Club Arnage

Obviously MGmark and a few others are flighing people.

I have the fun of working for a 7 day stretch at this years air show,

I have No idea about planes etc etc, and have 12 hours a day to fill.

Can anyone point me in the right direction for something vaguely interesting to look at ?

Robbo, piece of string question here.  Have a look here first http://www.farnborough.com/. This will give you some basic information.  The show is split in two really, the midweek part is all trade from the commercial and military fields so expect some spirited aircraft flying as the company test pilots show their aircraft in the best light possible.  The Friday weekend bit is public which is the first part plus visiting aircraft like the battle of britain memorial flight.

If you like loud fast and how can that be doing that then euro fighter typhoon 11, F 16 or Grippen are worth looking at.  Its all excellent, the trade stands are definetely worth a look and plenty of opportunity to speaking with the experts and they will be very pleased to explain.  One of the best trade shows to visit, you're very lucky. If you fancy more info over a beer give me a ring.

I don't know if the following are flying but if they are don't miss em... The Harrier is still a specatular thing as is the Tornado which takes off and disapears for a while and then returns for a high speed wings back pass and frightens the crap out of everyone!

The C17 Globemaster does a good display where it lands and stops in a very short distance and then reverses along the runway. This may be open in the static display for a walk round.

Dont forget to get stickers, badges and anything else thats going free!

You'll have a good time, If you're staying in the area I'll buy you a pint.

Dickie

If you want a nice pint in the evening travel down to Red Lion at Oakhanger or the Robin hood at Standford and I might just join you.

Wishy

Staying - What after a 12 - 14 hour day.

No i work for the Government which means, travel from Portsmouth to F'Borough every day for 0630,

Sorry, would have loved a quick social drink.

You'll have to meet in September then.

Robbo,

           Top job you lucky chap - Farnborough is the aviation equivalent of Le Mans and the Motor Show all rolled into one.   The trade days are generally the best flying displays, as the products are being shown off to potential buyers rather than just the enthusiastic punter - everything from the fast and furious military stuff being flung round, to airliners being hauled round in ways that you wouldn't want to be on board. ;D :o ;D   If you have half an eye to engineering, there's bags of interest on the trade stands too - aerospace engineering is probably the most rigorous in terms of quality and the use of exotic materials.   Just a shame you have to punt up and back from Portsmouth each day!   Enjoy and give us a report back on how you found the experience.

Good to see we have some aviation enthusiast among us!
Every summer over here in Dayton Ohio they have one of the largest airshows in the US and last years was just amazing.
To celebrate 100 years of flight the USAF Tunderbirds, US Navy Blue Angels and the Royal Canadian Snowbirds were all on hand to perform each day. We went up on Saturday and got just had a great time. Combined with a mind blowing display by an F-15 Eagle and sublime summer weather it was one of the most memorable days I've ever had.
John

I live quite close to the air field and the military jets have already started arriving and practising.

What a noise but great to watch.

WOW - Noise, Avaition FUEL buring at a rate of knots, LE MANS cars - Nasamax and Lola B2k

Plus VERY fast planes. And bigger engines than i have EVER seen.

Worth a look if youre bored.

even better if you have access all areas !  ;D

Robbo, glad you are enjoying yourself, would you be tempted to go to another airshow?  It can be arranged.

I would find it hard to go to another, as i have an access all areas pass, get fed for free , 3 times a day, have been "gifted" with numerous things, including bits from Mg Rover, NASA, Us Air Force and Airbus.

I have been into, and enjoyed a cold coke with some VERY big people, Rolls Royce, Smiths, Airbus and a Russian firm whose name i cant spell .

I have also been in an F15 / F16, c15 , and a black hawk copter, plus nearly got into an Apache, until my boss turned up.

Hoping to go in   Lear Jet type thingy care of Boeing and will be in the Presidential Suite in the afternoon !!

It would as i mention take a little beating, but .....

Beats working for a living eh Robbo  ;)

Pace yourself, there's 5 days to go yet!

You know its weird - normally during farnborough, we see all sorts of exotic jets etc flying over.....this year nothing.....

???

Anyone  know if they have changed the flight path this year??

I agree. Saw the Red Arrows a couple of times over the last week or so but nothing this week. Maybe they only do the public days these days??

I've just driven down the M3 too so pretty close to the airfield and not seen anything in the air.

did they do their heart and arrow routine ?

we watched that whilst working in cyprus it looks like the macdonalds logo ! :-*

Robbo

Is it true about the rumour of an USAF B52 bomber mistakenly doing a flypast over Blackbushe instead of Farnboro'?   A work colleague reckoned he'd read it in the papers.  If that's the case, how the hell did they find Iraq!! :o

Nordic - Its TRUE, that Pilot has been sent home !!

He did a visual and not a Radar reccie, and got int WRONG.

The control tower at Blackbushe has a 700ft flypast from a B52 !

Only 3 days left for me, not doing Sunday, thank fully.

But....

The Red Arrows, Harrier and something else are coming for the Open days.

A B117 stelth thing came today, it flys from America non stop in 3 hours, does a 5 min fly pastm, then goes home.

It was awsome.
The planes this year are HEAVILY restricted to where and how they fly. A Tornado did a fly past on full chat yesterday, and today, was very slow, and shy ?

Old habits I think, the USAF had a base there and founded the cart track also.

Don't think so - I think all of this years' pilots must be American though.

Yesterday there was supposed to be a flypast by a B52 that had flown over all the way from the States (some 8000 miles or so). The pilot then did a flypast over an airfield he thought was Farnborough but was in fact Blackbushe a good 5+ miles away.  He then turned around and headed back to wherever he came from.

I would have thought the lack of aircraft and throngs of people on the ground may have been a bit of a give away......

Can't think why there have been so many friendly fire or missed targets during recent conflicts in which our Atlantic cousins have been involved can you?

Poor ole yanks there always seems to be difficulty in identfying airfields and the like.  I remember back in the late 50's during a B36 winter detachment  one of the pilots overan the runway and ended in the field.  He was sent back in the next cargo plane home and that was an end to his flying career.  So spare a thought for the the pilot of the B52.

I got it slightly wrong.

The B52 and the other non landing American planes are at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire.

I spoke to THE pilot today, who has been sent to the show to talk to people ( real pain in the arse ) He felt a little sorry.

The Red Arrows arrived today are were amazing. There routine was litterally over my head.

The battle of Britain flights were arriving as i left for home, so they should be up tomorrow.

so did the arrows do their golden arches routine??

If anyone fancies going at the weekend but doesn't want to stump up £20 or fight the crowds then you can seem most of the displays (not the close in stuff of course) from Tweasledown race course in Church Crookham, Fleet.

I've got some great pics of the Red Arrows from there, almost looking down on them.

I have a few piccies and i shall post up the web address later.

The routine includes the heart thingy and lots of others.

The harriers and spitfires, tornado, and eurofighters all did really great shows today.

A 747 did a go, and WOW, thats a big boy. The euro fighter did a VERTICAL manouvre today right above my head, that literally shook my van.

Tommorrow should be even better.