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- Today's leader
Air show bosses say sorry
Monday 15th June 2009, 3:05PM BST.
Organisers of Cosford Air Show today issued a public apology after the event closed its gates to visitors – including some with tickets – for the first time in its history.
Nearly 60,000 people turned out to enjoy the attractions at Shropshire’s annual flying extravaganza yesterday, with the showground reaching full capacity by 12.30pm.
Glorious sunshine and a spectacular programme meant the base could not cope with the crowds.
Show chiefs said they were bitterly disappointed at having to turn people away, including those who had already bought tickets. And they have promised them a full refund.
The event boasted six hours of flying, including the Red Arrows display team, the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, a Typhoon fighter and the iconic, recently-restored Vulcan bomber.
Show chairman, Wing Commander Nicholas Lea, said: “We have never had a show as busy as yesterday’s and we are very pleased with how successfully the event passed off.
“My only regret is for those people who were unable to get into the show because of the sheer volume of traffic. All of my team worked hard and hand-in-glove with the police and the Highways Agency to minimise the delays.
“We all tried as hard as possible but the combination of excellent weather and the re-appearance of the Vulcan aircraft after many years generated unprecedented interest in the event.”
By 2.30pm police advised showgoers that all entrances to the show were closed and the rail network was running at capacity.
Disappointed ticket holders who failed to get in are being greeted by a recorded telephone message which declares: “On behalf of the committee, which organises the event, we apologise for the inconvenience you were caused yesterday.
“We can assure you that we did everything possible to keep the traffic flowing but for the first time ever we had to close the gates because of sheer volumes of cars heading for Cosford.
“We will be making a full refund of your ticket money.”
People are asked to send their full ticket, as purchased, with their name and address to: The Air Show Office, RAF Cosford, Wolverhampton, WV7 3EX.
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Victim of their own success? Isn’t selling more tickets than you have space for a bit naughty?
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I stopped going to Cosford, when I realised that it actually took me less time to drive to Gloucestershire, park, get in and go to the Fairford RIAT show – which is a better and bigger event.
A great shame, since Cosford is so close, but until the dire traffic management and/or rail provision is sorted out it seems the public have little choice. The event should also be on an advance ticket only basis. This would aid proper planning by the organisers.
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I was there, although I was warned to get there early. Arrived at 9am waited for about 10mins on exiting M54. Great day out sorry for those who missed it.
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Had to queue from the A41 / M54 junction for about 15 minutes, which is nothing. Arrived at show ground at 0910hrs. Excellent day out as usual, I think most people know that you need to arrive early if travelling by car. Only gripe is the one and a half hours to get out. That seems to have been a problem for the last few years, but, it did not spoil a great day.
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I hope the people who had bought tickets and then got turned away will get a full refund. The organisers need to look into the traffic and capacity. They should not have sold extra tickets if they knew not everyone would be allowed into the ground.
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We went as a family and got there at 8.30, and left at 6.30. We got in and out with no problems at all. Was a great day out and will definately be doing it next year!
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Took four hours to get there from lichfield,left home at 8.40,so should of been early enough,big mistake in following airshow signs,taking us way out.Should of stayed on mway and ignored them.Will go again but take our usual route.Also where were the police,only saw some near cosford entrance.
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We left our house in Telford at 9.00, and were parked up by 10.00, had a great day, but realised that trying to get out as soon as it finished was not a good idea, so went for a walk around the stands for an hour or so, but that was still not long enough as it took another hour to get out.
I know from previous visits that there are other exits on the other side of the runway, but they take about an hour to open up, and yesterday it looked like a lot longer.
Must agree that the organisers need to look very closly at how they get 58,000 people away quickly, so as not to spoil a great day.
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set off from Brownhills at 0830, got into show after abandoning car in Albrighton at 1400. I was stupid enough to follow the air show signs off the m54 and onto the a449. it seems that we were all led into a dead-end so that the police could keep the m54 flowing.
PLEASE in future make it advanced ticket-holders only and don’t be greedy!
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Great day,arrived at 8.00 left at 6.00.I think the phrase”get there early to avoid dissapointment”springs to mind.
