Discussion
I've been a few times and the stands have pros and cons for photography.
On the plus side you do have an excellent view and can get some cracking pics, the downside is that they are very tightly packed and will be full. Waving a large lens around is difficult without pissing off the people sitting next to you.
The best option is to get there first (seats are not pre-assigned) and try to get an aisle seat at the back. This will allow you to stand in the aisle for pics.
You will however not be alone in trying this!!
On the plus side you do have an excellent view and can get some cracking pics, the downside is that they are very tightly packed and will be full. Waving a large lens around is difficult without pissing off the people sitting next to you.
The best option is to get there first (seats are not pre-assigned) and try to get an aisle seat at the back. This will allow you to stand in the aisle for pics.
You will however not be alone in trying this!!
Provided you get there early-ish you can normally get pretty close to the front in the G/A areas. It did seem however that last year there were more hospitality tents occupying what used to be grassy spectator areas.
I tend to arrive early and pick my spot for the day then mooch around the static display while everyone else is stuck in jams leaving the car parks.
I tend to arrive early and pick my spot for the day then mooch around the static display while everyone else is stuck in jams leaving the car parks.
They've only cancelled it once due to weather, and that was because the car parks flooded.
If it rains much of the flying will go ahead but there'll be disruption to the schedule and it'll be thoroughly bloody miserable. Low cloud is much more likely to take out huge swathes of the flying programme (one year it reduced the show to a handful of acts). Sunday's forecast looks a bit better than Saturday's.
If it rains much of the flying will go ahead but there'll be disruption to the schedule and it'll be thoroughly bloody miserable. Low cloud is much more likely to take out huge swathes of the flying programme (one year it reduced the show to a handful of acts). Sunday's forecast looks a bit better than Saturday's.
Since the year it was cancelled you've had to buy your ticket in advance for a specific day. I chose Saturday unfortunately and I'm currently digging out the waterproofs in readiness 
Have to say the lineup is looking a bit lacklustre aswell, no B1's, B52's or harriers and the SU27 is static display only. Still, there's about a million F16's to keep us occupied!
Have to say the lineup is looking a bit lacklustre aswell, no B1's, B52's or harriers and the SU27 is static display only. Still, there's about a million F16's to keep us occupied!
There is one B-52 due for the static park. No Harriers as we don't have them anymore, the US Marines & India won't send theirs half way around the world, and Italy & Spain probably don't have any spare to send. The US are cutting back a lot on displays, in the last few weeks it has been announced only one USAF demo per show.
It shows that even the Americans are feeling the pinch.
It shows that even the Americans are feeling the pinch.
Will be going tomorrow as there are a few slots for display rehearsals amongst the scheduled arrivals. If you want to look at the displays (as opposed to browsing the static line-up) then go to Totterdown farm, situated just North-East of the runway and elevated some 80ft it provides a fantastic vantage point and they only charge £5 per head and have "facilities".
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For anyone interested there is a FB page with live commentary from the guys there
http://www.facebook.com/pages/RIAT-2011-Arrivals-T...
http://www.facebook.com/pages/RIAT-2011-Arrivals-T...
This years line up is less than last year, many reasons for this.
1) RIAT tends to share a lot of aircraft with Farnborough (that is on the same time of year, every two years). Last year was a Farnborough year, hence we had more stuff. Countries like the US are more likely to send F/A-18s and F-22s over to a trade show, where they can show off some of their technology to VIPs looking to buy weapons/military equipment. I believe the F-22s are all currently grounded with a fault.
2) The RAF has been cut back enourmously since last year, no Nimrod (scrapped), no Harriers (all in storage), no Tornado F3's (scrapped). The Dominie has also been retired, taking a large number of aircraft types out of the static and flying displays. We are also now in Libya which has curtailed the RAFs Typhoon display, and taken away any chance of static aircraft such as the E-3 Sentry, VC-10, Tristar, Sentinel and C-130. If the RAF can't provide them due to commitments there is not a lot they can do. If it's not there you can't have it.
3) The US Military has cut back drastically aswell. I believe there was a recent directive that went around that stated that the USAF were not to have any more than one demo team at any one show due to budgets and ongoing ops in Libya. Again if the USAF can't provide it then there is not a lot you can do.
4) The Dutch, again a reduced commitment from them, they have been facing drastic cuts aswell.
5) RIAT is run for RAF Charities, they cannot use every single penny on getting items from the other side of the world, and then at the end of the day say, sorry charity, you haven't got anything as we have blown all the money we have.
6) Many have said about Yeovilton grabbing the Mig 29 display and a static F-4 this year, again this is likely to be due to relationships between the airbases. Yeovilton squadrons will have for many years supported the likes of Poland and Germany and probably had exchanges and excercises over the years. RIAT not being an RAF run event, will need to rely on the goodwill of other countries supplying aircraft.
The lineup may not be as good, but Libya, ongoing ops in Afghanistan, a reduced airforce and defence and budget cuts accross europe are all taking their toll. It must be a fine balancing act to get a display together within the budget they have.
£39 is not bad for a full day event, for example at my work there was an advert for a concert featuring the Wanted and Alexandra Burke at £32 per ticket. I am sure getting a pop star to a stage in Chelmsford is a damn site cheaper than pulling an aircraft and support all the way from the Ukraine.
1) RIAT tends to share a lot of aircraft with Farnborough (that is on the same time of year, every two years). Last year was a Farnborough year, hence we had more stuff. Countries like the US are more likely to send F/A-18s and F-22s over to a trade show, where they can show off some of their technology to VIPs looking to buy weapons/military equipment. I believe the F-22s are all currently grounded with a fault.
2) The RAF has been cut back enourmously since last year, no Nimrod (scrapped), no Harriers (all in storage), no Tornado F3's (scrapped). The Dominie has also been retired, taking a large number of aircraft types out of the static and flying displays. We are also now in Libya which has curtailed the RAFs Typhoon display, and taken away any chance of static aircraft such as the E-3 Sentry, VC-10, Tristar, Sentinel and C-130. If the RAF can't provide them due to commitments there is not a lot they can do. If it's not there you can't have it.
3) The US Military has cut back drastically aswell. I believe there was a recent directive that went around that stated that the USAF were not to have any more than one demo team at any one show due to budgets and ongoing ops in Libya. Again if the USAF can't provide it then there is not a lot you can do.
4) The Dutch, again a reduced commitment from them, they have been facing drastic cuts aswell.
5) RIAT is run for RAF Charities, they cannot use every single penny on getting items from the other side of the world, and then at the end of the day say, sorry charity, you haven't got anything as we have blown all the money we have.
6) Many have said about Yeovilton grabbing the Mig 29 display and a static F-4 this year, again this is likely to be due to relationships between the airbases. Yeovilton squadrons will have for many years supported the likes of Poland and Germany and probably had exchanges and excercises over the years. RIAT not being an RAF run event, will need to rely on the goodwill of other countries supplying aircraft.
The lineup may not be as good, but Libya, ongoing ops in Afghanistan, a reduced airforce and defence and budget cuts accross europe are all taking their toll. It must be a fine balancing act to get a display together within the budget they have.
£39 is not bad for a full day event, for example at my work there was an advert for a concert featuring the Wanted and Alexandra Burke at £32 per ticket. I am sure getting a pop star to a stage in Chelmsford is a damn site cheaper than pulling an aircraft and support all the way from the Ukraine.
DamienB said:
Perhaps if RIAT weren't spending some of their money on the self same Alexandra Burke they'd have more to spend on aircraft participation - you know - those things you expect to see at an airshow.
Good point. They certainly seem to have worked hard at what I understand is known as "broadening the appeal".
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