Pictures of RIAT 2009 (Military Nuts)

Well, thought I should share some of my pictures taken at RAF Fairford on 18th July.

I have to say this is the best airshow I have attended, even beats Paris and Farnborough. Why? Because the flying display was from 10am to 5pm!!!! :D

Here some of the pics:

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Here's some more...all "unadulterated", meaning no touch-up. Just couldn't find the time to do it...

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The paint scheme for this Spitfire is supposedly that used by the last squadron in RAF service, based in Singapore.
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The plane that many came to see, the Avro Vulcan.
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The Vulcan was flown by the same pilot that flew the Stanley raid during the Falklands War.

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The F16 in Orange country looks great..which country is it from?

QUOTE (blowpipe @ Aug 2 2009, 08:20 AM)

The F16 in Orange country looks great..which country is it from?

Royal Netherlands Air Force.

You should see their orange Leo2.

outstanding pictures! loved them all! :D

Very nice photos. Must be quite a sight - only Avro Vulcan flying left (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avro_Vulcan_XH558).

Also nice to see the Lancaster bomber, hope a movie remake of the dam busters work out.

Question on logistics: How did you get to the site and what time did you set off?

I recall the traffic tailback at RIAT some years ago was huge, as is usually the case.

Swee ah! Outstanding

seeing the vulcans really brings back memories of the hunters.

Great photos bro. :D

Some cool aircraft.

Thanks for sharing! These all day airshows are great, only downside is that you need at least 2 days to cover anywhere near everything on show (1 day for statics, 1 day for aerial displays); i.e double the hit to the hip pocket. Can't believe its 11 years ago since my visit to Fairford!

I would love to visit it again, and throw in a bushwalking trip to Wales where the LFAs are to catch the planes doing their low level work...

QUOTE (ChineseJunk @ Aug 2 2009, 10:13 AM)

Question on logistics: How did you get to the site and what time did you set off?

I recall the traffic tailback at RIAT some years ago was huge, as is usually the case.

Well, as I was staying in London, so didn't reach Fairford until just pass noon. So you can imagine how much I actually missed from 10am-12pm!
:(

I took the train from London to Swindon, I think it was around 10, which takes approximately 1hour, then an RIAT bus service directly to the airshow ground, which explains why I reached there around noon.
Luckily, the RIAT bus service was given access to roads that were blocked to the general public. I met some people while walking to the airshow grounds who mentioned they were caught in the jam for nearly 3 hours!!

QUOTE (Viper52 @ Aug 2 2009, 08:02 PM)

Thanks for sharing! These all day airshows are great, only downside is that you need at least 2 days to cover anywhere near everything on show (1 day for statics, 1 day for aerial displays); i.e double the hit to the hip pocket. Can't believe its 11 years ago since my visit to Fairford!

I would love to visit it again, and throw in a bushwalking trip to Wales where the LFAs are to catch the planes doing their low level work...

Know what you mean as the place is massive! If you stand at one end....you can't even see the tail of the big aircrafts at the other end...

Too bad I didn't plan for the Welsh LFAs, as I had other objectives....For fellow Milnuts who wondered what Viper is saying, just flipped through the Aug copy of Air Forces Monthly (Pgs 8-9) and you will know!
If weather permits, this will be a dream for Milnuts' shutterbugs!!!
:D

QUOTE (warspite @ Aug 2 2009, 08:49 PM)

QUOTE (ChineseJunk @ Aug 2 2009, 10:13 AM)

Question on logistics: How did you get to the site and what time did you set off?

I recall the traffic tailback at RIAT some years ago was huge, as is usually the case.

Well, as I was staying in London, so didn't reach Fairford until just pass noon. So you can imagine how much I actually missed from 10am-12pm!
:(

I took the train from London to Swindon, I think it was around 10, which takes approximately 1hour, then an RIAT bus service directly to the airshow ground, which explains why I reached there around noon.
Luckily, the RIAT bus service was given access to roads that were blocked to the general public. I met some people while walking to the airshow grounds who mentioned they were caught in the jam for nearly 3 hours!!

I arrived there around 11:00hrs after leaving central London around 06:30hrs. This was in 2002. When we left the city the roads were almost deserted.

Visited with Tim Huxley and his son. Car and driver courtesy of BAE Systems, which was then bidding for the NFRP. The driver knew some of the country lanes and used them as a short cut and we had a label too.

The three hour-long traffic jam sounds about right.

QUOTE (warspite @ Aug 2 2009, 08:49 PM)

Well, as I was staying in London, so didn't reach Fairford until just pass noon. So you can imagine how much I actually missed from 10am-12pm!
:(

I took the train from London to Swindon, I think it was around 10, which takes approximately 1hour, then an RIAT bus service directly to the airshow ground, which explains why I reached there around noon.
Luckily, the RIAT bus service was given access to roads that were blocked to the general public. I met some people while walking to the airshow grounds who mentioned they were caught in the jam for nearly 3 hours!!

I drove from London to Swindon on the first day, checked into hotel and went to try to board the shuttle.

BAD MISTAKE. It was a struggle getting from central London to the M4, then had to endure stop-start traffic on the way to Swindon, then finally only to find a MASSIVE queue waiting for the shuttle. Ended up sharing a cab with an American couple who took a nice drive through the English countryside to end up in Fairford. By the time I got in on Day 1, it was about 1pm.

