What a Joke!!

[Slopetrashuk]

Ooo not really sticking up for it Essjay. It was very 'samey' with jets and 3D. However Chris would infer that this in some way is down to the organiser of the slots which is not true. He's been told this elsewhere but like to big up the LMA...

The flightline organiser allocated slots to pilots who booked in to fly (at their expense) for the public. the lack of variety is down to the lack of pilots booking in.

The trade was also poor, though I did manage to get most of what I needed.

I also hear that property development will mean no more Long Marston going forwards.

 

Andy

Edited By Slopetrashuk on 05/06/2017 15:41:54

[Devcon1]

Slopetrashuk,

I didn't think anything that ChrisB contributed detracted from the "smooth operation of the forum" but my humble opinion is that the opening comments in your first post most certainly did.

[Guvnor]

Slopetrashuk

The pilots might be young, however the demographic of the audience most certainly wasn't.

If there was one complaint heard all day on Saturday it was for a) 'Nik' to shut up, and b) turn the bl**dy music down.

As for pilots 'not booking in', the show organiser is well known for upsetting previous years pilots. (Me included)

The clue is in the word 'organiser', he needs to do some organising, ie. get on the blower to some well known flyers and cajole them into attendning.

This years plan of sitting back and hoping for the best obviously didn't work, if he tries it again next year he'll be wandering around on his own...

[Andy Green]

To be honest I quite enjoyed myself, LM show is always a low key event in my mind, but being the first in the season I look forward to going.

Had an ice cream, a rummage around the Saturday swap meet, bought everything I needed and a catch up with friends so a thumbs up for me. Could have done with a bar though.

Nik Johnson is improving and will continue to do the more shows he does, I think this is his second fixed wing show (Last years Ragley being the first). Don't forget DB was doing it for 50 years.

Would have been nice to have a warbirds slot, but if the pilots with the models don't attend then that that. The fun figher slot always entertains.

I too suspect this will be the last year of the show, and a real shame.

Andy

[ChrisB]

Clearly Andy is a bit sensitive so I'll respond as politely as I can. I dont know you Andy and equally you dont know me so we'll leave personal insults at the playground gates thank you.
I have no axe to grind, I am a member of the LMA but do not represent them, nor do I know or have any involvement with any of the organisers of Long Marston.

My comments were, as you can read based on my disappointment as a paying member or the public at below par quality of the event. Clearly I am not on my own in that regard but perhaps many choose not to comment. Perhaps it is you who has an axe to grind.

[Slopetrashuk]

No axe to grind. I gurantee that attending the LM show cost me a lot more than it cost you! However I like to deal with facts. I have no problem with facts.

The flying was restricted to pilots who booked in. the guy who organised the slots gave slots to anyone who booked in. He did not however, cajoule his mates. In previous years the show has been so bad the pilots intervened to run the flightline. Most of the pilots who flew were under the age of 30. Most were in teams. This is how they booked in to fly. Nik Johnson is an exceptional heli flightline commentator. He needs to learn how to do that for fixed wing. The two types of display are very different not east the ages of the audience. It would also have been nice to see him mixing after the show and during the night flying displays. This would have served him well for Weston Park in two weeks time. He is not Dave Bishp but did bring live feeds to social media right from the flightline. It is certainly going to be 'different'. Different is good 'cos this hobby of ours is in decline and things need to be different.

Andy

[ken anderson.]

hello andy-i was thinking along the lines of getting your friend and mine(Weasel) to do the commentary ....that would make for a good show....... I hear you say..

ken Anderson...ne..1...... weasel dept.

[Guvnor]

Slopetrashuk

You are missing the point here.

The organiser, (One J Holliday) should do some organising and actually persuade or 'book' some well known flyers or groups to come along, not sling a few posts on Facebook and hope someone turns up.

He's taking visitors hard-earned cash off them, and to provide what was on offer this weekend was appalling.

I suspect he has a 'couldn't give a toss' attitude to the show, knowing it's proibably the last one... THe fact that the website trade list was 3 years old sums his attitude up.

[ChrisB]

Well Andy, at least we agree on something. Audiences are different at different events and commentators need to adapt accordingly. The razmataz of drone and heli flying by, generally younger people is not the same as the traditional model flown by the majority in our hobby who are, generally older people. DB was good, no doubt Nik will find his feet in the more traditional fixed wing world. I did speak to him briefly and he's a nice chap and quite well informed, just a few tweaks needed.

