Cosford Air Show 2016

[mark.alan.barnes]

Well, it's always good for a day out but:

Cancelled, unable to display, technical problem:

Falcon's Display Team (40 mins of attempting to get in but a bit dull waiting, imvho).
Hangar 11 Mustang (I was looking forward to seeing that one!)
Gnat Display Team (Didn't even hear an announcement but did spend most of the afternoon glued to my scanner)
Sea Vixen (as above)
B52 (Heard it and was listening to comm's)

What I did like:

BBMF, Hurricane especially, very good.
Typhoon - Wow!
Chinook - Why was that a LOT quieter than when they fly near my house? Is it a newer model/rotors or something?
RAFAT: Flat display so cross that off the things to see. Love the 'Swan' formation and liked the King Air flypast too.
Chipmunk: What a display! Best of the day, for me, lost on the masses, I fear!

What I didn't like:

Some right, bell end selfish people attempting to leave the show and driving down the parking positions and pushing in. Top full on knobs include a '12' plate white Range Rover Sport and a Red Kia Sedona. A Toyota taxi also involved. Traffic marshaling could be improved. These poor excuses for humanity should be thrown to the bears for the entertainment of those of us with some degree of manners and decorum.

Pity about the weather and the near three hour drive back to Rugby (via Wolves, Walsall, Great Barr then M6) but I'll be back next year.

[John flightpath]

Appreciate that, just so frustrating.At least there is nothing wrong with my 'Brittany Spears'. Couldnt hear the commentary from where I was stood so didn't understand the no show. Well maybe they will still be hanging around Fairford when RIAT is on.

Cheers
John 'flightpath',

[John flightpath]

For the lucky people who did see it for a split second the B52 was 60-0037

Cheers
John 'flightpath'.

[jaydean]

For the lucky people who did see it for a split second the B52 was 60-0037

Cheers
John 'flightpath'.

Someone saw it?????????

[David Robison]

Hi . The Great War Display consisted of....
Junkers CL1's 1801/18 and 1803/18.
Fokker Dr1 Dreidekker's 403/17 and 556/17.
Sopwith LC-1T Triplane N500.
RAF. SE5a F8010 'Z' and 80105 '19'.
RAF BE2b 687.

Can anyone confirm the Typhoon was ZK 354 and
The serials for the Chinook, Apache and the two Gazelles .

Cheers and thanks.
Dave Robison.

[POL]

Thanks for those Dave, I was just about to ask for the GWDT!

Typhoon was indeed ZK354, Chinook was ZH893, Apache flying was ZJ223, and our Gazelles were G-CBSI and G-CBSK

[NotPennysBoat]

Well that was one of the worst airshows I've ever been.

[POL]

Why? Because it wasn't wall-to-wall fast jets, the weather wasn't clear blue sky, it took you more than 2 minutes to get out of the venue, and some aircraft cancelled?*


*Delete as applicable

[luke28]

Probably a mixture of all that, add in the big gaps between displays, the awful commentary and the lack of information regarding cancelled displays and it all felt a bit flat, probably was the worst airshow I've been too aswell.

[NotPennysBoat]

Probably a mixture of all that, add in the big gaps between displays, the awful commentary and the lack of information regarding cancelled displays and it all felt a bit flat, probably was the worst airshow I've been too aswell.

Summed it up perfectly.

Was like it was organised by a toddler. Did they just expect us to not notice 5 planes not turning up?

My opinion on it is 'kind' compared to a lot of comments I've seen about it!

But yes, unfortunately, Cosford 2016 was extremely poor.

[POL]

Did they just expect us to not notice 5 planes not turning up?

I doubt it. It's a good job the commentary mentioned most of them, I suppose.

Sea Vixen and Gnat Team were both reported at the same time. BBMF Dakota I seem to remember was mentioned on Facebook, and I think it was mentioned when the BBMF fighters turned up. I didn't hear anything about Teichmann's Mustang, though. Ahh well.

Good luck organising next years' event, as it's clear you can do better based on your comments. http://www.cosfordairshow.co.uk/contact.php

[Nighthawke]

Reminder / reality check.

Airshows are not organised purely for whingeing "enthusiasts" - they are a public event for the general public.

As per Chris' comment - if you don't like it then put yourself forward as an organiser

[luke28]

The 'general public' are annihilating the event on Social media, us 'whinging enthusiasts' have been a bit fairer in our critisism.
As usual at the first sign of critism and the standard 'organise an airshow yourself' line gets brought out, show organise work extremely hard, Peter Reoch and the team at Cosford had a lot to contend with but does that mean tha the show should be free of criticism?

[MRTT]

Don't suppose anybody has got the TB30 registrations?

[luke28]

(97) 315-XN
(104) 315-XU

[POL]

The 'general public' are annihilating the event on Social media, us 'whinging enthusiasts' have been a bit fairer in our critisism.

