Analog From United States of America, joined Jul 2006, 1900 posts, RR: 1 Posted (4 years 10 months 2 weeks 1 day 6 hours ago) and read 2034 times:
The 2008 Royal International Air Tattoo was canceled because heavy rains flooded parking lots (fields)! Instead of using some imagination and arranging alternate parking & shuttles they're giving out millions in refunds.
KC135TopBoom From United States of America, joined Jan 2005, 11711 posts, RR: 52 Reply 1, posted (4 years 10 months 2 weeks 7 hours ago) and read 1839 times:
Scbriml From United Kingdom, joined Jul 2003, 11363 posts, RR: 50 Reply 2, posted (4 years 10 months 2 weeks 5 hours ago) and read 1793 times:
Quoting Analog (Thread starter): The 2008 Royal International Air Tattoo was canceled because heavy rains flooded parking lots (fields)! Instead of using some imagination and arranging alternate parking & shuttles they're giving out millions in refunds.
Before you criticise them, some knowledge might be helpful.
I was there on the Friday, it was completely miserable. Compared to the 100,000 that would turn up at the weekend, Friday (and Monday) attendance is just a few hundred (maybe a couple of thousand).
The grandstands and viewing areas are on the grassed areas of the field. There was already 6" of mud on the Friday before three downpours of monsoon proportions in the afternoon. When I left, I was barely able to get out of the car park (yes, it's a field - Fairford is in a rural area, with just a couple of small villages nearby).
Fairford does use a "park and ride" system, as well as closer parking. The main reason for the cancellation was the risk to public health and safety. Even on the Friday, I was aware of at lease three ambulances that were called for visitors who had slipped over and hurt themselves.
As much as I wanted to attend both Saturday and Sunday, I do believe the organisers had no choice but to cancel. This is the first time in 30-odd years that the event has been cancelled. The rain that fell Wednesday through Friday really was of "100 year storm" magnitude.
I was there today for the departures, and even after two days of virtually no rain, the ground was still sodden. I will get a refund for the two cancelled days, but no refund for my motel room and car hire. The people I really feel bad for are those that camp in the fields around Fairford for the whole week - that must have been a nightmare. At least I could dry off in my motel room Friday evening. If I'd heard that Saturday was cancelled before I'd had a couple of glasses of wine with my dinner, I would have gone home that evening and just travelled back Sunday evening ready for today's visit.
Analog From United States of America, joined Jul 2006, 1900 posts, RR: 1 Reply 3, posted (4 years 10 months 2 weeks 3 hours ago) and read 1763 times:
Quoting Scbriml (Reply 2): Before you criticise them, some knowledge might be helpful.
.....
(yes, it's a field - Fairford is in a rural area, with just a couple of small villages nearby).
I may have that knowledge.... I've been there (not the show though) and I got my info from one of the higher ranking people there (just got off the phone). Of course he's not responsible for the show/decision: that's a UK government thing.
Perhaps they should have asked Honda to stop production/clear out their lots and used those.
Larshjort From Denmark, joined Dec 2007, 1216 posts, RR: 0 Reply 4, posted (4 years 10 months 2 weeks 2 hours ago) and read 1739 times:
I went to England to see my first RIAT, and then they cancel it
I heard the saterday show was cancelled from a fellospotter from Shannon while spotting at LHR saterday afternoon, before I went to Oxford. When I arrived I read that sundays show was cancelled as well Instead I went to Duxford and managed to catch the Sunday show of flying legends minus the first hour. A great show, but I wanted to see the Vulcan, B-52, B-1 and F-22.
/Lars
Besides that my flight today from LGW to BLL was delayed from 0920 to 1515 due to technical problems, not only with the original 73G but also with the MD80 which was brought in as a replacement. The only upside was that I got to fly with Jet Time
Scbriml From United Kingdom, joined Jul 2003, 11363 posts, RR: 50 Reply 5, posted (4 years 10 months 1 week 6 days 16 hours ago) and read 1668 times:
Quoting Analog (Reply 3): that's a UK government thing.
It had absolutely nothing to do with the UK Government at all.
The decision to cancel was made by the organisers on the advice of the local police and safety services. http://www.airtattoo.com/airtattoo/N...wsroom/AIR_TATTOO_CANCELLED_SUNDAY
The middle picture shows one of three torrential downpours Friday afternoon just after the Queen departed having presented the RAF with their new colours.
Quoting Larshjort (Reply 4): I went to England to see my first RIAT, and then they cancel it
I'm very sorry you missed it. Folks travel from all over the World to see this show. This year the flying display was scheduled to run for nearly 9 hours!
