Cobra Warrior 25-1

[MarkBurke8374]

What a shame. Ok thanks for that.

[65thAgressor]

For those not in the ITV Calendar area,there was an article on Cobra Warrior. One of the clips showed the French at low level flying in a valley.Maybe it's available on ITV catchup ?

[Blackcat1]

Morning all

I was wondering , im sure Friday is a religious day for Muslims, would it affect the Saudis flying on Friday plesse?

Thanks

[reaper493]

Not sure at the moment Gareth, nothing flew Friday last week and it's not an exercise day on Friday - case of wait and see I think!

Mike

[Blackcat1]

Not sure at the moment Gareth, nothing flew Friday last week and it's not an exercise day on Friday - case of wait and see I think!

Mike

Thanks

[smudger]

Are the French still due to depart for home Friday?

Cheers Sam

[reaper493]

Believe so - but their merch seller in the WAVE was telling people they'll be doing the loop next week, the same was said to those present on the media morning apparently.

So unsure if their plans have changed, or if they'll be flying from home next week?

[Blackcat1]

Believe so - but their merch seller in the WAVE was telling people they'll be doing the loop next week, the same was said to those present on the media morning apparently.

So unsure if their plans have changed, or if they'll be flying from home next week?

Any mention of anyone looping tomorrow or friday? please?

[f14stumpy]

Hi all,
With a NW wind forecast tomorrow, which runway do we think they will use? Would this not be a crosswind?

[reaper493]

Should be 02 tomorrow.

[f14stumpy]

Ok, thank you

[f14stumpy]

Can anyone tell me where the closest place to park is for 02? Taking into consideration all the enforcements currently in place.

[reaper493]

Either Waddington or Coleby village - Harmston is an access only village so would advise against parking there.

[PR9]

About a 40 min walk to threshold via lane (layby) leading to crash gate.

Don't cut across any other lanes as they are for farmer's access.

[Harkins]

Not managed to make it over this time due to a work project that isn’t affording any free time. But I have mixed feelings about missing out. I’ve read so much stuff on mainly Facebook and 99% of it has nothing to do with aircraft but with people moaning about steps (always referred to as ladders) and people trespassing on private land (twerps) and arguing between spotters and day trippers.

It used to be a nice hobby. I’ve never been as hardcore as many are, but I like to think my interest has been spread over decades. It seems to me that military air shows in the UK dropping from maybe thirty to just one and a bit (RIAT & Cosford) has turned the massively reduced number of exercises and Lakenheath on Fridays into air show substitutes.Add to that social media platforms have made everything easily known to everyone and I think we generally have a lot more mobility than we have in past, so whizzing three hours up the road to see jets is easily doable. Maybe increased expendable income, flexitime, working from ‘home’ etc has contributed. It even seems like everyone in the world has a pro camera and 500mm telephoto lens now as well. Were they given out in cereal boxes at some point? I missed out:(

There’s probably a few other reasons too, but bottom line is that looking at fast jets has become off the scales accessible and popular now. And it seems to be spoiling it for everyone from dedicated old school spotters to a mum and her kids passing by at half term.

And it does seem some of the aggravation at the 02 end is a result of it being made so difficult to get to it whilst still saying it is accessible. That is not in any way excusing any of the bad behaviour. And could you even imagine if the overspill parking next to the WAVE was denied next time around?

And the RAF have now issued a code of conduct which is fine, but whilst it is not directly their fault, their own efforts to in effect advertise the exercise across various social media platforms surely has played its part in it being so popular with spectators. Maybe they should make a bit less of it or even put their airshow back on to give the public a better opportunity to see military aircraft doing their thing in a more controlled situation?

Just felt like getting that off my chest after reading some of the Waddington Facebook groups this week. And I hope those that have been or are due to have or will enjoy it.

[Scalp 99]

Harkins, I couldn’t agree more.

The situation at Waddington is becoming out of control. It’s become a circus and highly embarrassing. What must the RAF and the visiting aircrews think of it all? One day someone is either going to get seriously hurt or worse.

The problem here is you have a FB group with over 11K in membership, with info published every day on what’s happening. Do people really think this would not cause a problem at the base attracting hundreds of visitors every day during CW? The worse thing that ever happened was a public FB group allowing everyone to join. Now we have a tourist attraction which has caused mayhem.

As a local who has been visiting the base for over 30+ years, it is very disappointing to see how things have turned out. Back in the days of the ACMI we never had a problem. Access was fine at both ends, never got shouted at by farmers, never got a problem with parking.

Now it has all been ruined by social media. Yes it’s a different world now, but the FB groups are destroying the hobby at every base. People don’t respect land, all they are interested in is the internet shots for the instagram breed and FB groups etc.

It’s the same old story, if you put more info out there in the public domain you will attract more people with less common sense. That’s a fact.

