Absolutely, and you would have thought this was obvious wouldn't you? At the rain sodden V Festival at Weston Park 2 years ago the carparks started out looking better than the ones in the photos; by Sunday evening they were hellish to drive through. Last year was a repeat performance and many cars, including local taxis doing pickups, had to be abandoned overnight.

http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o...y088TFP500.jpg

http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o...y181TFP500.jpg

http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o...y185TFP500.jpg

http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o...y192TFP500.jpg

Got quite close...

Actually old boy, I don't "hate" Chelsea Tractors...............look where I live! I'm a country boy. :ok:

As to the weather...............not a scooby mate. I was a Range Conducting Officer and Civvie Policeman. All I knew about the weather was that most days in Scotland when I was outside............it always tipped down.

Cheers

Stew

Only 114 miles? Man, yer damn near a city dweller :p

Cheers

Stew

To keep all the Chelsea Tractors washed clean of (airshow carpark) mud!:};)

I suspect the talk of moving away from Fairford has much to do with rumours that the base will go into care & maintenance soon. If that is something which prompts a move then it would also rule out any other disused base so I guess Cottesmore is a prime candidate for a new venue (until it too becomes disused).

Great pictures there Mal, especially love the hanger shot. You must be in a priveledged position to get that access.

http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o...y098TFP500.jpg

The trick is getting the guy who is guarding it to pose for the shot...

Biaised
 

Well, an interesting thread. It's interesting how it starts off with vitriol, goes through anger and understanding, frustration and sorrow, cynicism and sympathy. :ugh:

I had a gut feel when I arrived on Monday that the parking would be an issue. And that was before I saw the state of some of the showground areas. To call an event off on the basis of a gut feel, well, that's a hanging offence, no? Then, it appears, so is calling it off at late notice. Add the crime of pressing on regardless, then you have a no win, lose your balls situation. You can never keep everyone happy. But it's clear to me that there are many who regardless of what the RAFCTE does, they will be tainted by individual experience and misinformed opinion :mad:; those will not be converted. There are many more who do not feel that way, and these are the punters that come back year on year. And that number, by the way, includes crews and their support (ok - the Dutch can be a bit barking :rolleyes:).

I've been involved in RIAT for a while now, and thought I'd add a couple of perspectives:
This time last week, we should've been surrounded by thousands of people enjoying the best airshow in the world. That we weren't was due to the hardest yet easiest decision. Forget health and safety, public safety, safe sex; it was a no brainer. And it was the most gutting experience I've had in a long time. But..........we'll be back. :cool:

And, as there are some gratuitous Rapter pics going....'av it!


It's an awesome jet and the RAF is fortunate to have such a fine ambassador as the first Raptor exchange pilot. :ok: And compared to the last time the USAF bought a new jet to RIAT, the 1st TFW people were good to work with.

And, one more thing....It's been emotional.

With all the speculation re costs relvant to mounting the Tattoo (insurance of £1.4 and £20 million are mentioned above, as is a three figure sum for the extra policing) the latest published accounts:

http://www.airtattoo.com/Assets/File...&As%202007.pdf

show more sobering figures as below. OK they aren't this year's figures but give an idea as to the finances involved.

The amount of adverse comment made about cancelling the show days is (in my opinion) tiny compared to what would have been levelled against RIAT had they gone ahead. Remember that for the majority of punters it is meant to be a nice day out with the family. The conditions on the grass areas were atrocious even with the relatively light traffic we had on Friday. Having been part of the show for almost 20 years, I truly believe that Tim Prince made the right call.

Here's a picture of the Colours Parade marching off...

http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o...iday076TFP.jpg

Oh, and a few more Raptor shots from Friday.

http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o...iday202TFP.jpg

http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o...iday209TFP.jpg

http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o...iday220TFP.jpg

It may be worth considering that, especially for things outside the wire, the Silver Commander might just have an opinion or two? Not blaming Gloucs coppers who face a big challenge each year and I'm not blowing smoke up TP's fundament either. Mangled car park, punter slips, car slides out of control - you get the picture?

Now I'm no expert, but surely that picture of the Colour Party is just screaming out to be used in the Caption Competition.

Cheers

Stew

To the person who was kind enough to suggest by other means what I used to get up to in my room in the Barrack Block, I would remind them that I was not suggesting that the show should have continued under the circumstances. Rather, I was wondering why there were no contingencies in place in the first place. On local telly last week, 2 of the farmers who owned the fields were ruefully admitting and suggesting that they should have had more hardcore in place - but didn't. So why not? Was the matter simply not considered? Is it not the role of the organising committee to think of these matters - the 'worse case scenario' option?

In the week that saw the first anniversary of floods in Gloucestershire, only someone who was organising a village fete could conceivably fall back on the 'ignorance' defence.. but a world leading event with a 'Royal' suffix? Come on! Especially when you wonder how much of that RIAT statement of expenditure covers salaries anyway. £175,000 or so in hardcore and application could have prevented the cancelling, which as it turns out, has been an even greater financial catastrophe. But as it was, no one even considered planning ahead (compare to Goodwood FoS, which did) and its that RIAT thinking which has to be called into question - not the decision itself to cancel.

Hi In some regards you probably have a point. However, having been to Fairford all the week, I cannot see what have could have been done to to make the area usable. The airfield was a quagmire in a lot of areas. the car parks would have gone that way in a day or so. I have seen emergency vehicles struggle in poor ground areas, and God forbid, anything happened it would have been a nightmare. Personnally, although, extremely dissappointed, it was the right call to make.

Woody

At Waddo, I was at least 3 blue light convoys weaving their way through the crowds on the Saturday, and that survived a downpour.

Organisers have a duty of care over the great unwashed who frequent their doo, so if the emergency services were incapable of providing adequate cover, they'd get sued and their insurance would probably have a clause negating cover.

Spin...
 

It wasn't cancelled, but merely delayed 12 months.:suspect: But 1.4G is quite right :=; no amount of worry-beading or hand wringing-changes what should be veiwed as the only decision that could have been made in the circumstances.:D

That is all. :p

Kodakman
 

Hello members. I am so pleased to be able to have helped at RIAT with the departure of the Raptor, and the taxi past all the photographers at the western park-and-view. Friends in the area simply asked me if I could convey to the pilot their request to the Raptor pilot. He was kind enough to agree to them, and the result was lifted spirits all round, including mine. If anyone was at RIAT on Friday, they were treated to one of the finest and most interesting displays ever seen at a UK air show. Breathtaking would be an understantement.

Bob Archer

RIAT departures
 

Kodakman,

Yes,the F-22A display on the Friday proir to what should have been the show was impressive.