http://forces.tv/00827174 not so good…
Understandable though. Why were we running an airshow at our ISTAR hub?
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I feel that air shows will reduce as venues become scarcer and the operating and insurance costs become increasingly prohibitive for all concerned.
I went to Mildenhall (the best air show in the country IMO) every year from 1976 to 2001 but that stopped.
i take the same view as Incy - an airshow at probably our most sensitive air base…?
what bright idea shall we go for next - Navy Days at Coulport, or an open Physics day at Aldermaston?
its sad, but i understand the reasons for it - the RAF has reduced to the point where it doesn’t have the ‘fat’ to spare X thousand people for 10 days to staff it, and its fleet has reduced to the point where you could do a demo of every type based in the UK and the show would be over by 11am.
Why were we running it? Well there was a team there willing to do it and reasonable real estate to do so. With the higher profile threat now, and greater exposure (and attempted sabotage) of assets at the base, there was only one logical course of action.
I once saw the RIAT basing study for 2001. That of course went to Cottesmore. If only that was still open!
Having read reports about why airshows are being lost it appears unless they are the prestigious ones, the costs involved are the biggest reason and I imagine the H&S aspect will increase in the future.
It amazes me that there are so many free ones, given that the costs have to be met somehow. Maybe as many are at seaside resorts you can only imagine that traders in the towns fund them as they know they will make money from the extra visitors.
A bloke I work with is a bit of plane geek (doesn’t understand why I’m not) has reduced his attendance to a couple of free ones, Flying Legends and RIAT and he only goes to RIAT because he’s from that neck of the woods and combines it with family visits so feels he can justify the cost. He has said they’re all getting a bit samey, as aircraft and types reduce, which is why he likes Flying Legends and if RIAT moved he wouldn’t miss it. When I first met him and until recently during the summer he was going to most of them as being single he has no one else to think about.
having attended 15 RIATs i have to agree.
a long time ago i lost interest in the aircraft attending. Air Forces are so stretched these days there is never a great presence from anyone and it is always the less attractive aircraft that are able to attend, namely NOT the fast jets but the trainers and transport…
long gone are the days of 20 Tonkas lined up from three air forces!
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Having been a “worker” at numerous Waddo air shows, yes, they were great when we had an Air Force that could participate.
PR for the public was invaluable, secondary dutiy “ticks” for air show involvement could be easily managed.
Not any more I’m afraid. 
I wonder how long it is before we have a drone aerobatic display team?
drones are not manoeuvrable, they aren’t designed to be agile and so can’t really see the appeal of such a display other than to show off the aircraft…
you’ve not met many fighter pilots, have you?
Badoom tch?
With the removal of military SAR, the RAF have lost one of their most visible and public facing roles. Red Arrows and airshows were the other 2. Coincidentally, where the Red Arrows used to attend some lifeboat days free of charge to show the flag, the removal of SAR has resulted in the Reds now charging for attendance at said lifeboat days. Given that completely defeats the purpose of fundraising for a lifeboat, the organisers have rightly told them not to bother. I’d imagine that’s likely to be the same across the country, so a further reduction in visibility for the RAF away from their operating locations.
Airshows are basically the last place the public are able to see what their tax money is spent on, the last visible piece of good PR for the forces, and the last great recruiting tool. Yeh, so Waddington clearly is no longer the most sensible location for an airshow, but I’m pretty certain there are better locations around that neck of the woods. The effort, cost and commitment has got to be worth it, because if nobody knows we have an Air Force, nobody will notice when it’s gone.
You’d have thought that Lincolnshire is the ideal location, given the number of stations in the area (some less operational than others), ergo available personnel to man it.
May be there should be a ‘Mildenhall’ approach with respect to how it’s run. Flat rate entry per vehicle and groups either from the local bases and area doing the food, rather than rip off burger vans and other over-priced caterers that infest these events, so that it is an attractive event for families.
Never stopped the USAF displaying their various bombers. The most uninspiring display I ever saw was a B52, with the B1’s “tactical” departure noisier but every bit as dull coming a close 2nd.
Problem is in a few years you will end up with more ‘historic’ aircraft than ‘serving’ aircraft, so ‘play station’ aircraft will have to be included to maintain an interest in what is currently in service if airshows are to be a draw.
A flying display with fewer service types available will be extremely short, especially if historic aircraft become more expensive to be kept flying by private individuals, especially the newer ones being more complex in terms of engineering and actual flying. Are there Jaguars, Lightnings (English Electric) or Harriers in private hands being flown for displays?
@glass_half_empty_2:
excuse the source being the Daily Fail (Google spat it out first)
ok so he is the USA but they are out there…i saw a documentary on Youtube about it, somehow i dont think the CAA will be as willing to allow this to happen (Post Shoreham?)