A lot of the continental shows are certainly attracting the UK spotters and enthusiasts now. The variety of attending aircraft is certainly better, while the cost is definitely more bang for your buck, even when taking into account travel and hotels etc.

Living near Duxford, their airshows seem to be getting bigger and better. Some of the aircraft there are unique - never to be seen elsewhere.
May seems to be an air extravaganza with a mixed fleet and the September one is a one off - full of piston engined warplanes. And even if it rains - 2 of the biggest aviation museums in europe I would guess?
What's there not to like:

I was hoping Scampton would have been a worthy successor to Waddington, having gone there a few times and being impressed with the static and air displays. Unfortunately it was poorly attended by both the public and display teams (the weather didn't help on the Sunday though), and the lack of these displays hampered what could have been a decent day out.

NOT cancelled, simply paused (just like Air Cadet gliding....):rolleyes::rolleyes:

It should've been held over the weekend 15th/16th September 2018! It would clash with Ostrava in Czech republic, but, I would expect the RAF to push the kite out next year in order to get as impressive a line up as possible on the air show circuit!:ok:

If 2019's still on, then 14th/15th September! Otherwise, the first weekend of September is free apart from a couple seafronters!:8

FB:)

PS, I've already got my Kevlar on ready for the incoming reminders about keeping my tootsies firmly on terra firma!:p

The stupidly inflated ticket prices for one.

The price of tickets which are on par with RIAT? And you have to pay another fiver to get into the flightline to take close up photos of the iconic a/c. Hasten to add come midday, everyone back behind the line.

The food be it served in the cafe(s) at the IWM are expensive and tbh not exactly riveting

TBH IMHO, if we talking about museum or static - Duxford should be like Flying Bulls Hangar - 7 pristine, clean, fun and more importantly its FREE to walk around and close up to the exhibits (they all FLY and not museum pieces) bar a rope that goes around each a/c. If they need to take either the Stearman or the DC-6 out to fly - the security guards just rope off the area and ask the bystanders to politely stand aside or behind while said a/c is towed away.The ikarus restaurant is great along with the outside bar and grill (open in summer)inside. Not saying the price of food and drink at Hangar 7 is cheap but its value for money and excellent quality compared to Duxford cafe and restaurant and prices similar.

I apologize now if if this is coming across as IWM bash...I was never keen on it bar Flying Legends (I grew up around here)but more importantly it held Helitech for a decade!

cheers

Well, if Scampton goes ahead in 2019, I’m currently in discussions about bringing something very interesting along with a particularly local flavour which hasn’t been seen in Lincolnshire skies for a long time and will without any shadow of a doubt steal the show. If it can be done - and there are currently endless opportunities for a no - an approach will be made to the organisers.

You're promising a real live flying Gloster Javelin!:ok:

FB:)

The last time I saw a real, live Gloster Javelin fly was at an Open Day at 'Heaven in Devon' sometime in the late 1960s.....

Typical of many displays in those days - a varied static, a limited flying display and an emphatically military atmosphere. I remember being shown the cockpit of a Hunter by a very enthusiastic young pilot - and looking forward to the day when I might be in his shoes.

Entry was free for us as CCF cadets in uniform and we even had lunch in the Officers' Mess.

There needs to be less emphasis on the 'show' aspect and more on the 'at home'. Taxpayers are the RAF's shareholders and deserve to see what their money is paying for. Static Typhoon, Tornado, Atlas, C-17 and Voyager most certainly - although there'd be costs incurred arranging crash cover (no doubt these days there's a fluffier term for that).

Spotters with expensive cameras, beer guts wrapped in 'camo' waistcoats covered in badges unknown to any military pilot, dragging little aluminium step ladders can be a pain, but they are shareholders after all....

The genpub rarely sees the RAF these days - for example, there's hardly any low level flying these days compared to the past. The awful 'Spirit' nonsense at Abingdon was a dismal failure and yes, I do recall the excellent Abingdon 'At Home' days of the past. I also remember being very excited as a youngster at the last ever RAF Merryfield Open Day - I think it was in 1958, a few months after the station went on C&M. No doubt many other youngsters were motivated to join the RAF after such events.

This isn't just misty-eyed recall, the point is that the genpub deserve a proper military At Home Day. Not run by some third party either! It doesn't have to include high risk events, but it does need to commemorate 100 years of the Royal Air Force!

BEagle, agree your point about motivation. My first acquaint was at Hooton Park. My next, in the CCF, was at RAF Silloth with lunch in the Mess served by a cpl pilot and later a flight in a Hastings to RAF Aldergrove. Camps at RAF Topcliffe, RAF Manby, and RAF Upwood followed.

I even remember the MQs at RAF West Kirby reserved for 'wives of . . .' for airmen on 12 month unaccompanied tours. I didn't understand at the time, but that was a downside even then.

With the costs of P8 and F35 being challenged and the RAF being publicly accused of a lack of transparency regarding F35 costs; does anyone really believe that the RAF can respond to such criticism by contributing to an air show. I dare say that RAFAT, BBMF, and even the Falcons are keeping their respective heads down at the moment thankful of such headlines coinciding with the winter break.

Don't get me wrong - I am all for the BofB displays of old - and would love to see them both numerous in number and free to see (as I believe is the case in the USA) - but those days in the UK will not be seen again in my lifetime*. [*2060 is perceived as being the time when pre-2008 fiscal levels maybe restored]

PN your memories reminded me of a tale an old mate of mine told me about his first ATC camp at Tangmere in 1943. He got a flight in a Dominie (DH Rapide) over the channel with the might of the Luftwaffe fighter force just a few miles away....


What would Heath and safety say nowadays? :mad::mad::mad:

Musing over Beags post and dont let a third party run it lol got me thinking, so was there not a thread on RIAT a few years back and one member on here said RIAT was great as the IAT until they added the Royal in front and it went downhill from there.

Any thoughts ?

cheers

The Royal bit came from the late King Hussein of Jordan I believe? That means that the Royal Jordanian Falcons (In their Extra 300's?) get invited each year.


They are not the most thrilling of display teams, but I wouldn't go as far as to say it started a downhill spiral for the show....

RIAT went downhill when it ceased to become a show run by volunteers and enthusiasts which donated profits to the RAFBF and was effectively 'taken over' first by the RAFBF and latterly the RAF/MoD/BAE.

Beagle has expressed my own sentiments quite comprehensively, my own initiation to all things aviation and RAF in particular, was at Finningley, I believe it was 1962. I was very very young. I do recall the impact of a four Vulcan scramble, all anti-flash white. As for the present difficulties in mounting such shows, my understanding is that the iconic Anthony Blair PM, introduced , or presided over the introduction of, a restrictive ruling which prevented military personnel and hardware more to the point, from being used for public demonstration except for ceremonial activities? Thus to get HM Forces participation at an airshow, even their own, requires a degree of money to be handed over to either MOD or as is more likely the case, the Treasury!?

And this in turn has had a significant and noticeable impact on military participation at any public events since.:sad:

FB:)

FB, actually back in Maggie's time money flowed around the system from one unit to another. We were 'allowed' to use any assets in our Group and request assets from the other Groups. Binbrook tried to bill us for T&S for their ground party and the Reds for their smoke. Our staish told both where to go.