This is becoming a regular event for me and though there is a bit of repetition (mostly trying to convince someone to come with me) I do enjoy it. The airshow does suffer from no longer having an active runway. This means that there are few static displays and the show is almost entirely in the air. Some displays are brought in, and a helicopter or two can make an appearance but the main difference from an ordinary day at the museum is the display show.
One of the things they could get in this year was Brian Jones. He was one of the 2 man crew who first circumnavigated the globe in a balloon. His talk was absolutely fantastic. I don't pretend to know too much about ballooning. I do know they are subject to the winds, but he explained how by adjusting altitude you could find different currents moving in different directions, providing an element of control. He spoke for over an hour, accompanied by slides from his record breaking trip.
And the noise. It physically hit you in the chest and then vibrated through your body. Wow.
One of the disappointments was the last minute cancellation of the F86 Sabre and the Spitfire. Again these are planes with quite distinctive sounds.
