Duxford this weekend anyone?

[dr_gn]

Looks like a pretty stonking dispaly in store:

http://duxford.iwm.org.uk/upload/pdf/Final_Partici...

Can't wait!

[Mr_B]

That's a lot of Spitfires ..

[dr_gn]

Mr_B said:

That's a lot of Spitfires ..

Yeah, all but one flying in the dispaly too at the moment. Red Arrows, Patrouille de France Alpha Jets, F-16 and Typhoon as well as all those warbirds...should be quite a good display, better than Flying Legends it would seem.

[scarebus]

Easyjet fly past..... coool!

[DamienB]

Yeah, like you can't see that every 5 minutes at Luton...! Bizarre addition to a Battle of Britain themed display really... cracking lineup otherwise though.

[Eric Mc]

Airliner flypasts can be quite impressive.

[dr_gn]

Well, that was the worst 'day out' of my life...car parks full. No choice but to turn around and drive 2 1/2 hours home without seeing a thing. And to add insult to injury, the missus said the Red Arrows flew right over our garden at about 3:00. She saw more aircraft than we did by staying at home!

[Eric Mc]

Sorry to hear that.

I think WW2 is "enjoying" a massive upsurge in popularity and airshows with Spitfires and other warbirds that one could have breezed into a couple of years ago are now probably oversubscribed.

I was thinking of popping along to Hendon next weekend as they are holding a special BoB day there.

[dr_gn]

Eric Mc said:

Sorry to hear that.

I think WW2 is "enjoying" a massive upsurge in popularity and airshows with Spitfires and other warbirds that one could have breezed into a couple of years ago are now probably oversubscribed.

I was thinking of popping along to Hendon next weekend as they are holding a special BoB day there.

It was my fault really: it was the first 'big day out' for my 3 year old son, so I didn't want to get there too early before the display. Even so, we weren't that much earlier for Flying Legends, and there was no problem at all there (nor has there ever been a problem with any of the Duxford shows I've been to over the past 4 or 5 years). According to plod, 2 miles of standing traffic each way on the M11, and 4 miles of standing traffic each way on the main road...and this was at 11:00am. We were in a jam on the Duxford slip-road, stationary for about 30 minutes before giving up.

I'll know for next time! Very disappointed though. No problem for the boy - he was happy looking at tractors on the A1 - never really seen aircraft at close quarters apart form at an airport.

[Eric Mc]

I think special anniversary shows tend to bring out the casual airshow visitors. I got stuck in a long tailback on the M11 for the 60th Anniversary D-Day show in 2004.

[Tango13]

dr_gn said:

Well, that was the worst 'day out' of my life...car parks full. No choice but to turn around and drive 2 1/2 hours home without seeing a thing. And to add insult to injury, the missus said the Red Arrows flew right over our garden at about 3:00. She saw more aircraft than we did by staying at home!

I went for a rideout yesterday, turned off the A505 just south of Duxford and got to watch the Red Arrows and a pair of Gnats for free.

[dr_gn]

Just browsed a few other forums, and apparently the car parks were full very early on - it was packed to capacity well before we got there, and apparently they simply closed the gates. What else could they do? Some were saying it was the worst Duxford traffic theyd ever seen. I'm kind of worried about ever going again now!

[aeropilot]

dr_gn said:

I'm kind of worried about ever going again now!

Don't be......that sort of situation is a very rare occurance for Duxford, and likely a one off. Partly due no doubt, to the fact that the Sparrows were displaying an hour prior to the actual start time of the main display, so many were getting there earlier than normal, as well as the Patrouille de France and RAF Typhoon displays only being on the Saturday rather than both days.

[roger1197]

???????????????????

Arrived at 11.45, queued on M11 at jct 10 for 30 minutes, signs said car parks full but stayed in queue & after futher 15 minutes eventually parked in overspill field car park couple of hundred yards past main entrance, plenty of further parking allowed on main road grass verges.

[Simpo Two]

Eric Mc said:

I think WW2 is "enjoying" a massive upsurge in popularity and airshows with Spitfires and other warbirds that one could have breezed into a couple of years ago are now probably oversubscribed.

15 years ago you could get a free airshow at Duxford by parking in the lane that runs parallel to the runway to the south. Just parked up in a gateway and the display circuit went right over you. I'm sure it's banned now, mutter...

[dr_gn]

roger1197 said:

???????????????????

Arrived at 11.45, queued on M11 at jct 10 for 30 minutes, signs said car parks full but stayed in queue & after futher 15 minutes eventually parked in overspill field car park couple of hundred yards past main entrance, plenty of further parking allowed on main road grass verges.

I can't explain that...we were there at about the same time on the J10 sliproad, and there was no traffic movement at all for at least 30 mins. The police said all car parks were full, and gates closed, so there seemed little point waiting. Went for a bite to eat further down at Stanstead services, and on the way back up, J10 had been closed completely.

[XB70]

Hit the traffic jam on the A505 heading east 6.2 miles from Duxford at 12.30pm. Stuck it out (not popular with the wife at all!) and got in just before 2pm (parked up on the side of the road).

A great display even though had to run inside with the little one when the Typhoon came over.

The French display was brilliant although it seemed a lot of people left after the last Spitfire display so missed out on an excellent display.

[aeropilot]

Simpo Two said:

Eric Mc said:

I think WW2 is "enjoying" a massive upsurge in popularity and airshows with Spitfires and other warbirds that one could have breezed into a couple of years ago are now probably oversubscribed.

15 years ago you could get a free airshow at Duxford by parking in the lane that runs parallel to the runway to the south. Just parked up in a gateway and the display circuit went right over you. I'm sure it's banned now, mutter...

A bit longer than 15 years ago.... but yes, I remember being able to do that to. By the mid 1990's Police m/c patrols had begun to move on any vehicles parked up, and then they just shut off the road to all vehicular access.

[dr_gn]

Based on what I saw on Saturday, they ought to double the entrance fee and give the profit to restoring a few more aircraft I reckon...

[mycroft]

We got to within half a mile of J10 going south and the queued on the hard shoulder at about 11am it took 20 mins to get to the ramp and i rang my mate in the car behind to say we should be ok but it took an hour to get up the ramp . Fortunately for us we both have disabled fathers and so once near the entrance got fast tracked to disable parking and just got parked up as the arrows came over .
We very nearly turned home , glad we didn't it was a cracking day . the tannoy announced car parks full at about 1 pm i think , i could still see traffic queuing on the motorway . I really feel for anyone who didn't get in but not sure what they can do , perhaps ticket only entrance is the answer . We went to a small local airshow ( sywell ) a couple of weeks ago and that was also a nightmare , don't know whats happening to these events ?