Thankfully my Dad had wisely decided to plumb for going on both days beforehand, for the next day we (being much wiser and closer to Fairford) got in early and managed to spend the whole day there, 3 hours of which was spent at the flightline courtesy of AFM's Alan Warnes.

This was back in '98 mind you, I imagine its worse now. Happy days, those.

And yes, if you could be bothered/fit enough to hump camera and other gear up hills off the beaten track in Wales, in relatively cold (for us tropical folks) weather, you *might* get shots like these...

http://www.jetphotos.net/viewphoto.php?id=6496893

http://www.jetphotos.net/viewphoto.php?id=6403620

Those are great shots for any photographer but carrying the camera gears is another story. :P

QUOTE (Viper52 @ Aug 2 2009, 10:06 PM)

I drove from London to Swindon on the first day, checked into hotel and went to try to board the shuttle.

BAD MISTAKE. It was a struggle getting from central London to the M4, then had to endure stop-start traffic on the way to Swindon, then finally only to find a MASSIVE queue waiting for the shuttle. Ended up sharing a cab with an American couple who took a nice drive through the English countryside to end up in Fairford. By the time I got in on Day 1, it was about 1pm.

Thankfully my Dad had wisely decided to plumb for going on both days beforehand, for the next day we (being much wiser and closer to Fairford) got in early and managed to spend the whole day there, 3 hours of which was spent at the flightline courtesy of AFM's Alan Warnes.

This was back in '98 mind you, I imagine its worse now. Happy days, those.

And yes, if you could be bothered/fit enough to hump camera and other gear up hills off the beaten track in Wales, in relatively cold (for us tropical folks) weather, you *might* get shots like these...

http://www.jetphotos.net/viewphoto.php?id=6496893

http://www.jetphotos.net/viewphoto.php?id=6403620

QUOTE (warspite @ Aug 2 2009, 03:17 AM)

Here's some more...all "unadulterated", meaning no touch-up. Just couldn't find the time to do it...

user posted image

The paint scheme for this Spitfire is supposedly that used by the last squadron in RAF service, based in Singapore.
user posted image

Spitfire, WOOHOO! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-Lav2IOsjE :D now where are the Me-109s?

QUOTE (f14dtomcat @ Aug 2 2009, 10:54 PM)

:D now where are the Me-109s?

It's Bf-109 to me!

BTW great pics warspite! Wish I was there....

QUOTE (Spotter @ Aug 2 2009, 11:01 PM)

QUOTE (f14dtomcat @ Aug 2 2009, 10:54 PM)

:D now where are the Me-109s?

It's Bf-109 to me!

BTW great pics warspite! Wish I was there....

Thanks to all for the appreciation, but my photography skills still got a lot to brush up...

BF-109? None were at the show, but did see one at the Imperial War Museum.

In fact, I spent too much time there and lost track of my schedule, which made me failed another of my objective: Open house visit on HMS Daring (Type 45) at Portsmouth! I was late by 15mins and they closed the gates before 4pm...Arrgh!!!!

Only consolation was a few pictures of her moored at pierside. Will post those soon.

:D

QUOTE (Viper52 @ Aug 2 2009, 10:06 PM)

QUOTE (warspite @ Aug 2 2009, 08:49 PM)

Well, as I was staying in London, so didn't reach Fairford until just pass noon. So you can imagine how much I actually missed from 10am-12pm!
:(

I took the train from London to Swindon, I think it was around 10, which takes approximately 1hour, then an RIAT bus service directly to the airshow ground, which explains why I reached there around noon.
Luckily, the RIAT bus service was given access to roads that were blocked to the general public. I met some people while walking to the airshow grounds who mentioned they were caught in the jam for nearly 3 hours!!

I drove from London to Swindon on the first day, checked into hotel and went to try to board the shuttle.

BAD MISTAKE. It was a struggle getting from central London to the M4, then had to endure stop-start traffic on the way to Swindon, then finally only to find a MASSIVE queue waiting for the shuttle. Ended up sharing a cab with an American couple who took a nice drive through the English countryside to end up in Fairford. By the time I got in on Day 1, it was about 1pm.

Thankfully my Dad had wisely decided to plumb for going on both days beforehand, for the next day we (being much wiser and closer to Fairford) got in early and managed to spend the whole day there, 3 hours of which was spent at the flightline courtesy of AFM's Alan Warnes.

This was back in '98 mind you, I imagine its worse now. Happy days, those.

And yes, if you could be bothered/fit enough to hump camera and other gear up hills off the beaten track in Wales, in relatively cold (for us tropical folks) weather, you *might* get shots like these...

http://www.jetphotos.net/viewphoto.php?id=6496893

http://www.jetphotos.net/viewphoto.php?id=6403620

I would recommend the train to Swindon....and if anyone is thinking of travelling a fair bit around the country, go for the Brit Pass at the Brit Rail website. Its well worth the price, esp. if you are travelling alone and does not wish to tire yourself..

wow....nice pic bro...Just out of curiosity, how much memory cards did you used up?

QUOTE (wombat @ Aug 3 2009, 03:22 AM)

wow....nice pic bro...Just out of curiosity, how much memory cards did you used up?

Well, I forgot to save raw format, so was using just medium size jpeg instead of medium + sRAW. But in all, I think the airshow pics was about 650MB in all.
Was using an EOS40D, with mainly a 100-300mm lens for the close-up shots. No high end lens though.... :P

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