ACW367 From United Kingdom, joined Dec 2007, 237 posts, RR: 0 Reply 6, posted (4 years 10 months 1 week 6 days 6 hours ago) and read 1578 times:
I am a volunteer who works at the show. I have just arrived back home today, as we had to break the show back down in attrocious conditions. There is a dip in the grass beside the runway at the centreline of the runway. This is used as the FRIAT enclosure and the deckchair garden on show days for the public. This has been a lake since last Monday which I have had to wade through daily, and still was a lake when I left the show site today. The site services team was working around the clock to shore up the grassed areas. Whilst the weather was lovely on Sat/Sun, the grass just didn't recover. Full marks to Tim Prince and all the permanent team for making the correct decision.
GDB From United Kingdom, joined exactly 12 years ago today! , 12715 posts, RR: 80 Reply 7, posted (4 years 10 months 1 week 6 days 5 hours ago) and read 1568 times:
Anyone who has ever been to Fairford, will know what a vast show it is.
Add in vast amounts of people in the conditions described, no way they could have run it, and it's not any 'Health and Safety' over-zealousness either.
It is the first time in 38 years a RIAT has been cancelled on any day.
I'd say that their luck was bound to run out one day, that day being brought forward by truly torrential downpours.
CPH-R From Denmark, joined May 2001, 5745 posts, RR: 4 Reply 8, posted (4 years 10 months 1 week 6 days 5 hours ago) and read 1561 times:
Quoting Larshjort (Reply 4): I heard the saterday show was cancelled from a fellospotter from Shannon while spotting at LHR saterday afternoon, before I went to Oxford. When I arrived I read that sundays show was cancelled as well
Out of curiousity, were you at Myrtle Avenue? I stopped by The Green Man for a few hours and on my way back to Hatton Cross I noticed two guys hauling some serious photo gear coming the other way
Larshjort From Denmark, joined Dec 2007, 1216 posts, RR: 0 Reply 9, posted (4 years 10 months 1 week 6 days 3 hours ago) and read 1527 times:
Quoting CPH-R (Reply 8): Out of curiousity, were you at Myrtle Avenue? I stopped by The Green Man for a few hours and on my way back to Hatton Cross I noticed two guys hauling some serious photo gear coming the other way
Yes, I arrived at ~14:00 and left again around 16:30 to catch the train But I don't think it was me you saw, my "serious" photo gear consists of an Olympus E-420 double lens kit.
Analog From United States of America, joined Jul 2006, 1900 posts, RR: 1 Reply 10, posted (4 years 10 months 1 week 6 days 3 hours ago) and read 1523 times:
Quoting Scbriml (Reply 5):
It had absolutely nothing to do with the UK Government at all. no
The decision to cancel was made by the organisers on the advice of the local police and safety services.
Right; the UK government: the local police. I certainly didn't mean to imply that the decision came from way up. My point was that the USAF people there did not make the call.
The area needs a few Wal-Mart-like stores with giant parking lots.
Scbriml From United Kingdom, joined Jul 2003, 11363 posts, RR: 50 Reply 11, posted (4 years 10 months 1 week 6 days 2 hours ago) and read 1509 times:
Quoting Analog (Reply 10): The area needs a few Wal-Mart-like stores with giant parking lots.
Yes, I'm sure the locals would love that. It's bad enough living next to the noisiest place in the UK (even if it's only for one week), but you want to inflict Wal-Mart on them as well?
Walter2222 From Belgium, joined Sep 2005, 1272 posts, RR: 31 Reply 12, posted (4 years 10 months 1 week 6 days 1 hour ago) and read 1494 times:
Quoting Scbriml (Reply 2): This is the first time in 30-odd years that the event has been cancelled
I do remember (although not the exact year, it must have been late seventies or early eighties) an occasion when we were at the RIAT (it might have been at Greenham Common) in a real downpour when the display was temporarily halted and everybody was looking for shelter... We were so lucky to find a dry spot in the cargo of a Belgian Air Force C-130H (with lots of beers inside as well). The problem for the not-so-lucky-people was that the busses from the park-and-ride were not planned to be on base again (it was early afternoon) and the busses struggled to get back to base because so many people were leaving the show-ground with their cars... The ones that could not leave were all soaking wet...
I am not sure I still have slides from that year, but I am searching...
Overall, this year was a sad weekend and I feel sorry for all enthusiasts and organizers, although I have already seen some "hot" shots taken during the very wet conditions!
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From Denmark, joined Dec 2007, 1216 posts, 
Instead I went to Duxford and managed to catch the Sunday show of flying legends minus the first hour. A great show, but I wanted to see the Vulcan, B-52, B-1 and F-22.
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