Leeuwarden 20-21 June - Comments

[DJMikey]

My contributions to this subject will be minor. I don't have anything to complain about, just some tips for the next Open Dagen.

First and most important to me: fire the current commentators and bring back the old guys. Yes, I know I am a bit repetative and predujice, but I listened to them without predujice this time! They irritated the hell out of me with their so called funny remarks, stupid jokes and a lot of incorrect information. I know a lot of visitors have the same opinion, having listened to all the remarks I heard in the vicinity of the spot I was watching the show from during both days.

Thumbs up for the toiletsituation. I learned Leeuwarden and Volkel have installed a sewersystem. My tip though, place some extra toiletunits in the middle of the grassarea, because the walk from the middle of the runway to the current toilets is a little bit far. Same applies for Volkel and Gilze Rijen.

Other tips have already been given by previous posters in this forum.

Special thums up for:
- nice (staticshow-)visitors;
- spottersday;
- cashmachine;
- trafficarrangements;
- very helpfull KLu-employees and volunteers (!).

Grt, Mike.

[Guinness]

Guys

to a few I just have to say...........

Stay away from the RNLAF open dagen. !!!!!!!!!!!!

I've séén the effort from JB5 and EDEHTX over the last weekend and I was more than impressed.

Also this kinda comments holds me back as well in trying to "arrange" something for next year !!

Again..................... BAD...... THANKS " A MILLION" for the last weekend.

Guinness / Karel

[mitchell]

I think it was a great airshow that was even for FREE,
Some very nice visitors like Il Frecce Tricolore, Team Iskra, Mirage 2000, P-140 Aurora

Thanks guys .

[United 777]

Stay away from the RNLAF open dagen. !!!!!!!!!!!!

No need to get upset. Maybe some of us just expect to much, having seen more spectacular shows in the past. In my opinion the Open Days were well organised but could have used some more action. I would prefer to see more fighters and less single engine prop planes.

[Coati]

Prima dagje weer gehad! Zeer strak logistiek geregeld. Fantatisch toch als je op de drukste dag komt, slechts 4 minuten in de rij hoeft te staan bij het station en terug ook direct van het veld kan komen, ik was zeer onder de indruk van de soepelheid van aan- en afvoer met de pendelbussen, nog nooit zo makkelijk gegaan wat ik mij kan herinneren van de afgelopen 17 keer NL open dagen.

Eetvoorzieningen in overvloed, water en toiletten in overvloed, en prijzen waren prima, (13 bonnen voor een tientje, patatje voor 3 bonnen dus EUR 2,28, cola 2 bonnen, dus EUR 1,52 ). Ik las dat iemand de prijzen Skyhigh vond, ik vraag mij af waar diegene dan woont dat hij deze prijzen niet gewend is, in iedergeval niet in Nederland. En neem dan gewoon zelf je brood mee als je blijkbaar geen cent kan missen!

Bezoekende kisten: zeer leuke en afwisselende collectie, Hoogtepunten in ieder geval: Aurora (zeer speciaal!) en verder de vele F-16's van vier verschillende landen, de Oostenrijkse PC-7, zeer apart! NL NH-90 en Team Iskra, de Ierse PC-9, de drie F-4'en en de Amerikaanse bakken (KC-10, AFRC Herc).

Ook al is het mijn zoveelste open dag: ik blijf keer op keer heel erg leuk vinden (vliegtuigen spotten is tenslotte mijn hobby), ik kan het bijna niet geloven dat de KLu zoveel moeite steekt in het ons naar de zin maken! Dus organisatoren: dikke pluim, jullie hebben wederom fantastisch werk geleverd!
Voor alle zeurpieten: stop direct met deze hobby, ga postzegels verzamelen en organiseer zelf eens een event voor 200.000 mensen. Ik durf te wedden dat dit resulteert in een enorm fiasco en 199.999 ontevreden bezoekers.

Joost

[Jaap]

In English please!

