Luchtmachtdagen/Airforcedays 14/15 June 2013 Volkel Opinions

[jeroenvermeer]

I have been in contact with PlanesTV. They just want a DVD / Blu-ray release of the Volkel show, if they get many requests. Maybe the people, who are interested in the footage, on this forum can also send a e-mail to them? I saw the teaser on Youtube, very spectacular!

[K-9]

I have enjoyed myself during the airshow.

It has been mentioned before, not to expect too much, due to budget constraints...
I'm rather surprised with the things that showed up ( despite budget cuts ) !

Only minor thing, 2 fellow spotters, located 1.5 meters behind me ( with stairs... ) , placing them around 1.5 meters in front of me taking pictures during much of the afternoon. That really ( censored ). But, that's how things go now days.... ( At least for a certain group of people ).

Parking for dissabled persons has been well organised. But the roads mentioned in the description form the Klu, were partially closed on friday !
This had been confirmed by an officer from the KMAR. And roadblocks were temporarily removed for the cars with a permit.

What made for some of the traffic jam, were also several other roadblocks nearby. With all respect for the decision to keep roads clear for emergency services. I think it's good to look at the how this has been done, in order to avoid jams as much as possible.

But for the most part, to eveyone involved for doing a great job !


Grtz, rene

[aviodromefriend]

I have been in contact with PlanesTV. They just want a DVD / Blu-ray release of the Volkel show, if they get many requests. Maybe the people, who are interested in the footage, on this forum can also send a e-mail to them? I saw the teaser on Youtube, very spectacular!

Will they do this with their own recorded material, or will they get access to the material shot for the big screens too? If the latter, I might be interested.

[jeroenvermeer]

I have been in contact with PlanesTV. They just want a DVD / Blu-ray release of the Volkel show, if they get many requests. Maybe the people, who are interested in the footage, on this forum can also send a e-mail to them? I saw the teaser on Youtube, very spectacular!

Will they do this with their own recorded material, or will they get access to the material shot for the big screens too? If the latter, I might be interested.

That will be their own material, I think...

[ Post made via Mobile Device ]

[pollypeter]

I liked the show(was there on saturday), but one thing I really don't understand... We were standing about 15 ft behind the fence(static line) watching and photographing the airplanes. And then there are those spotters/photographers who think they are there alone and stand in front of you with their ladders, blocking our view completely !!!! To those, please keep in mind that there are people behind you who also like to watch the show!!!! At one time there was a complete wall of people on their step-ladders. Not to take a pic of a static aircraft, I don't have problems with that, but standing there all the time...

Idea for next year: bring a ladder yourself...

I'm sorry, but I was also one of the many spotters standing on a ladder...and I do not regret that. Because without a ladder it is just impossible to make good photos on the runway. A ladder just belongs to the standard inventory for an airshow.

I agree with Snipes on this one.

I don't have any problems with ladders, as long as they position themselves several meters from the fence.
What I don't understand is people using a ladder AT THE FENCE.
Come on, the fence isn't really that high, you can easily see over it when you're on the ground.
Also, do you really think that one meter higher really makes that much of a difference for taking runway pics? The difference on or off a ladder is a staggering 0.3 degrees.

I agree with that. I brought a ladder, but was nog standing at the fence, but several meters behind. I also don't like people with ladders standing just at the fence. Completely useless...
But because Volkel is a bad airshow location, with too much people close to each other, you just need a ladder in order to take good pictures of aircraft on the runway...
Leeuwarden and Gilze are better locations, as the airshow and the static display are separated locations.

[orange]

As a guy who put in a lot of hours to try and make this airshow a success, I really have to react to your post because quite frankly it pisses me off...

Spotters day on thursday...
crowd line was put only near the elevated platform and that area... why not in front of the vacating taxiway to the left before they entered the apron!!?? half the aircraft went there especially the Corsairs! then infront of us they park light aircraft and others which are not interesting! and by d way they blocked access to runway photographs
Runway for photography was toooo much far for normal lenses up to 400mm, in my opinion photographers were to be put closer to runway (like those United Tv trailers were put )

As you may have noticed, a lot of activities were still going on in the exhibition part of the airshow, meaning a spot more to the left would have interfered with all the work being carried out there. Remember that you are a privileged guy being able to visit the base on thursday, my own family can't , and I have being working there for almost 20 years.....
We could have parked the big cargo planes in front of you instead of the light aircraft.......
Yes, with a group of two people it would have been possible to get closer to the runway, but not with 300 or 400......If you don't have a proper lens for photography don't blame the RNLAF for that.

