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Why festival director is walking on air
FROM one of the world's leading aerobatic display teams and parachute demonstrations, to the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight and wing walking, there is something for everyone at the More Bus Bournemouth Air Festival.
The free Daily Echo-backed event takes place along Bournemouth seafront from August 28 to 31 and is expected to attract up to a million visitors.
An action-packed four days are in store for those attending the festival, which also features sea displays, interactive static displays, fireworks, family attractions, music and live entertainment.
So it's no surprise the event has been no mean feat to organise.
Ian Sheeley, flying display director from the air display management company TSA Consulting, is responsible for arranging the daily flying displays.
He explained exactly what was taking place.
"We've got tremendous support from the RAF with all their displays being allocated to the show.
"We have the Red Arrows for three days, which is brilliant. They only do about 85 displays a year, so for three of them to be in Bournemouth is pretty special.
"The Royal Navy is also supporting with its helicopter display team, as is the Army with their helicopter display team. We've got Team Guinot from Gloucestershire, who are the world's only formation wing-walking display team, and the Yakovlevs, a local aerobatics display team.
"De Havilland Aviation, up at Bournemouth Airport, their ex-Red Arrows Gnat will be displaying with the Red Arrows and also De Havilland's Sea Vixen will be displaying.
"There are others still to be confirmed."
The Red Arrows are no strangers to Bournemouth, performing a seafront display every summer, but this year the event is on a much grander scale.
Such an event obviously takes an awful lot of planning, and for the flying displays, that process began in earnest last September.
"We had to bid last September to the military," said Ian.
"We heard what the military had allocated in January/February, and from there we started to build the plan up for the display.
"Because we're quite close to Bournemouth Airport we had to go into negotiations with them because it's in their air space.
"We obviously needed to work with them both with being able to base the aircraft at the airport and with displaying in their airspace.
"They've been really supportive and Flight Refuelling has agreed to host the aircraft and the crew."
It is hoped the event will grow and grow over the coming years, with displays from abroad being attracted as it becomes more established.
"We haven't gone for a theme this year," explained Ian.
"But we are celebrating the excitement of aviation with good family entertainment across the board, with a mixture of noisy and quiet jets, just a complete variety, appealing to everybody."
Ian said the event would always be built around the military displays the organisers were allocated, but that visitors could expect a different show every year, with special events for certain aviation anniversaries.
He added: "We just want to give people a good, fun display down at the beachfront."
7:00pm Wednesday 2nd July 2008
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CommentPosted by: beachcomber, Toft zigzag on 10:23am Thu 3 Jul 08
And I'ms upposed to watch my carbon footprint when stuff like this goes on? Don't make me laugh!
And I'ms upposed to watch my carbon footprint when stuff like this goes on? Don't make me laugh!
Posted by: Tim M, usa on 1:37pm Thu 3 Jul 08
[quote][bold]beachcomber[/bold] wrote:
undefined[/quote] so we'll not stage the festival in future and see how long it takes for people to complain that there's nothing to see or do.
Truly, the saddest, most bitter miseryguts nation in the developped world.
beachcomber wrote:
undefined
so we'll not stage the festival in future and see how long it takes for people to complain that there's nothing to see or do.
Truly, the saddest, most bitter miseryguts nation in the developped world.
Posted by: Derf, Wallisdown on 2:22pm Thu 3 Jul 08
If it's sponsored by Wilts & Dorset, can we expect all the planes to change to a different route and not be where everyone expects them to be without prior warning, or will no planes fly past for an hour then all of them turn up bunched togetger, or will W&D tell all the spectators they haven't got enough money ??????
If it's sponsored by Wilts & Dorset, can we expect all the planes to change to a different route and not be where everyone expects them to be without prior warning, or will no planes fly past for an hour then all of them turn up bunched togetger, or will W&D tell all the spectators they haven't got enough money ??????
Posted by: simon, bournemouth on 2:55pm Thu 3 Jul 08
when bournemouth aviation museum closed down last year because manchester airport group which owns the land, wanted to build a car park there instead, the museum got not one bit of help from bournemouth tourism. And yet now there is the summer airshow everyones blowing trumpets and saying how fantastic its going to be. The poor museum just got closed and forgotten about, and i bet all its visitors and volunteers wish they had the same sort of energy behind them. I really hope this airshow is a great success.. i really do, and will be down the seafront watching whats going on, however i fear it might be a damp squib if a bus company, a local rag, and bmth tourism are organising it. The traffics horrendus on Arrows day, and this will be four days of it. And as for carbon footprints rubbish, everyone will burn more than the airshow uses in just sitting in traffic jams. If anyones listeing, can all the dodgy roadworks that go one round the town be suspended for these four days.
when bournemouth aviation museum closed down last year because manchester airport group which owns the land, wanted to build a car park there instead, the museum got not one bit of help from bournemouth tourism. And yet now there is the summer airshow everyones blowing trumpets and saying how fantastic its going to be. The poor museum just got closed and forgotten about, and i bet all its visitors and volunteers wish they had the same sort of energy behind them. I really hope this airshow is a great success.. i really do, and will be down the seafront watching whats going on, however i fear it might be a damp squib if a bus company, a local rag, and bmth tourism are organising it. The traffics horrendus on Arrows day, and this will be four days of it. And as for carbon footprints rubbish, everyone will burn more than the airshow uses in just sitting in traffic jams. If anyones listeing, can all the dodgy roadworks that go one round the town be suspended for these four days.
Posted by: laurie marsh, australia on 2:19pm Sun 6 Jul 08
If 1,000,000 visitors to a town that relies on tourism receives only a 50% positive response and 1 of those from 4000+ miles away, look out!
You deserve what you are about to get, it is called poverty!
If 1,000,000 visitors to a town that relies on tourism receives only a 50% positive response and 1 of those from 4000+ miles away, look out!
You deserve what you are about to get, it is called poverty!
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