[ken anderson.]

maybe as it was the last show the lad you are talking about wasn't bothered as such..i was at a show once where a friend of mine asked for his money back and got it..as the models been flown were what you could watch at our club site day in and out....

ken Anderson...ne...1..... refund dept.

[robert feltham]

Well I went along yesterday and me and the missus enjoyed it! The pilots were superb we thought.By the way I quite liked the commentary.I also like watching the 3D flying and the jets although I cant afford them.It was nice to be able to browse the stalls and get to the front of the flightline without the huge crowds and rows of seats in the way.

[Jez Harris 1]

Hi.

This thread longer seems to just about Long Marston but about the changing face of model flying shows in the UK.

I have always enjoyed listening to DB at the shows I have flown at..he went out of his way to speak to all the pilots and knew most of us by name.
I can honestly say Im dreading sitting listening to this Nick and his "Down with the youth" gibberish. 10 mins at Weston Park last year whilst he did a heli slot commentary did my head in. He came across like a poor 80's DJ. And as for the loud music...

I can honestly say that if his commentary at Weston Park is like this for a solid 2 days then that will be the end of my Dawn Patrol flying and all my toys will be for sale.

Seriously.

Jez

Edited By Jez Harris 1 on 05/06/2017 17:20:40

[Andy Muckley]

Hi all .I would like to say that when i contacted the organiser of the show to book in as a pilot with the funfighter team, i was promptly told that i could not have a pilots pass and would have to pay full price entry and camping fees, even if i was going to fly for the team. So if that was what pilots were beeing told, no wonder there was not a full variety of models and pilots. That equated to six flights over two days, £60 to camp so £10 per flight minus model fuel costs, travel costs, food e.t.c.

No pilots get paid, we do it for the love of our hobby and at our own expence and to hopefully entertain the people who turn up to watch.So we should be aplauding the likes of Team Rouge/Az aerosport/ Global rc/ Cambria Funfighters and as was said in an earlier post, a good portion of the pilots were under 18 years old and most under 30. So where were the more so called experienced pilots supporting the hobby

[ChrisB]

Posted by Jez Harris 1 on 05/06/2017 17:19:50:
Hi.

This thread longer seems to just about Long Marston but about the changing face of model flying shows in the UK.

I have always enjoyed listening to DB at the shows I have flown at..he went out of his way to speak to all the pilots and knew most of us by name.
I can honestly say Im dreading sitting listening to this Nick and his "Down with the youth" gibberish. 10 mins at Weston Park last year whilst he did a heli slot commentary did my head in. He came across like a poor 80's DJ. And as for the loud music...

I can honestly say that if his commentary at Weston Park is like this for a solid 2 days then that will be the end of my Dawn Patrol flying and all my toys will be for sale.

Seriously.

Jez

Edited By Jez Harris 1 on 05/06/2017 17:20:40

I really really hope you're wrong Jez, I really do,but as soon as I turned up at LM I had exactly those thoughts, as did a dozen of my clubs mates of all ages.

Nik certainly seems a level headed chap so I'm sure it'll be ok

 

CB

Edited By ChrisB on 05/06/2017 18:29:25

[ChrisB]

Posted by Pete Willbourn on 05/06/2017 14:20:28:

The times they are a changing !

years ago these shows were for The Hobby , the like of us on this forum ,but now there are far too few of us about to make the old type shows , Cranfield, leicester,Sywell etc commercially viable .So I recon they are now aimed more and more at the general public ,cos there are a lot more of them than us aero modllers ! Hence the "club" based show is much more "our sort of thing "

I have always been the Weston and normally Cosford , Weston is changing a bit but still is my favourite ,I shall be there and no doubt bump into Chris B. !I would like to go to Greenacres but I was told it was a bit "cliquey " and my style of flying may not fit in !

cheers

I'm sure i'll bump in to you and the old crowd Pete. I've flown with a few of the Greenacres guys over the years and they all seem a good bunch. With fly-ins it comes down to common sense and give an take.

You mention Leicester show, thats going back a bit!!! 20 years???

Cheers

CB