Friday airshow day...
who the hell decided to put some of the most interesting aircraft on the other side of the airfield!!?? Su22s, Turkish F16, Viggen , Mil24,and etc... these should be put infront of crowd line and watch them taxi infront of you! and replace them with all those light aircraft infront of the crowds.

A Su-22 is a little too big for our small parallel runway, let alone three. The F-16s needed their big external pylontanks removed so needed a lot of equipment. On thursday afternoon I talked to the pilot of the Swedish Viggen about getting closer to the crowd. But they didn't have a towbar and he wasn't too happy with using reverse thrust to get into position. It would blow up a lot of dust/FOD/grass etc. So the decision was made to keep him where he was. And the blue Mi-24 was parked on the static (wasn't planned) just like the Austrian PC-7 and the second Rafale......All the aircraft you mention flew by the way, and could be photographed with a proper lens
If more aircraft operate from the static, the safety of the guards and x-servicing guys rapidly decreases. You also need more room to taxi into position, meaning other aircraft will have to be parked on the other side to free up space....
And what about the fueltrucks, oxygen carts, nitrogen carts, jet air starter carts and electrical power carts that are needed for flight operations? I should try to hire transparent ones???? That stuff will block good photos, trust me. And people work on those jets too.
And there are light aircraft on the static for many reasons. The fact that YOU are interested in military hardware only is not a good reason not to have them there.....Remember: the show is for the Dutch taxpayer, not to please foreign spotters.

We came for an airforce day and most of the air power of the RNAF was not on show... Chinook no good static, Apache no good static, Aluette!! no static, Kdc10 no static or at least a touch n go, special F16s (like one marked AZ) no static. Please dont tell me apache and chinook there were static because they were in the middle of the crowd and cannot be photographed.

This one really takes the cake!!!! Two Chinooks flying, one static. Five Apaches flying (one from static), and two in static. Yes; I am going to tell you the Chinook and two Apaches in the exhibition were static, because they didn't move.... If you weren't able to photograph at least one of the Chinooks or one of the Apaches in the flying- or Airpower display than that is completely your mistake.
One C-130 flying, one in static. One KDC-10 flying, one in static (saturday). Four PC-7s flying, one in static. Three or four Allouettes parked near the C-17 and flying a lot.
Eleven (11) F-16s flying and four or five static. And no special F-16s static?? Two Leeuwarden aircraft with special tails present and the J-196 with tigertail taxied to the static at ORP 06 after the Airpower demo. And yet you complain about the J-368 with AZ markings which could be photographed flying but not in the static? I don't see you complain about the Cougars. Only two available to support the show and both were needed as emergency response helos so parked on the ops side of the base.
We are in the middle of a big reorganisation and have decreasing bugets and available personnel. I think we managed to put a decent number of aircraft in the air.

Last but not least... they should have made at least anther spotters day on sunday for the departure as alot of aircraft or practically all landed before thursday or in grey colours due to clouds and lots of rain...

Sure, they should have decided that on friday afternoon....It takes a lot of planning and meetings to arrange something 'simple' as a spottersday, and a lot of people are involved. Those people really have other stuff to do on sunday, and can't be made available for another spottersday.

and especially if the airforce had spotters clubs involved or help, these details should have been noted I think.

Big LOL. You obviously have no clue how many spotters are involved with the airshow and especially the spottersday in one way or the other....

Thank to everyone involved in this airshow

Thanks for that, but due to your comments above I feel you are not being sincere.....

[frank kramer]

@orange: fair comment! Thanks for all the efforts; they were much appreciated (at least, by me...). I had a good -if somewhat wet- time on Thursday; "you can't always get what you want", sure, but hey, a big "thank you" to the KLu, SGV and everyone else involved for organizing a spottersday in the first place I realize that the KLu is in no way obliged to do so, and that volunteers are volunteers, so I was happy with what I got. And Friday I had a great day as the weather played ball as well.

[Basman]

Thanks Orange for your extensive reply. I was quite perplexed by navygm's reaction and I am quite sure he doesn't represent the majority of the opinions here.
I think the airshow attracted a whole lot of interesting visitors and the demo programme was very well balanced. There seems to be more room for 'jet noise' nowadays then in the past, when half of the day seemed to be filled with warbirds and general aviation. Compliments for getting some true gems to both the flight program and the static show! A-7's, Fitters, Estonians etc etc. The only plane I think I missed (as in ''would be logical to show to the general public for its importance in NATO") was the Tornado.

The spottersday was well organized, only the weather in the afternoon spoilt the fun. I found it a pity that various interesting planes had already come in a day before, but I guess it's the crews themselves who decide on the arrival day.