[dannyboyo20]

Not managed to make it over this time due to a work project that isn’t affording any free time. But I have mixed feelings about missing out. I’ve read so much stuff on mainly Facebook and 99% of it has nothing to do with aircraft but with people moaning about steps (always referred to as ladders) and people trespassing on private land (twerps) and arguing between spotters and day trippers.

It used to be a nice hobby. I’ve never been as hardcore as many are, but I like to think my interest has been spread over decades. It seems to me that military air shows in the UK dropping from maybe thirty to just one and a bit (RIAT & Cosford) has turned the massively reduced number of exercises and Lakenheath on Fridays into air show substitutes.Add to that social media platforms have made everything easily known to everyone and I think we generally have a lot more mobility than we have in past, so whizzing three hours up the road to see jets is easily doable. Maybe increased expendable income, flexitime, working from ‘home’ etc has contributed. It even seems like everyone in the world has a pro camera and 500mm telephoto lens now as well. Were they given out in cereal boxes at some point? I missed out:(

There’s probably a few other reasons too, but bottom line is that looking at fast jets has become off the scales accessible and popular now. And it seems to be spoiling it for everyone from dedicated old school spotters to a mum and her kids passing by at half term.

And it does seem some of the aggravation at the 02 end is a result of it being made so difficult to get to it whilst still saying it is accessible. That is not in any way excusing any of the bad behaviour. And could you even imagine if the overspill parking next to the WAVE was denied next time around?

And the RAF have now issued a code of conduct which is fine, but whilst it is not directly their fault, their own efforts to in effect advertise the exercise across various social media platforms surely has played its part in it being so popular with spectators. Maybe they should make a bit less of it or even put their airshow back on to give the public a better opportunity to see military aircraft doing their thing in a more controlled situation?

Just felt like getting that off my chest after reading some of the Waddington Facebook groups this week. And I hope those that have been or are due to have or will enjoy it.

Well put.


Unfortunately I think it’s a bit of a “perfect storm” situation.
Just as people mourned the loss of events such as Air Fete, Waddington/Leuchars Airshows, mallet blow exs etc, others just mourn the days when you could always get a spot at the fence, or that exclusive photo of a visitor because you were in the right place at the right time.
Unfortunately social media plays a huge, but not exclusive part; it’s a real double-edged sword.
Information which was once published nowhere, is now widely available and in advance…pushed out to enormous audiences who in the past would have been none the wiser. It used to be a running joke up at Spadeadam that the only other human you might see all day was the postman! Now exercises see huge numbers all jostling for positions, and in many places said positions are scarce to start with!

Add to that covid, where people were actively looking for new hobbies and things to do closer to home, it wasn’t just aviation which became overwhelmed.
Then add in the youtube streamers…..
I know the bear (and others) get some stick, but ultimately i’m sure if many of us managed to monetise our hobby and turn it into a successful career; we may look upon it differently. Yes they most definitely contribute to the vast numbers turning up to the likes of CW and others, but ultimately there’s nothing that can be done about it.

All of that does lead to a mass influx of people who naturally know very little about our hobby, the written (and unwritten) rules which many of us will have abided by for decades. A mother who sees this on youtube and turns up at 1100 with her kids, probably doesn’t appreciate that many of us will have taken annual leave, booked hotels, left home in the ungodly hours and spent a small fortune just to ensure we get ‘that spot.’
It’s hugely frustrating at times but the continual whining from some is in vain. It will only get worse.

The other consideration is society itself. Nowadays people have literally everything available at their fingertips, instantaneously. In my opinion this has led to a societal shift in attitudes based on self importance and lack of empathy/compassion. This is evident by the constant field trampling, standing in the middle of the road to take a photograph etc and when challenged, the attitude is either that they don’t care, or because others are doing it; so can they.

I’m not even getting started on the specifics of Waddington. I’ve done the WAVE once this ex and that was more than enough. Photographs being shared of us all stood on ladders; being slandered for doing absolutely nothing wrong. Don’t worry though, the kuga equipped with flashing orange lights has still been conducting patrols of the car park……anyone found to be conveying a stove will be off to the gallows.

My tuppence…….I think we all share the frustrations.

And my advice for anyone worried about their blood pressure, would be to steer clear of the facebook groups

[Blackcat1]

Harkins, I couldn’t agree more.

The situation at Waddington is becoming out of control. It’s become a circus and highly embarrassing. What must the RAF and the visiting aircrews think of it all? One day someone is either going to get seriously hurt or worse.

The problem here is you have a FB group with over 11K in membership, with info published every day on what’s happening. Do people really think this would not cause a problem at the base attracting hundreds of visitors every day during CW? The worse thing that ever happened was a public FB group allowing everyone to join. Now we have a tourist attraction which has caused mayhem.

As a local who has been visiting the base for over 30+ years, it is very disappointing to see how things have turned out. Back in the days of the ACMI we never had a problem. Access was fine at both ends, never got shouted at by farmers, never got a problem with parking.

