Aviodrome: London-Melbourne Race Fly-inn 4,5 July 2009

[aviodromefriend]

Aviodrome's event calender 2009 has been published at their website. At July 4 and 5 a London-Melbourne Race Fly-inn is scheduled to take place.

[Copter]

Where is the helicopter fly-in which was cancelled in 2008 ??

[aviodromefriend]

In the January 2009 issue of the magazine "Verenigde Vleugels" the director of Aviodrome wrote in his foreword there might be an Airshow Lelystad at the end of the summer (besides other nice news that is off-topic here), though this is not definitely on yet. I guess the helicopter fly-in might have been taken out again, as with the july fly-in and the possible airshow they might run out of manpower, together with that other news, that should send some people abroad.

[Rembrandt]

At July 4 and 5 a London-Melbourne Race Fly-inn is scheduled to take place.

I'm new to this one... what kind of planes can I expect to see at this event?

[toppiero]

uiver

[aviodromefriend]

what kind of planes can I expect to see at this event?

Aircraft from the same type as have participated at the race.

[John Rambo]

what kind of planes can I expect to see at this event?

Aircraft from the same type as have participated at the race.

According to this (EDIT: http://www.uiverfan.nl/pages/1934.html) website that should be:

Panderjager, Havilland Comets??, Boeing Transport??, Lockheed Vega, Bellanca Monoplane and an Airspeed A.S. 7.

Are any of these still flying somewhere?

[aviodromefriend]

Havilland Comets??,
Are any of these still flying somewhere?

At least one deHavilland Comet Racer (so, not the jet Comet) is in airworthy condition at Old Warden (only problem the Shuttleworth Collection faces is runway-lenght to fly it) Actually this is the red Comet G-ACSS that won the race, flown by Scott and Campbell-Black.

Furthermore somewhere at the web I found a group that wants to restore the black Comet, that crashed at Allahabad during the race, flown by the Mollisons (that were still married until the crash).

[John Rambo]

I also found a website of a group that wants to build a Panderjager replica http://panderjager.nl/. Very nice Dutch aircraft in my opinion, I had never seen it before untill today. Looks awesome.

[aviodromefriend]

Some (if not all...) participants are announced:
DC 2 (Uiver)
Puss Moth
Tiger Moth
Miles Falcon
Dragon Rapide (incl. sightseeing flights)

Besides the Fokker F.2 will be at the apron.

Source: http://www.aviodrome.nl/actueel/nieuws/2009/06-17.asp

[Fogg]

I'm new to this one... what kind of planes can I expect to see at this event?

Welll, Aviodrome are simply giving their 'fly-ins' an appealing name. You can expect the DC-2, perhaps two other aircraft loosely associated with the London-Melbourne theme, and a few other classic aircraft, often Dutch usual suspects.

That is OK with me, but by calling it 'fly-ins' they are avoiding responsibility for what shows up. Old aircraft are not the most reliable, but Aviodrome do not make an effort to bring them in a few days early, and there are usually quite a few cancellations, announced only after you've parted with your money. I object to this because it's not really a fly-in, it's an event organized for the paying spectators, most of whom will have seen the museum a few times before and are paying the fairly hefty entrance fee once again specifically for this event.

If you want to take photographs, you can also expect an excess number of Aviodrome volunteers in yellow jackets on the platform, blocking your shots, and an impossibly high fence separating you from the platform.

They can do as they please, of course, but they are losing the support of enthousiasts. They should be totally honest and realistic about the programme. They could be more photographer friendly. And perhaps above all, they badly need to introduce discount tickets for returning visitors.

Peter

[boonens]

And perhaps above all, they badly need to introduce discount tickets for returning visitors.

Peter

A bit off topic, but maybe an idea to buy a Museumjaarkaart? That's 35,- a year, so only twice the entrance fee of the Aviodrome. And you can visit a lot of other museums as well.