Jaap

[Arjan]

Hi guys,

Since this is a public event I think the public is free to react on it and preferably giving well built critics. It is up to ones arrogance how to take or act on this.
Offcourse I think it's rather short sighted and respectless to call the show worthless if it is not up to your standards as the show is there to meet many, many demands.
However, I think that there are a lot of points given, that have been a pain many years now, and still no changes are visible. Apparently there are some people on this board who are in the organisation or have close ties to them and sometimes give sporadic information but yet fail to answer questions or remarks given by others on things they would like to see changed and at least up to now have never given any well built explanations on why things can't be done. However they react like bitten by a rat when bad critics are given.

I can understand and I truly appreciate the amount of work, time and money the air force, and their people, put into this. I can also understand that there is a point that one has to say can or no can do. Somethings can never be to the total satisfaction of the people.
On the other hand, I sometimes have the feeling that the spotters society is still a rotten apple in the point of view of the airforce and is not considered something to be taken into account.

The spottersday is a reach to the spotterssociety but further there is nothing. The spottersday is even severely limited to a small group of spotters which, by the way, have to be member of a spotting group.
Further the airforce claims that the show is held for the public, which is correct and understandable, but of those 150.000 there are is a large percentage of spotters.

Let me give you an example, the row of speakers is always a big problem for photographers in the front row (Where they usually hang out). This problem has been mentioned every single year an airshow has been held. I think it is quite correct that people post negative remarks on the placing of those speakers. I can hardly imagine that this can't be changed, like place them in cluster in the crowd or lower them...they are loud enough. Or the reaction why are the toilets such a long distance away from the crowdline. The same problem two years ago. The only reaction on this is simply, don't go to the airshow.

I would say, since this medium is also available to those involved, why won't we try some discuss problems and try to solve this or learn to understand why it can't be solved instead of just getting mad and stand up face to face against each other.

My point of view is simple, I love the airshows, one is sometimes better than the others and yes, somethings can even get better. But next, I will certainly go again and enjoy it..........just like all those other people I saw walking around with a big smile.

Cheers guys,

[Nielis]

I think the show was the best they could have done, simply because there are no F-4 or Tornado solo display's anymore. I really liked the CP-140 and the Mirage 2000. So guys job well done maybe next the some russian made hardware flying like a Mig-29. The only think I really hates beside Leo and Jan were the microphones they were standing in the way when I was taking pictures ,next time lay them down on the ground

[topgun1984]

time for me to put my finger in the Brinta....

because this had gone far enough with the same negative comments...


The guys did a fantastic job and i think if you are a real spotter then you don't mind a bit of artistic fotographing on the static... As somebody said... i had also an 18-55mm lens........ NO FENCE AT ALL...

i had 3 (yeah i said 3) fantastic days... and i wouldn't have had it any other way...

The toilet remark and the speaker remark are for me the 2 only downpoints (small ones) for this year..

I think we are realy spoiled in the way that we have a special bureau for this event that work their asses of to give us some good stuff (i think next year has already started for them)... and then there are people that are saying that there aren't any spectaculair planes... i have something to say to those.... QUIT SPOTTING IF YOU DON'T SEE THE FUN OF IT ANYMORE!!!!... In the old days nobody was complaining...

it's not the special acts that make the show... it's the people that make the show happening...


Now we are the guys that want to make the best picture in the whole world of a specific aircraft... What about 10/20/30 years ago... then you were happy when you had a silouette of a "thud" or something that had the looks of it...


Guinness i absolutely have your back on your comment... because i do want to see more irish planes... Missing slot times and such .... Just kidding my friend ...

But please get a clue and don't post such a comments about fences/planes/fire extinguishers/poor static lineup/ etc. etc. etc. because this is the only chance for regular people to see the other side of the airforce in the netherlands...


Grtz...

Topgun1984


(if you don't like this reply, just PM me no need to quote i think my message is clear enough)

[Stafsels]

Dear JB5 and all others from the organistion,

In my opinion: Thanks for two wunderfull Open Days at Leeuwarden.
It made me very happy (for certain with the folded wings of the Tornado IDS).


Given the time and commitments of our and other nations commitments abroad it was an wunderfull and good edition of the Open Days in the Netherlandsand airshow season in Europe of 2008!

Hope to see them all next year at Volkel AB.

