RIAT Fairford 2023

[Figaro]

Just booked the weekend at Townsend Farm for the above, is anyone else going ?
Any recommendations on which bit of the camping fields are best for views or any other useful tips please.
Meeting up with daughter and partner and I'll be doggie sitting while they have a day in the show.
TIA

 

[busbuddy]

I'll be there again, cant remember what the fields are named now keep away from the trees if you want to have views to everywhere, aircraft arrivals on thu/fri were good as well

 

[Jenben]

Definitely worth being there by Thursday as planes are arriving, a lot of them do qualification displays . They do a short (cut down) riat day on Friday as well now.

In the past we have listened to riat show commentary on a little mw radio so it might be worth bringing one with you.

I am staying nearby .

 

[AndyPK]

It does get a bit noisy over Ciren when RIAT is on……….

 

[Riverbankannie]

Definitely worth being there by Thursday as planes are arriving, a lot of them do qualification displays . They do a short (cut down) riat day on Friday as well now.

In the past we have listened to riat show commentary on a little mw radio so it might be worth bringing one with you.

I am staying nearby .

I bought this little radio to listen to commentary - well worth it if, like us, you are not going into the show.
Amazon product ASIN B0002B8CO8
Link not great, but the small panasonic one.

Tune into the Air Tattoo's own radio station Air Tattoo Live on 87.7 Mhz for the latest air show news

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[PaddyM]

Went a few years ago and had a fantastic time , my plane loving eyes were on stalks !
I’ll never forget seeing the USAF Stealth Bomber up close .
We stayed at Cirencester CMC site and cycled to Fairford gliding past mile after mile of queuing cars !

 

[JockandRita]

We are going, but with the C&CC DA Meet.

Cheers,

Jock.

 

[Jenben]

I shall be watching whilst having a dip in the lake Hoping the weather is as nice as last year .

 

[busbuddy]

Just remembered...phone signal usually vanishes about midday friday in the local area as the masses descend

 

[busbuddy]

In the past we have listened to riat show commentary on a little mw radio so it might be worth bringing one with you.

This

I also have an aircraft radio scanner so I know when and which way the aircraft are coming so i can actually be ready to use my non existent aircraft photography skills

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[monzer]

I've booked this. Should be a good weekend, never been before so looking forward to it.

 

[Tonks]

It does get a bit noisy over Ciren when RIAT is on……….

It gets noisy over Highworth as well! Frustratingly, despite the noise I can see little as I live on the 'wrong side of the hill' which is why I've booked camping at FairfordAirshowCamping (Townsend Farm) from Wednesday - Sunday (I'll be inside the show on Sunday), even though I only live 8 miles away from RAF Fairford.

I think the higher fields may get slightly better views, but the first time I stayed it was absolutely packed solid with dangerously close pitching and groups which were clearly there to drink and muck about as they seemed barely interested in any of the flying. I was there with a family member in another van and we packed up and left a day early after enduring a night of drunken people staggering about just outside our vans.

However I think it's changed hands since then, and last time I camped (2019) I was in one of the slightly lower fields and although the trees DO obscure some of the action, it was overall a MUCH nicer experience with lots of aircraft coming directly overhead. A short walk from the site, past the trees, resulted in an excellent viewpoint for much of the flying. The following were taken from on, or just outside the site.

 

[Jenben]

Just remembered...phone signal usually vanishes about midday friday in the local area as the masses descend

Good point, there have recently been lots of problems locally with phone signal as one of the phone masts has been out of service.

 

[JMCotswolds]

Just booked the weekend at Townsend Farm for the above, is anyone else going ?
Any recommendations on which bit of the camping fields are best for views or any other useful tips please.
Meeting up with daughter and partner and I'll be doggie sitting while they have a day in the show.
TIA

We will be there, first time so no recommendations on which field to use. Enjoy the event.

 

[monzer]

Still got a ticket for the Saturday & Sunday for this if anyone wants to make me an offer. In the classifieds section.

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[philann]

We were there in 2019, fantastic sights. But a group turned up near us set up their tents and a gazebo, then got the record decks and sound system out and started a very loud party. One very large chap had a word along the lines of turning it off or he would shove it up there a***s. Music stopped but drinking carried on all weekend and I don’t think they looked at the sky at all! When they left they just took the electronics and left everything else, gazebo, tents, bbq, air beds etc…

 

[JockandRita]

When they left they just took the electronics and left everything else, gazebo, tents, bbq, air beds etc…

I would have packed the lot up and taken it all away, either for personal use or to sell on.

