Duxford Airshows - Waste of time and money!

cambsno

cambsno

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Simon
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Went today (free ticket) - and so glad I had not paid out (other than £5 to park). Used to enjoy them, and will revert back to field action next time.
  • You have to pay to park!
  • Went last year (cheap ticket through work) - the traffic planning was a joke, and wife spent over an hour and half for a P&R bus before giving up. Lack of organisation
  • The view is awful! Sure you cant just 'move the sun' but why not have section on another side of the airfield where people who want to get great shots can go
  • The planes fly quite a way from the crowd and pretty high - I know there are CAA regulations but the other shows I have been to do not have that issue
  • They rarely went 'topside' to the crowd. Most of what you say was the underside
  • Idiotic commentary
Anyone else still go?
 
I am almost glad I didn't spend like £100 taking my family after reading this.
Think I'll just stick with Eastbourne in August which has never disappointed me so far and it's free. And people in Eastbourne are really nice too.
 
Last Duxford show I went to was about two years ago only because a family member was over from America and wanted to go. I usually end up in the fields or wherever you can get now (most of the fields under the flight path are now barriered off) the other side of the M11.
 
I've never been to a Duxford show but I'd recommend going to Shuttleworth instead. Very good visibility and the aircraft "park" nice & close to the crowd :)
 
mrgubby said:
I've never been to a Duxford show but I'd recommend going to Shuttleworth instead. Very good visibility and the aircraft "park" nice & close to the crowd :)
Click to expand...

I go there at least twice a year. That’s a proper air show, really nice vibe about it.
 
I hear you Simon. I went to the Daks over Duxford this month. Appalling traffic management which took over two hours to get from the just off the A14 to the Duxford roundabout. Also paid extra to park although not sure why it wasn't just one price?. Poorly laid out and unless you were press or had an exclusive pass it was a complete waste of money, although it was a nice touch from some of the 101st A.D re-enactors who sadly couldn't jump due to the strong wind, but were happy to pose for a few shots. Would I go again? Probably not.
 
Such a shame! I have been to a few great airshows, quote enjoy the Bournemouth one (which is free!!). Not been the the Duxford one, can’t say I will either
 
It's actually not *too* bad if you stand up at the M11 end, you will often get topsides as aircraft bank round as they run in and reposition, and the sun is in a good position for this. It's not exactly Shuttleworth, but I've got some nice images from there. You will also get the aircraft power checking or taxiing past you after they land, so if you're at the front it's good for ground photos.

Parking charges, I've heard this is due to the local council/police trying to avoid the roads being snarled up (by trying to entice people into using the shuttle busses from the P&R/Cambridge Train Station.

That said I gave the May show a hard miss, and was only there to work (I ended up having a meeting in the middle of the display) which is the first time I've done a DX show but not watched nor photographed the Flying. Don't think I missed much.

You've answered your 3rd question with your 4th - can't have people under the display.
 
I went to the Swansea bay airshow, been the last few years (it's been getting worse). Wont be going next year. The planes were miles away, as said above I mostly only saw the undersides. They played blasting music over the sound system all day when the commentator wasn't taking garbage.
The closest I got to a plane all day was in the garden at home after the show, something few over, but at least it wasn't 2 miles away.
 
I agree Simon. From photography point of view, it's a waste of money. I'm in Duxford sometimes 2 or 3 times a week as I have an annual membership. The place is good for taxing aircraft but if I want to photograph display practice, I go to Grange Road(closed on display day). Lately I've noticed that even Grange Road is not the same due to CAA nonsense and aircraft fly ridiculously high and far. Another thing that annoys me is that other side of the airfield is a parking spot for all the Cessnas, Pipers etc. during the airshow. If you want to take a photo of a landing or take off, you'll end up with a white blur in the background.
 
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