No they're not. They're complaining at the lack of fast jets (not Cosford's fault; blame Denmark), the lack of sunshine (seriously!); the fact the BBMF Lancaster was on the Cosford website but didn't turn up (I presume they mean Dakota?); that the fact they couldn't get out of the showground, along with thousands of others, in 5 minutes (because they are the only people in their own little world?); that the food was expensive (reality check, it is at any such event!); that the "little planes I see every day" were flying rather than not (but then surely the flying lineup would have had even less?); and my personal favourite, that "While I appreciate the Battle of Britain memorial flight, they need some more high speed planes". Yes, really, the BBMF need to get some faster aircraft in their display. Looking forward to the BBMF F-16 display at RIAT!?

The problem is that those that went last year for the first time, thought that it was the norm. The Cosford team did an amazing job last year and eclipsed previous shows by a country mile. Sadly people don't remember the shows previously, or didn't attend, and therefore are assuming this year was rubbish.

Oh, worth pointing out that if you take a percentage of those having posted reviews on Facebook, about 85% of people left after the Red Arrows, which - having been there myself - is not at all representative of reality.

As usual at the first sign of critism and the standard 'organise an airshow yourself' line gets brought out, show organise work extremely hard, Peter Reoch and the team at Cosford had a lot to contend with but does that mean tha the show should be free of criticism?

It gets wheeled out because it is true; how many people complaining about the lineup at such an event have organised one? Do you know how difficult it is to get even a based aircraft to appear, in the air? Do you know the myriad of paperwork that needs to be done for an aircraft to display? Did you know an extra form was slotted in by the CAA, with no warning, last Thursday afternoon? Did you know the CAA have such a backlog of display approvals to work through, a number of display acts are starting to struggle to meet their timings to be ready for events? Did you know that, no matter how hard you try, you can't "book" a military aircraft for either flying or static display? Did you know that if your request for an aircraft is accepted by the British MOD, you must then pay a fee; which in some cases is rather large?

Should the show be free from well-informed, reasoned criticism? No. Should it be free from the nonsense being posted by enthusiasts and non-enthusiasts alike? Most certainly yes.

[NotPennysBoat]

85% of people left after the red arrows? Are you having a laugh?

You're saying that 51,000 people left at 3pm are you?

Either you were at a different Airshow or you're not very good at percentages.

[MRTT]

(97) 315-XN
(104) 315-XU

Thanks Luke!

[luke28]

The 'general public' are annihilating the event on Social media, us 'whinging enthusiasts' have been a bit fairer in our critisism.

No they're not. They're complaining at the lack of fast jets (not Cosford's fault; blame Denmark), the lack of sunshine (seriously!); the fact the BBMF Lancaster was on the Cosford website but didn't turn up (I presume they mean Dakota?); that the fact they couldn't get out of the showground, along with thousands of others, in 5 minutes (because they are the only people in their own little world?); that the food was expensive (reality check, it is at any such event!); that the "little planes I see every day" were flying rather than not (but then surely the flying lineup would have had even less?); and my personal favourite, that "While I appreciate the Battle of Britain memorial flight, they need some more high speed planes". Yes, really, the BBMF need to get some faster aircraft in their display. Looking forward to the BBMF F-16 display at RIAT!?

The problem is that those that went last year for the first time, thought that it was the norm. The Cosford team did an amazing job last year and eclipsed previous shows by a country mile. Sadly people don't remember the shows previously, or didn't attend, and therefore are assuming this year was rubbish.

Oh, worth pointing out that if you take a percentage of those having posted reviews on Facebook, about 85% of people left after the Red Arrows, which - having been there myself - is not at all representative of reality.

So you're agreeing with me then

As usual at the first sign of critism and the standard 'organise an airshow yourself' line gets brought out, show organise work extremely hard, Peter Reoch and the team at Cosford had a lot to contend with but does that mean tha the show should be free of criticism?

It gets wheeled out because it is true; how many people complaining about the lineup at such an event have organised one? Do you know how difficult it is to get even a based aircraft to appear, in the air? Do you know the myriad of paperwork that needs to be done for an aircraft to display? Did you know an extra form was slotted in by the CAA, with no warning, last Thursday afternoon? Did you know the CAA have such a backlog of display approvals to work through, a number of display acts are starting to struggle to meet their timings to be ready for events? Did you know that, no matter how hard you try, you can't "book" a military aircraft for either flying or static display? Did you know that if your request for an aircraft is accepted by the British MOD, you must then pay a fee; which in some cases is rather large?

I'm aware of all of that, it hold no relevance though as not once have I complained about the line up.

Should the show be free from well-informed, reasoned criticism? No. Should it be free from the nonsense being posted by enthusiasts and non-enthusiasts alike? Most certainly yes.

[POL]

85% of people left after the red arrows? Are you having a laugh?

No, but I will say you clearly can't read.

"Oh, worth pointing out that if you take a percentage of those having posted reviews on Facebook, about 85% of people left after the Red Arrows, which - having been there myself - is not at all representative of reality."

I.e. The Facebook posts are a small, small number of people compared to those that were there.

So you're agreeing with me then

I don't dispute people are complaining; my actual point was that of those complaints, the vast majority of them are nonsensical reasons over which Cosford had little or no control.[/quote]

I'm aware of all of that, it hold no relevance though as not once have I complained about the line up.

But it answered your point about why the "organise it yourself" line is brought out, correct?