RIAT First timer…
Discussion
After a few years Of procrastination, I’m definitely going this year.
Will be going on the Saturday as will be at FOS Friday.
Deffo taking the camera gear.
Is a stand seat worthwhile ?
Also, any other tips for a noob ?
Have only really been to one air show prior, which was Jersey a few years back.
The other half really enjoyed it as well, so looking forward to it.
Really love the fast jets and big stuff.
Will be going on the Saturday as will be at FOS Friday.
Deffo taking the camera gear.
Is a stand seat worthwhile ?
Also, any other tips for a noob ?
Have only really been to one air show prior, which was Jersey a few years back.
The other half really enjoyed it as well, so looking forward to it.
Really love the fast jets and big stuff.
Stand seats are helpful if you want a bit of elevation above the crowd. If you're not fussed about runway action and only interested in the "in the air" stuff then it's not really worth it as the heat haze can cause havoc with your runway shots anyway.
The helpful thing I found about the enclosure I booked was the facility to check in baggage and then wander off around the ground attractions freely.
It is a VERY VERY long runway from the ticket gates so do be prepared for lots of walking and bring a trolley if you have lots of gear.
Don't rely upon the water bowsers, bring plenty of your own water bottles.
Be prepared for changeable weather conditions (see baggage facility above). I went a few years ago and the Friday was a washout but the Saturday was very hot so lots of sunscreen is a must.
Do take time out of your day to wander around the ground exhibits, there's normally lots of interesting stuff which you wouldn't normally see elsewhere at UK shows.
The helpful thing I found about the enclosure I booked was the facility to check in baggage and then wander off around the ground attractions freely.
It is a VERY VERY long runway from the ticket gates so do be prepared for lots of walking and bring a trolley if you have lots of gear.
Don't rely upon the water bowsers, bring plenty of your own water bottles.
Be prepared for changeable weather conditions (see baggage facility above). I went a few years ago and the Friday was a washout but the Saturday was very hot so lots of sunscreen is a must.
Do take time out of your day to wander around the ground exhibits, there's normally lots of interesting stuff which you wouldn't normally see elsewhere at UK shows.
We went on a local coach day trip this year as a family four. Thoroughly enjoyable. Personally I wouldn’t spend more on an enclosure. We ended up just to the right of these and had a clear view of many aircraft taking off, like this.
We didn’t even arrive that early: the show had been underway for the best part of an hour. Once they’re up in the air, it’s pretty much the same for everyone.
We didn’t even arrive that early: the show had been underway for the best part of an hour. Once they’re up in the air, it’s pretty much the same for everyone.
We tend to sit in the general admission areas during the flying display and then mooch around the static display while everyone else is heading for the car parks. By the time we get back to the car, we can usually head straight out.
If you want to take photos, you’ll find much of the crowd line occupied by the keen bean photographers who grab their spots at the crack of dawn. A grandstand seat will go some way to ensure your view of the runway is less obstructed.
Traffic getting in can be heavy but if you are a little creative with your route, you can avoid the worst of it. We have been cutting through the villages for the last 20 years and only join the queue a short distance from the airfield.
Be prepared to walk. A lot. However, with my dad and I both suffering with knee issues the last time we visited, we discovered the on site shuttle bus. A short queue is worth it for the long trudge to and from the carparks.
If you want to take photos, you’ll find much of the crowd line occupied by the keen bean photographers who grab their spots at the crack of dawn. A grandstand seat will go some way to ensure your view of the runway is less obstructed.
Traffic getting in can be heavy but if you are a little creative with your route, you can avoid the worst of it. We have been cutting through the villages for the last 20 years and only join the queue a short distance from the airfield.
Be prepared to walk. A lot. However, with my dad and I both suffering with knee issues the last time we visited, we discovered the on site shuttle bus. A short queue is worth it for the long trudge to and from the carparks.
Leave the camera at home and enjoy the show rather than watching everything through a viewfinder.
If you do take the camera, be sure to dress as tactically as possible, preferably with pistol grips, leg holsters etc. so everyone knows you are specialneeds forces. A camera which goes 'rat-a-tat-tat' as you track the aircraft means you can pretend to be shooting it down. Be sure to tut at any children which happen to spoil one of your million almost identical photos (that nobody will ever see and you probably won't even get around to editing) while being inspired and excited by the aircraft and flying display. Bring a step ladder too. That extra 3ft elevation will really help make your shot more special than the other 1000s of men-with-cameras doing exactly the same thing. Get the biggest, longest, fattest lens you can find, because, well, you know. Extra points if it is FDE or ODG.
HTH.
If you do take the camera, be sure to dress as tactically as possible, preferably with pistol grips, leg holsters etc. so everyone knows you are special
HTH.
LimaDelta said:
Leave the camera at home and enjoy the show rather than watching everything through a viewfinder.
If you do take the camera, be sure to dress as tactically as possible, preferably with pistol grips, leg holsters etc. so everyone knows you are specialneeds forces. A camera which goes 'rat-a-tat-tat' as you track the aircraft means you can pretend to be shooting it down. Be sure to tut at any children which happen to spoil one of your million almost identical photos (that nobody will ever see and you probably won't even get around to editing) while being inspired and excited by the aircraft and flying display. Bring a step ladder too. That extra 3ft elevation will really help make your shot more special than the other 1000s of men-with-cameras doing exactly the same thing. Get the biggest, longest, fattest lens you can find, because, well, you know. Extra points if it is FDE or ODG.
HTH.
