into birds, but because hides have seats, it's peaceful, relaxing and my prime lenses weigh a ton weight, I just like capturing them at their best and different subjects, you get the "twitchers" that say have you seen the greater spotted lesser humped duck and I just shrug my shoulders and say no.
I've picked up a few species names but most allude me, for me it's about the photography and improving, not really the bird.
i must be doing something right as one of my shots was one of the ten images featured on I think last years BBC TV's Spring Watch page, favourites to photograph has to be Kingfishers, simply because they are rather shy. Sorry for the thread drift but I did feel the need to address some of the adverse comments re photographers. And now perhaps you will allow me one more drift.
Last edited by NutLoose; 2nd Oct 2019 at 02:12.
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