Farnborough 2016

I’ll be getting in this week on a contractors pass while my son works there. Hoping to see some Validation flying while I’m there 🙂

🙂

Following on from Shoreham No Red Arrow air display, flypast only 🙁

😕 And am wondering if my normal vantage point on the hill at the end of the runway will now be out of bounds, although there has always been a security guy wandering about warning people that they are in an aircraft crash zone and remain there at their own risk

Still love the Typhoon for noise/ goosebump factor but also looking forward to seeing the F35 Lightning this year.

DSC03815 by Marcus[/url], on Flickr

I’m looking forward to a behind the scenes look.

I work just by the airfield and rode the “hill” by the bridge at end of runway couple days ago. Signs up saying area will be closed…. The marshal by the bridge in conversation told me the police will be moving people on this year. Such a shame as we always rode out from work with a few beers and picnic and sat on the hill to watch the show.

My office overlooks the airfield and we get a clear view of the flying displays – looking forward to seeing the F35s. Hope the Russians bring something interesting too and we get some clear weather.

At Farnborough for the day. It’s grey, drizzly and cold. July in England 🙂

I’ll be watching from the back garden.

I’ll be watching from the back garden.

The only time of the year when you’d think living in Farnborough isn’t actually that bad 😉

Some blue skies now and an F18A just took off. Nice and loud. There’s supposed to be an F35 validated today after 1pm. (The US VTOL plane)

I went for a ride around the area last night. Loads of signs up saying people will be moved on if planes are in the air.
The hill mentioned will be closed off and marshalled during the event to prevent crowds. I’ll probably still cycle around as technically not setting up camp for the day as some people do.

Spoze the planes need to ditch somewhere safe.

Typhoon and F35 flew over us at Pennyhill (not far from Farnborough) this morning. F35 looks awesome.

I have tickets for Friday and keep hearing load noises overhead (live in Fleet) – the F18 set off a load of car alarms yesterday 🙂

Ahh Farnborough. We used to live in married quarters in Church Crookham, right beneath the approach for the main runway. Not the place to live if you were on night shifts Airshow week!

Used to work across from the airfield in the 90’s, impossible to hold a telephone call for 2 weeks, good days.

Suns out. Eurofighter just did a practice display. Life is good 🙂

Sounds like the police are going to close some of the public roads in line with either end of the runway during the actual flying displays. Following on from the Shoreham incident.

Whether you can still find a place to view from, I don’t know.

Yesterday we saw the F35 do its display three times, the F18 took off and landed several times, the Eurofighter did two full displays, the 727 ‘oil slick response” plane did a display and landed, several small planes came and went and there was a display by two different aerobatic teams in prop planes. The Apache also came in and later did a display.

I had a wander around some of the chalets/halls – big money being spent on displays. It all looks very good.

Dunno about the Red Arrows only doing a fly past, they did, as far as I could see, a complete display at Yeovilton last Sunday, as did various other display teams, although some of those were prop-driven, like the rather wonderful Polish team.

The red arrows did a normal display at the festival of speed on the Friday. I think it depends on their risk assessment of the location as to whether they will carry out the full display after what happened at Shoreham.

The A323 between Norris Hill Bridge and A325 as well as Crookham Road after Foresters Pub closed during flying air displays as well as during public days – long delays on local roads. So locals have to live with traffic chaos and can’t even go up to the ranges to spectate all because some numbtie pilot decided he knew better

What exactly is the point of that? Interesting to see the other planes*, but they’re just a group of 40 year old jet trainers painted red if they’re not displaying.

I’m not arguing with the reasons for them not displaying – I understand that’s due to the risk of landing on things if something went wrong (presumably at other shows there is sufficient open space). Just not sure what the point is in them being there.

* though of course you won’t get the Typhoon or anything else doing aerobatics either

The red arrows did a normal display at the festival of speed on the Friday

but only a fly past on Saturday although this may have been due to the low cloud and incessant rain!!!

Some dodgy phone camera vids from the other day:

https://youtu.be/S_AsQOheqi4 – F-35
https://youtu.be/LkadmIY0Teo – Eurofighter
https://youtu.be/SM5eOUCtcZc – Eurofighter

So ‘The Hill’ sounds like a pain to watch from. Top of Caesars Camp then 😉

I’ll be watching from the back garden.

The only time of the year when you’d think living in Farnborough isn’t actually that bad

[/quote]

I still remember being very disappointed as a kid when my mum pointed out that Farnworth and Farnborough aren’t the same place. So I just had all the disappointment of Bolton without any of the aeroplanes 🙁

but only a fly past on Saturday although this may have been due to the low cloud and incessant rain!!!

Think they were only down for the flypast on the Saturday. Maybe they were already booked up for another show that day or something.

I was on my way home from work and watched the display for a bit before I left the car park. As I drove home it was amazing how many people had just dumped their cars in the middle of the road so they could stand and watch them.

So ‘The Hill’ sounds like a pain to watch from. Top of Caesars Camp then

Nope. No access via the roads which will be closed and the top of Caesars is marshalled and closed off with fencing.
I chatted with a few of the marshals on Monday. Nice guys and they confirmed people will not be allowed on site and can be moved under trespass law as its MOD land.

Not sure of legality of that but none of the usual vantage points are available this year.

My son was talking to someone from the security company the other day and they were saying it’s going to be very hard to enforce the “no trespassing” rule in the woods outside Farnborough (?? I don’t know the area very well) because it’s not legal. Security are hoping to bluff/scare people away . . .

Sounds like a good plan 😉

Problem is you can’t see many planes when you’re in the woods 🙂

Good point well put.

Maybe you have to climb a tree?

So the main acrobatic display area is over the training area at the western end of the runway hence the public access restrictions, people on the crowd line inside are going to be looking left quite a bit then.

I know the road, canal and towpath are closed but can you still stand by Eelmoor Bridge ?

One of the marshals gave me this.

Edit – the map on the reverse is the same as posted above.

Live stream from Farnborough….

F-35 is the final item of the day @ 1635

nice one, just caught the F35

Ah, it was probably the F35 I saw mid-air refuelling at low level over Newbury earlier then!

Yep

Saw it practicing last week several times. When it was hovering it was as steady as a rock. Awesomely loud.

The rotating nozzle on the F-35B is a work of art.

Further detail on closures here – http://www.farnborough.com/public/Content/Traffic-Management/7_43/

And if you want to get real geeky – http://www.farnborough.com/trade/files/f_regs_fia2016_v1.pdf

on and on – Member
Nope. No access via the roads which will be closed and the top of Caesars is marshalled and closed off with fencing.
I chatted with a few of the marshals on Monday. Nice guys and they confirmed people will not be allowed on site and can be moved under trespass law as its MOD land.

Not sure of legality of that but none of the usual vantage points are available this year.

Top of Caesars is fine according to the map and what I’ve heard & seen so far. There’s always a fenced off bit for the radar stuff. It’s Long Valley basically that’s out of bounds. Have heard that if people are spotted there then displays may be cancelled.

Legality – normally it would be a civil issue with trespass although the land owner could get the cops to move you on and they can take their own measures to tell you to “get orf my land”. However these areas are under bylaws which make it more strict and enforceable by MOD Plod. Riding round there is already an issue anyway and the do kick people off from time to time, plus are threatening to confiscate bikes and/or fine riders (noting they do crap all about dog walkers and their poo bags, which the army hate more than bikes).

Muke, that was it! Did several passes. Surprised it was at quite a low level.