Cracking display, enjoyed every second of it, but the majority was directly over a farmers field I was standing in and not over the airfield (and fantastically low at times).

Maybe I missed something re perspective/depth perception, but regardless, thanks to Typhoon Display Man. That was brilliant.

TN.

Since Shoreham the display lines have gotten further from the airfields, I suspect you were a lot closer than those in the airfield proper. I was at Cosford and
found a location to take photographs which must have been 1/2 mile or more west of the runway, the display line was to the west of my location!! I got some good photographs but I pity anyone who was trying to get photos from inside Cosford.

Alchad

Thanks Alchad, seems like the Fun Police rule again, you may well be right, but not sure of their logic. Great for the likes of you and I though!. Thoroughly enjoyable day - probably the closest I have ever been to an airborne Lancaster. Beautiful.

Not sure if you've got your tongue in your cheek with the question - don't think he mentioned hiding in the field - for my part I took advantage of a sport club near Cosford who were using its location as a good fund raising opportunity to boost its coffers to try and get some decent air show photos. Despite having some pretty decent camera gear, there's no way you can get decent photos at air shows post Shoreham. Photographers needs don't get considered, the rules seem to dictate that passes near to the crowd line have to be such that you only get boring (very boring) undersides shots as opposed to the more photogenic topside shots. I assume this is to do with the kinetics (?) of the flight path in an emergency - but don't shoot me I'm not a physicist, but it's the only reason I can think of to explain why of say 20 passes down the crowd line, perhaps one - if you're lucky - shows the planes topside. Note to any air show organisers if you're reading this, if this is the case then why not do a few very slow passes which would allow topside shots with presumably much reduced kinetic risk?

Personally, I dream of the old days where you took responsibility for your own actions and if the ticket said "motor sport" ( or air displays) are dangerous and you enter at your own risk" then ambulance chasers need not apply. Pigs might fly, but excuse me for taking my life in my hands while I can, however selfish it might be.

Alchad

Thank goodness someone actually pays for and goes into the air show, otherwise there would be no air show. As the military involvement in display flying and organising diminishes, every paying customer is vital.

Air show organisers don’t dictate the display routine in general. Certainly military display outlines are tightly controlled and supervised.

next time your at an air show, have a look at how many cameras are being used to photograph the displays, then - rheotorical question- ask yourself if the show organisers ever asked themselves what they could do to make the displays better for the photographers. I doubt it very much.

Alchad

As has been said in my defence, at no time have I said or suggested I was hiding - quite a difficult thing to do in a field I’m sure.

As to the suggestion people like me will be the death of airshows, total nonesene. For what it’s worth I have paid and gone to many over the years.

TN.

Hate to suggest this, but post Shoreham, the days of the very local Airshows are RIP.
Re the statement above about Cosford, a good mate suggested it be renamed as the 'Telford Airshow', - as that was the location which provided his best viewing, and at special cost...

What would make displays better? Well don't profess to speak for all photographers as I'm very much an amateur, but in simple terms give me/us the "money shots", by which I mean the ones that bring a smile to your face when you look at the back of the camera. A few examples - as I said in a previous post - a simple parallel to the flight pass which shows a topside angle and you can see the cockpit. Problem is (I think) that this means the plane has to be turning in towards the crowd line. A similar desired shot would be a head on which again does happen at shows but the pilot is forced to peel away to keep outside the forbidden zone, so even with big lenses you lose detail.

I know it seems very basic, but I honestly do wonder if anyone who is responsible for setting display parameters has thought about getting hold of an aviation photographer and discussed how safety and photographers needs could be merged. A simple query, there is a separation distance between the crowd and the flight display line. Presumably this is calculated to minimise damage should there be an accident when a fast jet is doing a high speed pass, but couldn't there be a closer display line which could be used for slow speed photographer friendly passes. Only has to be the one pass so wouldn't take away from the main display.

Re your other point about seating etc, that's not an issue for me. I've done both options, queued at the crack of dawn to get a position on the ropes adjacent to the runway and paid a fortune for special access, neither option gives much advantage.

Alchad