Airshows:- Do you enjoy them or not.

[Geoff13]

As the OP it is interesting to see that approx 50% of the members think like me and 50% don't.

 

I am not air showed out like some, it just never found my interest. Likewise I ride bikes and have for years. I could not think of anything more boring than a weekend at Philip Island during the races. I would love to ride there but then continue straight on.

 

I will admit I have only been to one airshow so I have little to compare but I think the reason I like the flyin breakfasts is that I can get close to the other aircraft I could not do that at the airshow I went to.

 

When I sent a friend a text and said "Boring" he sent back to me "Patience Grasshopper". Well sorry Jim but still waiting. :)

 

 

[cscotthendry]

When we can get a large crowd to behave as the Oshkosh crowd does we might be able to have an airshow with the access you can get at Oshkosh and then I might go to more Australian shows.

NO, Sorry, Australians are not to be trusted with their own safety. That's why all the carparks are made like little mazes so that no one will go smashing into a row of cars or bowling over little old ladies with their trollies. In the US where I come from, they make carparks with a couple of acres of bitumen with lines painted on it ... And that's all. Somehow we managed for all these years to not have mass carnage in the carparks, but here in Oz, the carpark designers ... GRRR! They give me the irrits... So if we're not to be trusted to drive our own cars in a safe manner, how could we ever be trusted near shiny beautiful airplanes without getting our heads chopped off?

 

 

[Neil_S]

I like airshows that draw the interesting planes - warbirds, vintage, etc. Unfortunately we get bugger-all at this end of the country. Might have to head over to NZ one year, they seem to have a pretty good warbird show there. ("Wings over Wanaka" is it?)

Hi Marty,

 

Good to hear from you! Hope all is well.

 

Actually it is "Warbirds over Wanaka", and is a must for any WW2 plane enthusiast. Also there are the shows at Omaka (the two shows occur on alternate years), which are a sheer delight for WW1 plane enthusiasts like me. So you will have to head over to NZ on TWO years

 

Have to admit the Kiwis put on bloody good shows!!

 

Cheers,

 

Neil

 

 

[Jabiru7252]

I end up with a sore neck watching the same thing that one sees at all airshows. Na, I don't particularly go out of my way to attend. Did Oshkosh in 1990 and a few at Mangalore in the eighties. Maybe a few hundred naked (female) skydivers might get me back for a look.

 

 

[red750]

I end up with a sore neck watching the same thing that one sees at all airshows.

And a decent dose of sun/wind burn.

 

 

[Jabiru Phil]

My opinion of air shows or fly-ins is judged by the organisers efforts.

 

Commentary, food booths, welcome, brewed coffee? Transport and accomodation options.

 

Not necessary in that order.

 

Been to a few.

 

PHIL

 

 

[IBob]

As the OP it is interesting to see that approx 50% of the members think like me and 50% don't.I am not air showed out like some, it just never found my interest. Likewise I ride bikes and have for years. I could not think of anything more boring than a weekend at Philip Island during the races. I would love to ride there but then continue straight on.

I will admit I have only been to one airshow so I have little to compare but I think the reason I like the flyin breakfasts is that I can get close to the other aircraft I could not do that at the airshow I went to.

 

When I sent a friend a text and said "Boring" he sent back to me "Patience Grasshopper". Well sorry Jim but still waiting. :)

Yep, you've taken the lid off an interesting one here. And I have to say I'm surprised...I thought I was in a very small minority.

 

On a different note: I'm trying to rediscover the pleasure of flying as an airline passenger.

 

As a young fella in the 70s I did technical backup work, which required me to fly at a moments notice to wherever, sort the problem, then catch the next plane home. This lasted about 3 years, and while I never wanted to see the inside of another hotel or restaurant at the end of that, the flying was a delight. And I've been trying to understand where that has gone.

 

Nowadays my airline flights are infrequent. But I'm working on it: I always book a window seat. I take a book but almost never read it. I don't turn on the entertainment centre. And I look out the window a great deal and for long periods. Folk mostly don't chat the way they used to. But I can still get the edge of it.

 

This guy says it:

 

 

 

[Marty_d]

Hi Marty,Good to hear from you! Hope all is well.

 

Actually it is "Warbirds over Wanaka", and is a must for any WW2 plane enthusiast. Also there are the shows at Omaka (the two shows occur on alternate years), which are a sheer delight for WW1 plane enthusiasts like me. So you will have to head over to NZ on TWO years

 

Have to admit the Kiwis put on bloody good shows!!

 

Cheers,

 

Neil

Thanks Neil, you too!

 

Well my wife owes me one, she went to China for three weeks last year so I reckon it's only fair if I go off to NZ or somewhere for an airshow...