Anyway, are there any fellow Funsters camping on the C&CC Gloucs DA THS for RIAT, that weekend? If so Rita and I would be happy to meet up.
If there are a few of us who might want to be pitched together, we will have to arrive together. We appreciate that might not be possible, however, we are booked in from the Thursday 13th to Monday 17th, whereupon we move across to Bath for a few days, before heading to Swansea.

Cheers for now,

Jock & Rita.

 

[icantremember]

I would have packed the lot up and taken it all away, either for personal use or to sell on.

Anyway, are there any fellow Funsters camping on the C&CC Gloucs DA THS for RIAT, that weekend? If so Rita and I would be happy to meet up.
If there are a few of us who might want to be pitched together, we will have to arrive together. We appreciate that might not be possible, however, we are booked in from the Thursday 13th to Monday 17th, whereupon we move across to Bath for a few days, before heading to Swansea.

Cheers for now,

Jock & Rita.

Sorry Jock you're 5 years too late .. we were at RIAT in 2018 with the DA. We watched everything from the field and saw loads of great action as I'm sure you will.

 

[JockandRita]

Sorry Jock you're 5 years too late .. we were at RIAT in 2018 with the DA. We watched everything from the field and saw loads of great action as I'm sure you will.

Yes, been a few times myself Brian, sat on the top of the MH with my binoculars, and my headphones tuned in to Air Show Radio on FM, however Rita has not been before, so doing that on the way to see family in South Wales.

Cheers,

Jock.

 

[monzer]

Has this been on today or does it officially kick off tomorrow?

Any pics from attendees? How is the camping site for MH's?

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[JockandRita]

Has this been on today or does it officially kick off tomorrow?

Any pics from attendees? How is the camping site for MH's?

It seems to have developed into a 3 x day show, but TBH, you didn't miss much today due to the horrendous weather, ie, all displays were cancelled by early afternoon.

The ground underfoot at College Farm Rally Field is a bit squidgy, and folks have been asked to keep vehicle movements to a minimum.
The weather forecast for tomorrow isn't great, but more wind than rain expected, so again, the display programme may well be affected. I hope not though.

HTH,

Jock.

 

[Figaro]

Bit squidgy at Townsend Farm too.
Hoping for better weather tomorrow

 

[monzer]

I see the big guns are out. Anyone watching the globemaster or stratofortress?

 

[JockandRita]

I see the big guns are out. Anyone watching the globemaster or stratofortress?

I would be but it's pi@@ing down right now.

Jock.

 

[AndyPK]

Very noisy in Ciren this morning with all the jets leaving Fairford - strange, as it’s been quiet all weekend……..

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[Figaro]

The F35's F16's, Gripens, Typhoons and many others, not to mention to the B52 were making a fair old din over the weekend

 

[AndyPK]

Ah, but the wind was blowing from the West, so away from Ciren.
The only plane we saw was the B52 way in the distance yesterday afternoon…..

 

[JockandRita]

Ah, but the wind was blowing from the West, so away from Ciren.
The only plane we saw was the B52 way in the distance yesterday afternoon…..

You must have heard the U2 take off this morning at 07.15 hrs. I could still hear it when I could no longer see it in a clear blue sky.
We had one at Akrotiri in Cyprus. You could set your watch by it's departure and arrival time, it was so accurate.

I'm assuming that the Americans didn't think that anyone got up to anything naughty which needed spying on over a weekend, as it only operated Mondays to Fridays.

Cheers,

Jock.

 

[AndyPK]

You must have heard the U2 take off this morning at 07.15 hrs. I could still hear it when I could no longer see it in a clear blue sky.
We had one at Akrotiri in Cyprus. You could set your watch by it's departure and arrival time, it was so accurate.

I'm assuming that the Americans didn't think that anyone got up to anything naughty which needed spying on over a weekend, as it only operated Mondays to Fridays.

Cheers,

Jock.

Surprisingly JockandRita , I didn’t - that’s one of the benefits(?) of wearing hearing aids - when you’ve not got them in, you can’t hear much at all……..
The U2 is a noisy blighter, especially when the afterburners come on so it can climb to its operational altitude……

 

[JockandRita]

Surprisingly @JockandRita , I didn’t - that’s one of the benefits(?) of wearing hearing aids - when you’ve not got them in, you can’t hear much at all……..

Ditto Andy, so not so surprising. I am due replacements in October sometime, and am assured they will have Bluetooth capabilty.

Cheers,

Jock.

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