News from RIAT:

NO ON THE DAY SATURDAY TICKETS

Anyone  planning to attend the Royal International Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire on Saturday, July 12, must buy their tickets in advance.

Organisers announced today that tickets will not be on sale at the Fairford gates on Saturday, July 12.

However, tickets are still available for both Saturday and Sunday from Ticketmaster as well as from selected branches of Barclays Bank, Robert Dyas and a number of Tourist Information Centres.

Air Tattoo spokesman Richard Arquati said buoyant ticket sales prompted the decision.

 “We want to make sure that everyone who plans to come on Saturday has the chance to buy a ticket, but it is important to make sure we are ready and able to cope with the traffic.

We introduced day-specific tickets this year for the first time in order that we could monitor ticket sales. It is as a result of this monitoring that the decision not to sell on-the-day tickets on Saturday has been taken.”

“Our advice is: if you want to come to the Air Tattoo, buy now  or come on Sunday when tickets should also be on sale at the gate.”

Well i hope the Vulcan gets a fair old cut of the takings, as it should have done with Waddington too. It is the Vulcan that is causing such a hugh demand in tickets. Waddington were caught out by the demand to see it, as those people found who tried to leave Waddo after the Vulcan displayed on the Saturday. Some took over 4 hours just to get off the base! Luckily i left whilst the display was still going on, as i figured what was about to happen. Although on the way in, in the morning, the last ten miles to the base took me 1 hr 45 minutes! I hope the police are better organised for Fairford this weekend! 

   As noted no tickets for sale on the gate at Fairford on Saturday, still some being sold for Sunday. It is still possible to get Saturday tickets from some outlets, and you can print your own e-ticket from the official site somehow. Whether it is wise to go on Saturday is another matter, as the weather forecast is much better for Sunday. They have stopped selling tickets as they seem to think that they are at capacity for Saturday. Tickets for both days are still on sale at the garage at the end of the road down to Kempston as of Thursday!!

  Having been there on Thursday for the arrivals, I would make the following observations. The car parks at the eastern end are beyond wet as of Thursday evening. Just the small crowd for Wednesday park and view had seriously cut up the field into deep furrows that are full of standing water. Thursday's cars has added to the damage, we were parked just inside the field, and only got out in the evening because some wood chippings had been put down, but large parts of the parking field are already cut up . The rain that fell on Thursday had added to the floods and Friday is forecast for more. I can only surmise what is going to happen at the weekend, when that field is fully used, you may get in, but I hope that the IAT have a cunning plan to get vehicles out. On past record I would worry, last night any of the personnel in the field  had all gone home by mid-afternoon, we were on our own to get out.

  Saw a muddy Baron and Dragon Lady in the field, they had a suggestion that may be of use, if you are going Sat or Sunday. Try to loop around the airfield if approaching from the north or east and try to use the gates to the west of Fairford. Those fields have not been damaged yet, and usually drain better. This may just help to avoid problems. I would love to be positive, but I can see some real problems at the east end unless some drastic action is taken to improve access to the main parking field. I am keeping well clear myself. I wonder if this is connected with the decision to stop ticket sales for Saturday? Can they see problems looming? They have never worried about selling too many tickets before. Has the chaos at Waddington worried them?

Eclipse