I do remember sitting behind one such gentleman who matched the description above. He was machine gunning everything that flew past including the light aircraft and helicopters. I think he even got some nice pictures of a swallow that happened to fly past. If you do take the camera, be sure to dress as tactically as possible, preferably with pistol grips, leg holsters etc. so everyone knows you are special
HTH.
He much have taken a dozen shots each time something passed. He must have had thousands if not tens of thousands of pictures by the end of the weekend. On the rare instance that he wasn’t papping the passing aircraft with his giant SLR, he was filming it with his iPad which was approximately the size of an expensive calendar. Perfect for blocking out the view of anyone behind!
LimaDelta said:
Leave the camera at home and enjoy the show rather than watching everything through a viewfinder.
If you do take the camera, be sure to dress as tactically as possible, preferably with pistol grips, leg holsters etc. so everyone knows you are specialneeds forces. A camera which goes 'rat-a-tat-tat' as you track the aircraft means you can pretend to be shooting it down. Be sure to tut at any children which happen to spoil one of your million almost identical photos (that nobody will ever see and you probably won't even get around to editing) while being inspired and excited by the aircraft and flying display. Bring a step ladder too. That extra 3ft elevation will really help make your shot more special than the other 1000s of men-with-cameras doing exactly the same thing. Get the biggest, longest, fattest lens you can find, because, well, you know. Extra points if it is FDE or ODG.
HTH.
Spotty dog If you do take the camera, be sure to dress as tactically as possible, preferably with pistol grips, leg holsters etc. so everyone knows you are special
HTH.
t with covid, this year is about making memories for me…Turn7 said:
I see there are 2 choices if park and ride, are they worth the extra and would they save hassle on arrival and exit ?
YesWe've done P&R twice and it saves so much hassle. Buses have an exclusive route that is closed off to normal traffic for much of the journey so you don't sit in traffic until the final half mile and even then it's only where all the routes converge at the entrances. Swindon P&R is about half an hour and there is ample parking a 5 min walk from the bus station.
We tend to sit in the general admission areas during the flying display and then mooch around the static display while everyone else is heading for the car parks. By the time we get back to the car, we can usually head straight out.
If you want to take photos, you’ll find much of the crowd line occupied by the keen bean photographers who grab their spots at the crack of dawn. A grandstand seat will go some way to ensure your view of the runway is less obstructed.
Traffic getting in can be heavy but if you are a little creative with your route, you can avoid the worst of it. We have been cutting through the villages for the last 20 years and only join the queue a short distance from the airfield.
Be prepared to walk. A lot. However, with my dad and I both suffering with knee issues the last time we visited, we discovered the on site shuttle bus. A short queue is worth it for the long trudge to and from the carparks.
If you want to take photos, you’ll find much of the crowd line occupied by the keen bean photographers who grab their spots at the crack of dawn. A grandstand seat will go some way to ensure your view of the runway is less obstructed.
Traffic getting in can be heavy but if you are a little creative with your route, you can avoid the worst of it. We have been cutting through the villages for the last 20 years and only join the queue a short distance from the airfield.
Be prepared to walk. A lot. However, with my dad and I both suffering with knee issues the last time we visited, we discovered the on site shuttle bus. A short queue is worth it for the long trudge to and from the carparks.
LimaDelta said:
Leave the camera at home and enjoy the show rather than watching everything through a viewfinder.
HTH.
Best advice ever. An air show is a multi sensory experience, don’t watch it through a tiny window, take it all in. It took years of persuasion to get my father to leave his camera at home when we would go watch motorsport.HTH.
If you want pictures of aeroplanes, let Claire Hartley et al take them, buy them and frame them. It’s just not worth spending all day trying to get “that shot” with equipment costing 1/10th of the cost of a professional
pablo said:
Best advice ever. An air show is a multi sensory experience, don’t watch it through a tiny window, take it all in. It took years of persuasion to get my father to leave his camera at home when we would go watch motorsport.
If you want pictures of aeroplanes, let Claire Hartley et al take them, buy them and frame them. It’s just not worth spending all day trying to get “that shot” with equipment costing 1/10th of the cost of a professional
That applies to wanting photographs of anything. What's wrong with enjoying the challenge of getting the best shots you can? Expensive equipment allows you to get pictures in a wider variety of situations but there's no reason you can't get perfectly good results with a cheap DSLR and a second hand zoom lens.If you want pictures of aeroplanes, let Claire Hartley et al take them, buy them and frame them. It’s just not worth spending all day trying to get “that shot” with equipment costing 1/10th of the cost of a professional
LimaDelta said:
Leave the camera at home and enjoy the show rather than watching everything through a viewfinder.
If you do take the camera, be sure to dress as tactically as possible, preferably with pistol grips, leg holsters etc. so everyone knows you are specialneeds forces. A camera which goes 'rat-a-tat-tat' as you track the aircraft means you can pretend to be shooting it down. Be sure to tut at any children which happen to spoil one of your million almost identical photos (that nobody will ever see and you probably won't even get around to editing) while being inspired and excited by the aircraft and flying display. Bring a step ladder too. That extra 3ft elevation will really help make your shot more special than the other 1000s of men-with-cameras doing exactly the same thing. Get the biggest, longest, fattest lens you can find, because, well, you know. Extra points if it is FDE or ODG.
HTH.
brilliant. so true in my 3 times there. its worse than a county championship or non league football game for 'interesting' characters! (and i include myself in that somewhat...)If you do take the camera, be sure to dress as tactically as possible, preferably with pistol grips, leg holsters etc. so everyone knows you are special
HTH.
Gassing Station | Boats, Planes & Trains | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff