[MIddleGround]

Going to Duxford this weekend with the family. If we take picnic stuff, is it practical to leave it in the car and return to the car at lunch, or will we be parked far away? Is it a good idea to take chairs, or do they become a nuisance? Thanks in advance for your help for a newbie on this.

[Highland Park]

If you’re in the car park on the other side of the A505 near to the old Officers’ Mess, no problem. Lots of people do it. It’s a little bit of a walk but as the flying display doesn’t start until 2pm, it’s actually quite a nice way to break up the day, if you’ve been tramping round the tat stalls and hangars all morning and the flightline walk has to be cleared (normally) by about 12.30pm.

Word of warning: the forecast is looking good, so make sure you’ve got plenty of fluid. It gets very hot at Duxford, but you’ll have a cracking day!

Ian

[PeteSpencer]

1) I'm gonna assume you know its Flying Legends and you have bought tickets in advance.

2) And I'm gonna assume you've downloaded a car park pass to put in your windscreen for arrival.

Because without (2) you won't get in even if you've got (1).

As has been said your car will be on the other side of the road 400 yds away but you will have free access via a pedestrian roadbridge. No point in going back to the car once you've arrived as you'll be too far from the action and will miss it.

Take chairs on arrival if you're like me and hate eating picnics off the ground and get there early and stake a place in front of the flight line where you can leave your stuff along with all the other punters It will be quite safe,.

Get there as early as you can: you can then suss your most favourable looking slot: Most aerobatic displays centre on the tower There are tons of stalls to visit before the flying starts
and you can come back to your staked out blanket/chairs anytime you like.

Some people park themselves on the grass by the bars in front of Hangar 2, others go for the mound by Ground Warfare Museum at Western End.

Best place IMHO is fairly central, on the concrete in front of the VC10 or Britannia, but get there early as there is a holiday hotel scramble for the best places.

Take loads of fluid , a sun hat for everyone and strong sunscreen: I'm not joking you can bake at a Duxford Airshow.

Personal tip, avoid pale undercooked looking German style hot dogs from the stands . Come and say Hi : I'll be stewarding on one of the British Airliner Collection aircraft and I'll tell you why.

Have a great day: I've worked at every Duxford Airshow weekend for the last 6 years and they get better every time.

Peter

[Flintstone]

...... stake a place in front of the flight line where you can leave your stuff along with all the other punters It will be quite safe.....and you can come back to your staked out blanket/chairs

Better still, put up a windbreak and block everyone else’s view like some of the long-lens merchants do. I love having run-ins with them when they try to annexe a large chunk of ground.

[PeteSpencer]

My greatest pleasure is turfing them off the Airliner Steps where they constantly sneak up to get the best pics.

I invoke Elf ‘n’ Safety

Peter

Edit Windbreaks/tents banned within 20 yds of crowd barrier and stepladders completely banned

[Korenwolf]

Hey Pete - sorry to see the Ambassador got whacked by a forklift on set-up day, hopefully an insurance job and can be sorted out without too much hassle.

[PeteSpencer]

Hey Pete - sorry to see the Ambassador got whacked by a forklift on set-up day, hopefully an insurance job and can be sorted out without too much hassle.

Heartbreaking how a moment's carelessness can ruin years of painstaking restoration work by the DAS guys. At least they got his details






Peter