Civilian Aviation

From FC re the so called ' naughty field' from a release by BADA: (http://www.bada-uk.com/2014/05/importan ... s-weekend/) but I'll copy and paste to save you chasing links:

Important information for The D-Day Anniversary Air Show this weekend

The following information has been jointly released by IWM Duxford, Cambridgeshire Constabulary and the Local Land Owners surrounding Duxford Airfield.

Ahead of The D-Day Anniversary Air Show, IWM Duxford has released some important safety information:

IWM Duxford takes great care to ensure its air shows are as safe as possible for everyone involved.

It is not safe to occupy the fields immediately south of the runway during the air show. If you do so you are putting yourself and the display pilots in harm’s way.

In the event of an incident it is imperative that the emergency services have clear, unhindered access to the tracks across this land.

There is no public access to these fields at any time.


It's done for a reason not as a spoiler, however that does not appear to be deterring some people on other forums. Elsewhere a post says that the entrances have been fenced off this year as a more practical way of keeping people out.

About time too.

I sometimes park at the school and either go along the footpath near the school or onto Grange Rd and sit behind the hedge in the shade but am amazed that some walk right down to the airfield edge / field boundary which from google earth is only about 120 metres from the runway centre line (and the display line may be even nearer) - that is putting oneself very much at risk IF something goes wrong. At Grange Rd I'm about 800m away which I feel is safer. The other footpath opposite the school road is a great spot about 400m off the centreline.

Why dont I go inside? only because of the traffic, I can leave home at 12.30 and be in position ready for the display at 2pm and afterwards it's an easy drive home, indoors 1 hour after display ends - that's all. I usually send IWM a donation to ease my guilt as well, I'm going there for the day next saturday so will give them something then. If I want to get someground shots then I go on the arrivals day, far less congested .

loks like they mean it this time as well, I'm not surprised about the fields but am about Grange Road itself being off limits unless they feel they need that clear for emergency vehicles if the worst should happen:

http://www.fightercontrol.co.uk/forum/v ... 1&start=20

It's ok, Grange Road is open as usual for pedestrians and cyclists. It appears that IWM have stationed security guards at the barriers to hand out leaflets stating what the press release stated, requesting people not to go into the fields.

I'm going shortly but will avoid Grange Rd, no point in making their job harder. I will go along the grass track / public footpath opp school road

andygolfer wrote:I'm going shortly but will avoid Grange Rd, no point in making their job harder. I will go along the grass track / public footpath opp school road

Pick me up on your way, Andy - I haven't been to Duxford for years.

andygolfer wrote:It's done for a reason not as a spoiler, however that does not appear to be deterring some people on other forums. Elsewhere a post says that the entrances have been fenced off this year as a more practical way of keeping people out.

Yup, and that reason it to make even more money. Ticket prices were increased again this year.

Remember, only the land owner can refuse you access to the land.

Looking at other forums and on social media, half-way through the day yesterday the security left and everyone entered the field!

The way I see it is that it's perfectly fair for them to stop people freeloading, I went to Duxford and paid to get in, supporting the cost of them getting all the aircraft in and on display, if everybody went and sat in a field to take their photos there would be no airshow at all as there would be no money coming in to cover the cost

Fair enough if you pay/donate ect but I just prefer the idea of going in, supporting the airshow and not watching it all for free

OilyYouth737 wrote:The way I see it is that it's perfectly fair for them to stop people freeloading

Fair on what grounds? They certainly don't have a right in law to stop people!

Amazing this is only ever a Duxford problem, and never Waddington, or Fairford, or Yeovilton, etc.

Looks like they made a lot more effort to keep people off the 'naughty field' on Sunday (Flying Legends).

The naughty field was empty until mid way through the display when 2 people appeared, the field entrances appeared to be sealed off with high fences but there were about a dozen made it to the mound around the start of the display. There were also security people at the western end of Grange Road when I drove past so they seemed to making far more of a visible effort to stop people now.

I wasn't there Saturday so don't know how it compared, I saw the fences were going up on Friday so assume they were in place.