FRIAT 2024

[Harkins]

Personally disagree with the COAP statement. They had 5 tables (3 to lens hire) tucked well away. Offering free unlimited lens hire, free editing tutorials and free professional printing. There was plenty of space on the marquee, so it really wasn't an issue.

Can't be classed as "unadvertised" because it was advertised.

Fair enough. Although I didn't hire anything (it'd be awful returning to my antiquated old kit) I did chat with them and it was very informative. And I got a great signed print for my lad from the Greek Phantom crew too. Guess I am just finding it difficult to say a good word about FRIAT at the moment. I had a great year and really enjoyed myself. The only bad thing this year was again that damned eternal construction site.

[James Cutting]

Yeah I get what you mean - it is frustrating and one of the points I left in the survey was the timing of 2 major announcements - why not wait until after the show?

[Harkins]

I've done the FRIAT questionnaire, despite almost certainly being a waste of time.

A sample of some of my responses...

50. Please tell us what you would like to see more of on the screens next year:

News that the FRIAT stand is moving back to where it was.

53. We are looking expand our shopping offering, please tell us what's most interesting to you (please select all that apply):

I don't come to the RIAT to do shopping (apart from some aircrew souvenirs), that's what shopping centres, garden centres and Amazon are for on the other 51 weeks of the year.

60. What would you like to see less of at RIAT25, please specify?

Construction equipment.

61. What further things would you like us to consider? (Please specify):

Ending your beef with FRIAT.

[James Cutting]

All for it to be filed in a folder to never be looked at!

[Amp]

Ditto 53.

[KevinJ]

It's frustrating but they do need to keep evolving to pay the ever increasing costs associated with a massive airshow whilst not making the tickets so expensive that people start to ditch a family day out. Sadly corporate money is now crucial to the shows survival and I think the prime central location of FRIAT was just too tempting for them. I can guarantee that area won't be general admission!

Assuming they also relocate the village and their grandstand further down it means even less crowdline for the average Joe to watch. They will keep chipping away at the benefits until it's all unsustainable, I give it maybe 5-6 more years in its current form.

[red leader]

Do we know what will occupy the current friat stand location? Will it be a cooperate hospitality area?

[iainpeden]

Do we know what will occupy the current friat stand location? Will it be a cooperate hospitality area?

On Sunday I spoke with Wendy about this. She said that the current FRIAT stand area will become a straightforward area for the public with the enclosure behind it staying where it is - that is on the taxiway. She also said she wanted as much evidence as possible of dissatisfaction with the '25 proposals to wave at the people who actually make the decisions.

She did say the idea of a corporate stand in that area was not in the plan.

I hope we'd all agree that Wendy is 100% straight and my impression is that she accepts the arguments already made but it's not up to her, she's just the one who takes the flak.

[Harkins]

.
I hope we'd all agree that Wendy is 100% straight and my impression is that she accepts the arguments already made but it's not up to her, she's just the one who takes the flak.

No doubt Wendy is straight up and I imagine she’s as frustrated as most of us are. FRIAT is her job after all. I should mention that when I spoke with Wendy and said I imagine she’s had some grief, she said that she hadn’t really. Gladly most FRIATers know the score.

Given the plea for emails from Wendy and the official questionnaire, I think we’ll get a good indication come next July as to whether asking our opinions is genuine or whether it’s a box ticking process. I know which I think it is.

Seems the general consensus is that we’ll give it a go with trepidation and see what next year brings. So it won’t be till 2026 that we see if these changes see a mass exodus of FRIAT members.

[Supra]

Perhaps there's some mileage in exploring a different avenue of thought away from the "personal persecution of FRIAT Regulars'' that the unhappy elite have selected to dwell upon?
Could the relocation of the FRIAT stand further away from the Eastern threshold of r/w 27 & the increased horizontal distance from the edge of the runway be something brought about by the introduction of RPV Flight Operations?
The new Fairford Airspace Routes & Restrictions are just about to go live, & maybe that eternal building-site opposite the FRIAT grandstand just might be complete by 2025, which could provide operational support for Drones.
The parameters around the potential new arrangements are not fully divulged yet, however some lateral thinking could be usefully applied to the FRIAT Grandstand move?

[Harkins]

Maybe. Not sure why it is purely the FRIAT stand that causes so much of an issue to drone operations over the rest of the airshow setup. And it's only hearsay, but I was told that part the reason the new sheds are taking so long has been due to changes of plan for their purpose and that currently increased U-2 operations was the plan, which I admit is a little surprising.

And I'm not sure about this 'elite' business I've seen levelled at people that buy FRIAT tickets. It's open to anyone, and whilst it isn't given away, it is far from prohibitively expensive. The turn over of members has if anything taken up a pace. It's DBH that invented it, chose to call it Friends and have happily taken early payment for a very unknown product. And the degree to which people buying FRIAT tickets are committing to an unknown product is also picking up pace. I know I don't feel elite. I am not rich, I have antiquated old camera gear that was second hand to start with, never been to spotters events in Greece etc, don't understand the French military serial system or whatever else makes someone elite in the field of liking airplanes.

[iainpeden]

Being pedantic (the clue is almost in my surname ) it can’t have been DBH which called it “Friends of “ as the first FIAT was probably 1981/possibly 1983 when the show was still at GC and DBH didn’t exist.

[iainpeden]

What do you get out of the FRIAT experience that you wouldn't usually if you just went into the showground as a non-FRIAT member?

First of all I assume that you know that FRIAT is a full six day ticket and cannot be bought as a single day; if you do four out of those six days and compare the cost with entry ticket, seats in viewing village and a programme then FRIAT is marginally better value for money. You get entry to park and ride on Wednesday, Thursday and Monday (or choose the FRIAT stand for Thur and Mon).

The FRIAT stand is just off (for 2025) the centreline for displays - even with the change for next year a bit better than VV (probably).

You also get the FRIAT marquee - which gives you the chance to shelter from the blistering sun/rain/hail/gales of a typical British summer.

Basically I'd say even now you can't do RIAT in a day - so if you are looking at 2 or 3 days then basic entry and Viewing Village for a day or 2 - more than that FRIAT

[Mike]

What do you get out of the FRIAT experience that you wouldn't usually if you just went into the showground as a non-FRIAT member?

A 5 second Google search found this :- https://www.airtattoo.com/tickets-hospi ... iat-friat/