Greetings,

Stafsels

[blu109]

Maybe not the most spectaculair open dag from the last years, but the weather was ok and the demo's were ok.
from my side the organisation gets an compliment!

And there is always somthing to complain about.
And there are spotters and photographers, and the last group is always complaining. Maybe you can get another hobby!

[Janos]

''And there are spotters and photographers, and the last group is always complaining,, (text from blu109)


I'm a photographer, numbers doesn't mind me at all, and I had a wonderfull day at friday's. I made about 2000 picture's with 2 camera's
and after selection ther will be about 1000 - 1500 left, and I'm NOT complaining at all.

[robf4usaf]

I would have to agree with those people who responded regarding Dutch shows about 30 years ago. They were very small in nature and you were lucky with about 15 airplanes on the static.
I really think all of the people who attended the show should compare the Leeuwarden show to for example the Langley Show I attended yesterday.

About 10 items on the static and about 4 items doing some sort of demonstrattion.

You guys just dont realize how lucky you are !!!

Robert

[Polleke_NL]

''And there are spotters and photographers, and the last group is always complaining,,

hate to disagree on this part: it's only a "select" group of photographers that is always complaining and those are the dumb *ss*s that like to drag around ladders and fire extinguishers just to get a clean shot. These guys should simply be banned from these shows as they jeopardise both the aircraft, as well as the little goodwill we have with the Airforces/organisation.
I don't care that much about numbers too.., I'm there to take pictures, so if you want clean pictures, consider doing what many (including me) did and go for the arrivals. I know they don't all arive the same days, but Thursday's arrival made up for roughly 85% of all aircraft at the show!

Although not all remarks of last Leeuwarden's Open Days have been addressed, I did notice a number of improvements such as more toilets (and less remote) as well as more food and drinks stands - all against reasonable prices. Logistics as for parking and transport from and to the parking spot was very well arranged, only personal downside for me (no, no complaint, only a tiny hope this can be changed too next time) is that the preserved aircraft weren't accesible. Personally think they are part of EHLW's tradition and should therefor be accessible to be viewed, just like the items in the tradition rooms.

As for "poor" photographing conditions on the static part: EHLW simply doesn't meet the conditions for a wide setup of static aircraft. And it would be either very ignorent, or extremely stupid to expect the Airforce to change the Airbase's infrastructure just to accomodate the relatively few complaining people amongst us.

Agree with Arjan that the Spotter's day cannot really be considered a genuine spotterday as only a happy few members of a spottinggroup are allowed entrance. Wonder what they have and we don't (except for the membership of these spottinggroup) that gives them the privelige to have access. Would be fair either to grant an "X" number of spotters access after registration or no-one, instead of this specific group only.

Also agree that this show wasn't the most spectaculair in years, but I very much enjoyed each and every part of it - just like I always do - so also this year, on my behalf, BIG THUMBS UP FOR THE ORGANISATION !!!

[Arjan6511]

Short reaction from my side, not enough time at this moment for a detailed reaction. It is my first workday after holiday....

Have had 2 wonderfull days at EHLW!

Nice program, some displays were better at Friday (RNLAF f-16), others @ Saturday (Fecce) due to the typical Dutch weather. But there was enough to see, also at the ground.

-Aurora was a good replacement for the Lancaster at Saturday;
- Toilets in the middle of the field were better placed;
- Speaker-volume was a little bit lower than 2006;
- Spanish F-18 on Saturday (2nd show-up) was very good;
- parking WTC-FEC was good (was a passenger of an old Swiss postcoach, very nice!)
- Parking N335 was good, i could have known that it took more time to go to the Airfield;

Conclusion: 2 fantastic days with a good dosis jetnoise, prop-sound and chopper-decibels.

- Thanks to BAD, Klu, and everyone who worked at the show;
- Thanks to jb5 for the nice conversation, hopefully your leg wil heal well;
- Thanks to the guys of 312sqn. for selling me a Revell Metal USAF F-16 (1:72) for a nice price;
- Thanks to 2 guys from Veghel on friday who helped me starting my car in the WTC which had an empty battery.....

Greetings, Arjan