Now it has all been ruined by social media. Yes it’s a different world now, but the FB groups are destroying the hobby at every base. People don’t respect land, all they are interested in is the internet shots for the instagram breed and FB groups etc.

It’s the same old story, if you put more info out there in the public domain you will attract more people with less common sense. That’s a fact.

Ah the days of the ACMI exercises, they were great and that was the last time I visited . Never remember the wave being that busy then but that was before the days of social media . They were great days,I used to visit with my late Uncle a couple of times a year.

[Petepilot]

Not managed to make it over this time due to a work project that isn’t affording any free time. But I have mixed feelings about missing out. I’ve read so much stuff on mainly Facebook and 99% of it has nothing to do with aircraft but with people moaning about steps (always referred to as ladders) and people trespassing on private land (twerps) and arguing between spotters and day trippers.

It used to be a nice hobby. I’ve never been as hardcore as many are, but I like to think my interest has been spread over decades. It seems to me that military air shows in the UK dropping from maybe thirty to just one and a bit (RIAT & Cosford) has turned the massively reduced number of exercises and Lakenheath on Fridays into air show substitutes.Add to that social media platforms have made everything easily known to everyone and I think we generally have a lot more mobility than we have in past, so whizzing three hours up the road to see jets is easily doable. Maybe increased expendable income, flexitime, working from ‘home’ etc has contributed. It even seems like everyone in the world has a pro camera and 500mm telephoto lens now as well. Were they given out in cereal boxes at some point? I missed out:(

There’s probably a few other reasons too, but bottom line is that looking at fast jets has become off the scales accessible and popular now. And it seems to be spoiling it for everyone from dedicated old school spotters to a mum and her kids passing by at half term.

And it does seem some of the aggravation at the 02 end is a result of it being made so difficult to get to it whilst still saying it is accessible. That is not in any way excusing any of the bad behaviour. And could you even imagine if the overspill parking next to the WAVE was denied next time around?

And the RAF have now issued a code of conduct which is fine, but whilst it is not directly their fault, their own efforts to in effect advertise the exercise across various social media platforms surely has played its part in it being so popular with spectators. Maybe they should make a bit less of it or even put their airshow back on to give the public a better opportunity to see military aircraft doing their thing in a more controlled situation?

Just felt like getting that off my chest after reading some of the Waddington Facebook groups this week. And I hope those that have been or are due to have or will enjoy it.

Well put, and Scalp, Dannyboyo, and Blackcat. I couldn't bring myself to make the relatively short trip to Waddington from York to join the circus - not for me. I'm going to spend three days on the Loop next week for some solitude, scenery, and hopefully some jets! I hope there isn't a ticket system in place for access now, or the lay-bys filled with coaches and day-trippers....

[Blackcat1]

Not managed to make it over this time due to a work project that isn’t affording any free time. But I have mixed feelings about missing out. I’ve read so much stuff on mainly Facebook and 99% of it has nothing to do with aircraft but with people moaning about steps (always referred to as ladders) and people trespassing on private land (twerps) and arguing between spotters and day trippers.

It used to be a nice hobby. I’ve never been as hardcore as many are, but I like to think my interest has been spread over decades. It seems to me that military air shows in the UK dropping from maybe thirty to just one and a bit (RIAT & Cosford) has turned the massively reduced number of exercises and Lakenheath on Fridays into air show substitutes.Add to that social media platforms have made everything easily known to everyone and I think we generally have a lot more mobility than we have in past, so whizzing three hours up the road to see jets is easily doable. Maybe increased expendable income, flexitime, working from ‘home’ etc has contributed. It even seems like everyone in the world has a pro camera and 500mm telephoto lens now as well. Were they given out in cereal boxes at some point? I missed out:(

There’s probably a few other reasons too, but bottom line is that looking at fast jets has become off the scales accessible and popular now. And it seems to be spoiling it for everyone from dedicated old school spotters to a mum and her kids passing by at half term.

And it does seem some of the aggravation at the 02 end is a result of it being made so difficult to get to it whilst still saying it is accessible. That is not in any way excusing any of the bad behaviour. And could you even imagine if the overspill parking next to the WAVE was denied next time around?

And the RAF have now issued a code of conduct which is fine, but whilst it is not directly their fault, their own efforts to in effect advertise the exercise across various social media platforms surely has played its part in it being so popular with spectators. Maybe they should make a bit less of it or even put their airshow back on to give the public a better opportunity to see military aircraft doing their thing in a more controlled situation?

Just felt like getting that off my chest after reading some of the Waddington Facebook groups this week. And I hope those that have been or are due to have or will enjoy it.

Well put, and Scalp, Dannyboyo, and Blackcat. I couldn't bring myself to make the relatively short trip to Waddington from York to join the circus - not for me. I'm going to spend three days on the Loop next week for some solitude, scenery, and hopefully some jets! I hope there isn't a ticket system in place for access now, or the lay-bys filled with coaches and day-trippers....

No ticket system yet theres some great beer garden locations if you dont fancy walking up mountains