[topgun1984]

@ Boonens You can also apply to be a Volunteer or a Friend to our museum offcourse

@ Fogg Well i don't totaly agree with you... I am a volunteer at the Aviodrome and i always have a look out for not walking in the way of people photographing our aircraft... (big lenses are easily to spot you know)... If you ask kindly to the volunteer who's in your way of your picture to move away for a few seconds he/she will do it... (except when he is standing there for a safety protocol when an aircraft is arriving or departing offcourse)... And the high fence is only at ONE side of the Apron... the otherside at the "old Schiphol" building is low enough to take your pictures... What i don't get is that there are some holes specially made for spotters in the high fences surrounding the apron (at the taxi track for instance)...

Grtz,

TG1984

[aviodromefriend]

Welll, Aviodrome are simply giving their 'fly-ins' an appealing name. You can expect the DC-2, perhaps two other aircraft loosely associated with the London-Melbourne theme, and a few other classic aircraft, often Dutch usual suspects.

DC 2 and maybe the tiger moth can be judged as

Dutch usual suspects

but as far as participants are announced Miles Falcon, Dragon Rapide and Puss Moth can't be called so, if you are serious. Except if I missed something that these types are based in Holland of course.

by calling it 'fly-ins' they are avoiding responsibility for what shows up. Old aircraft are not the most reliable, but Aviodrome do not make an effort to bring them in a few days early, and there are usually quite a few cancellations, announced only after you've parted with your money. I object to this because it's not really a fly-in,

You make the same mistake as what Key pointed to a few (two, I think) years ago. You mess up an airshow (like the airforcedays) with a fly-in. A fly-in is an event where it is never known in advance what's flying in next (that's the special thing about a fly-in, and maybe also spotting in its purest form).

If you want to take photographs, you can also expect an excess number of Aviodrome volunteers in yellow jackets on the platform, blocking your shots, and an impossibly high fence separating you from the platform.

If you just wait a little time, you can enter the apron, so the fence (that is only at the side of the main museumbuilding, not at the Schiphol 1928 replica side) realy is a non issue (except if you want to run your photoplan and leave again within some 10 minutes after entering the site). And the volunteers (so not some special guests/bobos) are mostly willing to step away, as long it is save to the aircraft (read: they are not busy servising it).

They could be more photographer friendly.

At what other field can you enter a part that is normally operational to take pictures, without having to be accredited long before?

And perhaps above all, they badly need to introduce discount tickets for returning visitors.

I hope this is not seen as a commercial thing, but two options that already exist for some time:
1 Join the friends of aviodrome, and you have to pay just once a year, and enter as many times as you want
2 [dutch, sorry]Museumjaarkaart[/dutch,sorry]giving acces to a lot of museums all over the country, including Aviodrome

[Fogg]

A bit off topic, but maybe an idea to buy a Museumjaarkaart? That's 35,- a year, so only twice the entrance fee of the Aviodrome. And you can visit a lot of other museums as well.

I didn't realize the MJK was valid at the Aviodrome. I will get one, thanks a lot!

And the high fence is only at ONE side of the Apron.

True, and it totally ruins afternoon shots.

What i don't get is that there are some holes specially made for spotters

You meant to write that there aren't, I suppose.

You make the same mistake as what Key pointed to a few (two, I think) years ago. You mess up an airshow (like the airforcedays) with a fly-in. A fly-in is an event where it is never known in advance what's flying in next.

The essential thing about a fly-in is that it is held for the entertainment of the participating aircrew. It is not, in principle, a public event. I don't think this is the case here. If you make the public pay for an event, you need to meet expectations to some extent.

If you just wait a little time, you can enter the apron

Negative. Last year I waited all day for the German light aircraft from Hamm, and to photograph the Miles Falcon. I asked several times, nicely, and was not allowed on the apron.

I won't further discuss the number of volunteers on the apron, that would be too unfriendly towards to those of you doing a goob job there.