One remark on the traffic jams: I got terribly stuck in traffic on saturday but I'm afraid I have to blame myself for a great deal. Firstly, being with young kids I didn't want to leave home too early, knowing that the day could get too long for them. If I would have been on my own I would have been at the gates at 8. Secondly, coming from Arnhem I ignored the advice to take the A73 but instead took the exit Ravenstein, as that is what I had done on thursday. This lead me straight into the biggest traffic jam the south of holland has seen in recent years. In total, it took me 3.5 hours to get from home to the parking. I wonder how long it would have taken me if I had followed the advice to follow direction Boxmeer.....Luckily, I ended up at a parking lot very close to the main gate, so at least the walking time was limited.

Furthermore, I read a remark here on the absence of an airshow program/magazine. To me these magazines have very little added value, the compact program as handed out this year was very functional. If a decision had to be made on where to cut costs, the magazine would have been my first choice as well.

Best reagards,

Bas van Oorschot

[nuckleuz]

As a guy who put in a lot of hours to try and make this airshow a success, I really have to react to your post because quite frankly it pisses me off...

I really want to thank you for all the effort you and the RNLAF team did to organize two beautiful days. I was there on friday and saturday and I had two wonderful days. It is really nice to see how so much people can enjoy air shows like these. I was smiling all day. There are always people/spotters who have a lot of commentary about the show and think they can organize a show like this better, but these people are in a minority. Just think of the 220.000 who had two wonderful days when you organize the next air show!

Grt,
Erik

[nuckleuz]

One remark on the traffic jams: I got terribly stuck in traffic on saturday but I'm afraid I have to blame myself for a great deal. Firstly, being with young kids I didn't want to leave home too early, knowing that the day could get too long for them. If I would have been on my own I would have been at the gates at 8. Secondly, coming from Arnhem I ignored the advice to take the A73 but instead took the exit Ravenstein, as that is what I had done on thursday. This lead me straight into the biggest traffic jam the south of holland has seen in recent years. In total, it took me 3.5 hours to get from home to the parking. I wonder how long it would have taken me if I had followed the advice to follow direction Boxmeer.....Luckily, I ended up at a parking lot very close to the main gate, so at least the walking time was limited.

I'm glad I left the car at home

I was really positively surprised on the efficiency of the busses from Oss to the base. It went so quick! There were sufficient busses to transport all the visitors to the base. But I didn't expect it to be so quick.

Grt,
Erik

[OscarM]

[quote="Basman"] The only plane I think I missed (as in ''would be logical to show to the general public for its importance in NATO") was the Tornado.[/quote]

Indeed. Does anybody know more about what happened to the 'expected' Tornado?

Thanx

Oscar

[Otto]

The biggest factor to make it good or bad is ALWAYS in hands of air traffic control of the base. For example RIAT ; 15 years back the amount of participating aircraft was 200%-300% higher , and even now airtraffic control is not in the possibility to let all aircraft fly or taxi in front of the aviation enthausiasts.




Kier

Clearly you're not an expert on the subject, this is your opinion don't make this a fact!

[orange]

The only plane I think I missed (as in ''would be logical to show to the general public for its importance in NATO") was the Tornado.

Indeed. Does anybody know more about what happened to the 'expected' Tornado?

Thanx

Oscar

AFAIK there was never a Tornado on the list.

[jb5]

HURRAY for Orange!!!!!

[Rene Klok]

One remark on the traffic jams: I got terribly stuck in traffic on saturday but I'm afraid I have to blame myself for a great deal. Firstly, being with young kids I didn't want to leave home too early, knowing that the day could get too long for them. If I would have been on my own I would have been at the gates at 8. Secondly, coming from Arnhem I ignored the advice to take the A73 but instead took the exit Ravenstein, as that is what I had done on thursday. This lead me straight into the biggest traffic jam the south of holland has seen in recent years. In total, it took me 3.5 hours to get from home to the parking. I wonder how long it would have taken me if I had followed the advice to follow direction Boxmeer.....Luckily, I ended up at a parking lot very close to the main gate, so at least the walking time was limited.

I'm glad I left the car at home

I was really positively surprised on the efficiency of the busses from Oss to the base. It went so quick! There were sufficient busses to transport all the visitors to the base. But I didn't expect it to be so quick.

Grt,
Erik

Yes indeed. The bus transport to and from Oss was excellent. In the morning I had to wait less then a minute and the waiting time at the end of the day was similar. Very well done!

Also the airshow itself was neatly organised. As always you cannot please everybody but I think the organisation succeeded in putting together a show with a lot of pace and hardly no dull moments.
Just one question about the Saturday show: what happened with the Polish Lim? After a short taxi run to the other side it went back into the static line. Tech issues?