Waddington air show

[Kenty]

Announced today that the air show at Waddington will be no more. Security concerns as it is an active RAF base. There is a possibility that Scampton might take it over in a couple of years time, I wouldn't hold your breath.
Such a shame, Wadddington is close to me and was always very good.

[Simpo Two]

I just read this too. http://www.lincolnshireecho.co.uk/Huge-cost-Lincol...

Wonder if things would be different had it not been for Shoreham?

[ecsrobin]

Simpo Two said:

I just read this too. http://www.lincolnshireecho.co.uk/Huge-cost-Lincol...

Wonder if things would be different had it not been for Shoreham?

It was never going to happen. I was working at the last waddington airshow and already the majority of the crowd expected it to be the last. I completely agree with the security concerns as I'm sure you'll all be aware the type of work that is conducted there based on the aircraft types. It's also sensitive in the fact a lot of hippies appear to have moved on from greenham common to waddington to protest about drones now.

[Simpo Two]

Fair point. Could they use the hippies as target practice?

[marksx]

Well that's a blow. Waddington was 'the big air show' closest to me.

But, the Yorkshire air show have big plans for next year so hopefully that gap will be filled.

[MitchT]

That's a shame. My Dad won four tickets to Waddington some years ago. He, my Mum and my Aunt and Uncle (who happened to have s static caravan near Lincoln) went and continued to go every year since. I was hoping to get back into the airshows (having done Church Fenton every year without fail during my younger years) and Waddington would have been an obvious choice.

I went to Church Fenton on Saturday and thoroughly enjoyed the show, though not being an RAF base it didn't have the organisational brilliance and abundance of extreme modern fighter jets that events at RAF bases have. I remember being spellbound by the displays performed by Harriers and Tornadoes as a kid and would love to see today's fighters doing the same kind of thing. Maybe if next year's Yorkshire display has a Typhoon and the Red Arrows it might be just enough to scratch the itch.

[marksx]

MitchT said:

That's a shame. My Dad won four tickets to Waddington some years ago. He, my Mum and my Aunt and Uncle (who happened to have s static caravan near Lincoln) went and continued to go every year since. I was hoping to get back into the airshows (having done Church Fenton every year without fail during my younger years) and Waddington would have been an obvious choice.

I went to Church Fenton on Saturday and thoroughly enjoyed the show, though not being an RAF base it didn't have the organisational brilliance and abundance of extreme modern fighter jets that events at RAF bases have. I remember being spellbound by the displays performed by Harriers and Tornadoes as a kid and would love to see today's fighters doing the same kind of thing. Maybe if next year's Yorkshire display has a Typhoon and the Red Arrows it might be just enough to scratch the itch.

By the advert in the programme they are planning a full RAF compliment. Reds, Typhoon Chinook etc.

Also a B1, which was one of the meanest looking jets I saw at Waddington when I was younger!

[JimNotJon]

Saddened but not at all surprised. I'm from Lincoln and the echoing comments of people have suggested this would happen. Such a shame as it made quite a bit for the local economy too. I heard on the radio Scampton was suggested but I don't think it will materialise for whatever reason, however they are meant to be opening (re: building) an Red Arrows visitors centre there which would be fantastic. I went to families day a couple of weeks back and it was superb!

[aeropilot]

Truely end of an era, as with the traditional September RAF Battle of Britain At Home airshows long since gone, Waddo was the last 'big' RAF base airshow left. To think, back in the late 50's there were enough active RAF bases to hold 50 odd Battle of Britain airshows alone.....

I can understand the issues with Waddo and it's 'secret squirrel' ops, but with RAF bases being closed down left, right and centre, there's not many options left.

Coningsby happily accommodated the BBC for a Antiques Roadshow recently, and I remember attending a great airshow there back in 1986, although traffic was a nightmare, but there just many options left, as we don't have much of an air force left.

[ecsrobin]

aeropilot said:

Truely end of an era, as with the traditional September RAF Battle of Britain At Home airshows long since gone, Waddo was the last 'big' RAF base airshow left. To think, back in the late 50's there were enough active RAF bases to hold 50 odd Battle of Britain airshows alone.....

I can understand the issues with Waddo and it's 'secret squirrel' ops, but with RAF bases being closed down left, right and centre, there's not many options left.

Coningsby happily accommodated the BBC for a Antiques Roadshow recently, and I remember attending a great airshow there back in 1986, although traffic was a nightmare, but there just many options left, as we don't have much of an air force left.

Coningsby also hold the Lincolnshire Lancaster association day. But all run in the confines of BBMF however being a QRA station you wouldn't be able to hold a proper air show there.

[aeropilot]

ecsrobin said:

But all run in the confines of BBMF however being a QRA station you wouldn't be able to hold a proper air show there.

It's not the fact that it's a QRA station, as Leuchars was QRA station when it used to hold the big BoB show in September, it's more the fact that back then there were more than just two QRA stations so Leuchars could go 'off line' for the duration of the show, as another base would take the northern QRA slot to cover.
With only a single northern QRA base (Lossie) and a single southern (Coningsby) there is just no cover for one base to go off line....not unless they do an expensive temp deployment like they did to Northolt for the Olympics in 2012.....and they aren't going to do that!!
As I said, it's quite shocking what has become of the 3 services even in my lifetime, actually just in the last half of my lifetime!!!!!!!

[ecsrobin]

aeropilot said:

ecsrobin said:

But all run in the confines of BBMF however being a QRA station you wouldn't be able to hold a proper air show there.

It's not the fact that it's a QRA station, as Leuchars was QRA station when it used to hold the big BoB show in September, it's more the fact that back then there were more than just two QRA stations so Leuchars could go 'off line' for the duration of the show, as another base would take the northern QRA slot to cover.
With only a single northern QRA base (Lossie) and a single southern (Coningsby) there is just no cover for one base to go off line....not unless they do an expensive temp deployment like they did to Northolt for the Olympics in 2012.....and they aren't going to do that!!
As I said, it's quite shocking what has become of the 3 services even in my lifetime, actually just in the last half of my lifetime!!!!!!!

So basically it is because it's a QRA station

[aeropilot]

ecsrobin said:

So basically it is because it's a QRA station

Actually, I'd say it's because the RAF just don't have enough bases left full stop - too many eggs being put in single baskets. Not going to be held at Brize, because all AT assets now in one basket there, not going to be Marham as pretty much all Tonka assests there (and will be getting Dave-B at some point in the near or not so near future) geographically, it's not going to be Lossie for obvious reasons, or Valley and with Waddo now off the list, that leaves err........

[surveyor]

What you need is a really quiet airport where they used to hold air show's and are building a bloody great new road into....

It would do wonders for the said airports profile and there's a famous cold war jet living there already....

[Kenty]

I think Scampton will be the best bet but not for a year or two.