 

 

[Doug Evans]

I found that there not as good as it use to be most are GA & LSA craft now you be very lucky if u see a ultralight or microlight these days which is what I like to see so for me it losing the fun factor , but I do enjoy the flight too and from ,!

 

 

[M61A1]

Reno air racing is exciting.......especially the view standing inside the course at a pylon. I had that privilege back in 1988!Wayne

I think we should have this, but I can't see RAA or CASA coming to the party.....

Drifters, X-airs, Thrusters...

 

 

 

[Doug Evans]

I think we should have this, but I can't see RAA or CASA coming to the party.....Drifters, X-airs, Thrusters...

 

Yes your right in this country now there be too many Nanny or safety nuts too have this type of thing I use to enjoy our ribbon cutting & balloon busting ,flour bombing runs ,spot landing and general get togethers

It's a shame we seem too have lost the fun side of flying these days .

 

 

[facthunter]

Yes. Used to do all of that in Chipmunks and Tigers. Don't think U/L structures would be up to it for long without "suffering". Nev

 

 

[M61A1]

Yes. Used to do all of that in Chipmunks and Tigers. Don't think U/L structures would be up to it for long without "suffering". Nev

The rag and tube ones are fine. You can't pull much G in a Drifter or X-Air in level flight.

 

 

[farri]

I think we should have this, but I can't see RAA or CASA coming to the party.....Drifters, X-airs, Thrusters...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1QO2Tad-fE

I watched that video some time ago and my first reaction was, "Exactly what I`d like to do, in the Drifter,we should have this here", then I thought it through!

 

 

[red750]

IBob's comment about passenger flights could open a new thread about odd/unusual flights.

 

About 20 years ago I worked as Service Manager for a small (8 staff) software company based in Melbourne, and often had to travel to clients locations to install/upgrade the software, even though they came on a set of 3 self-install disks. (This was pre-Windows et al). The trip that stands out required me to leave Melbourne at 8 am, fly to Brisbane, change to a commuter (Nord 262) and fly to Bundaberg, where I was picked up in a company vehicle (Holden Rodeo type) and driven to the factory. Twenty minutes to load the software, 20 minutes intro for the staff, then back to the airport to return home, arriving about 7.30 pm. All that for less than an hour of work. The customer picked up the tab. As an aside, there was a RAAF VIP Mystere Falcon on the ground at Bundaberg, because Prime Minister Paul Keating was visiting the factory at the time.

 

 

[Robbo]

Should have jumped into the valid and hitched a ride

 

 

[M61A1]

I watched that video some time ago and my first reaction was, "Exactly what I`d like to do, in the Drifter,we should have this here", then I thought it through!

When you say "thought it through", did you decide that you wouldn't really like to do it, or that they wouldn't let you do it?

 

 

[farri]

When you say "thought it through", did you decide that you wouldn't really like to do it, or that they wouldn't let you do it?

Glad you asked! Short answer! I would love to be able to do it, "LEGALLY!"

 

From the ops manual 7.1... "An applicant for the issue of a Low Level Endorsement must, prior to commencing training, provide sufficient reason to the RAAus Operations Manager to attain the endorsement.".

 

Way back when we couldn`t legally fly above 500`agl, I was teaching stalls below that height, now I need to provide sufficient reason, in order to begin training for the endorsement!

 

The issue of Ultralight Air Racing is certainly worth serious discussion.

 

 

[JG3]

Looks like you won't see an airshow then' date=' all airshows have aeros[/quote']Yep, and that's just fine with me.

 

Now basic fly-ins, I do enjoy them.

 

Flew to NatFly at Narromine about 11 times and enjoyed all of them.

 

Then they moved it to Temora and one of the early advertising posters was of a Spitfire and the invite, "...hear the Spitfire and watch the aeros..." So I quit going, and I sure wasn't the only one, cause we saw the enormously popular NatFly at Narromine go the the dismal failure at Temora..... Now they're trying again at Narromine and I'll be there even tho they seem to be planning some sort of an airshow, cause I want to support the return to Narromine. But the planners need to remember what happened at Temora and take it as a lesson.....

[Robbo]

I only get jealous at airshows, especially when a mate flys a hornet !

 

 

[Litespeed]

And since they buried the F111's that means no glorious dump and burn. Everything is boring after that.

 

 

[M61A1]

I worked on F111s, and saw lots of great beat ups, but I think that best one I ever witnessed, was a B25 years ago. Just had an amazing sound.

 

 

[red750]

Avro Vulcan at Laverton in the 70's. Phenomenal! English Electric Lightnings, too.

 

 

[Litespeed]

The Lightning Aircraft of the Gods.

 

That would be worthy of a airshow.

 

Now I am jealous.

 

Damn red you did it again

 

 

[Robbo]

Damn red you did it again

He has a habit of that.