Fri Jun 15, 2018 2:47 pm
Hi, long time lurker, first time poster! I was wondering if anyone attended the RAF Cosford Air Show this year? While not a hive of commercial aviation, I thought I'd give a brief account of how a bad start (for me) turned out to be a great day...
Normally, myself, my father-in-law and a couple of my pals go to Cosford and enjoy our easy entry and parking and enclosure benefits every year (well, every year since Waddington ended). However, this year I dropped the ball and missed my chance to get an enclosure ticket. I was gutted. While they're expensive, the day is always enjoyable; there's tea and coffee on tap, a bar, fairly good food and we're not battling with crowds. On this occasion, though, we were subject to a 2-hour wait on the M54, no way of escaping the sun and a half-mile walk for a cuppa.
Once we got settled, though, the day just got better and better... We were at the opposite end of the runway - near the threshold for 24 - and got a much better view than we'd ever got from the enclosure. We were also only a short distance from the car, which was useful. We set up base, smothered ourselves in sun-tan lotion and settled down for what was a cracking show. But the best was yet to come...
I knew that there was a Gloster Gladiator on static, and I'd told the gang I MUST get a picture of it. Towards the end of the day we started to tour the hangers and statics, but still couldn't find the Glad anywhere... Eventually we found it - w-a-a-a-y down the opposite end of the base. As we got there the ground crew had just pushed her back into the temporary hangar. I ran up to the head crewman and begged for a walkaround. He obviously saw the eager schoolboy in me and agreed. I was taken ino the tent and had a very up close and personal tour of the aircraft. It may only be a small thing, but for me it was nothing short of wonderful. My favourite, all-time aircraft ever, and I've got a personal tour with an engineer! Fantastic.
While Cosford does not have the scale of Waddington, it's fast becoming a super-splendid show. Whether or not they'll top my Gladiator experience, I don't know. But I had a whale of a time and will mix it with the crowds again next year!