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They say that the appearance of the Vulcan at a show increases crowds by 20%. It certainly happened at Cosford.
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SHOW WAS GREAT……….. AT RAF SHAWBURY WHERE IT WAS FREE TO WATCH AND MOST OF THE AIRCRAFT WENT THERE ASWELL AS COSFORD. NO LONG TRAFFIC JAMS ETC, JUST GLORIOUS SUNSHINE AND THE RED ARROWS CLOSE UP……….. BRILLIANT!!!!
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Arrived into the traffic queue at 10am. Police then diverted us into Albrighton which was already chocoblock,finally arriving at the gates at 1:15pm after abandoning the car and walking, when on Cosford radio it was announced car parks were FULL. Maybe in future the event organisers should look at advanced ticket sales ONLY or maybe a park and ride scheme.
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Hey folks. THERE IS A RAILWAY STATION RIGHT NEXT TO THE COSFORD AIRFIELD.
You should have parked at a convenient railway station and taken the train to Cosford. There is even a service from Marylebone on a Sunday.
By the way, the Vulcan bomber flew low over Cannock Chase. :@)
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Set out from Birmingham at 08:00. Made the colossal mistake of following the signs – magical mystery tour of Shropshire – who was allowed to place the signs? Spent 3 hours in a queue by which time they had shut the gates. Will never, ever, go again . What a shambles !
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a friend and i took our little boys up to the show and parked on the shifnal road and stood behind the runway saw the red arrows and some otheres but didnt stay to long as the little boys were restless will go in next year i think but sellign tickets on the gate they should know how many they have to sell and not sell tickets that are for people that have already paid in advance the whole point of advance tickets is supposed to be that you are garenteed to ge in!
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Flew in and the flew out why go to the air show if you have not got a plane?
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The actual air show was TOTALLY worth the money,but it was an utter nightmare getting there. We bought tickets 3 months ago, left home as early as we possibly could & queued in the stupid traffic for 3 hours with a 3 year old child strapped in the back, then got told we couldnt drive in. I actually cried it was so stressful. We abandoned the car outside on a grass verge & walked in. Had to leave all the deck chairs, half the picnic & wine becuse we couldnt carry it all. I’m completely furious about it. The show itself was amazing, but Cosford MUST sort out the getting in (& out!) for next year. Only admit ticket holders before 12.30pm – only sell 50,000 – there is so much they can do to sort this. Its such a shame, the show was fantastic but the organisation was amateurish & abmissmal. You’d think they’d get it right after all these years. My letter of complaint is on its way today!!!!!
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We bought our tickets way in advance. This was supposed to be a very special 10th birthday treat for my son. We ended up stuck in traffic for 6 hours only to be turned away. This is a disgrace, when we had all ready paid for our tickets.
We left early and it did not make any difference.
This ruined my sons birthday.
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airshow, great event every year i enjoy watching from my conservatory, brill!
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Hmmm, access and parking are a perennial problem for the Cosford show; add a bit of sunshine and a star attraction such as the Vulcan and the crowds start to reach capacity. I’ve worked there for 10 years and I’m fairly sure this isn’t the first time the gates have had to be shut before all potential visitors have got in! Some arrangement for ensuring those who have prepaid for their tickets actually get in seems like a no-brainer to me!
Still, perhaps it won’t be a problem for too much longer as defence training is being moved to South Wales and there will be no personnel (let alone jobs) left at Cosford to man an airshow anyway!
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Darren, there’s no need to shout. The noisy ‘planes have gone now.
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Left Telford at 0810 and was parked in Cosford by 0830 ish. Had a great day with the family.
We all know its hard to get out but take it as read that queues will happen. We had a walk about and then left at 1845 and then it took 15-20 minutes to leave.
Like other people have said arrivce early to avoid dissapointment.
I all agree it should be all ticket as this will stop the people who just went at the last minute because it was a nice day.
Vulcan was Awesome.
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Fantastic day out.
Travelled there and back by train, and the only delay was a queue of about 3/4 of an hour to get to the train station on the way out.
I last saw a Vulcan display at RAF St Athan in 1985, and I had a lump in my throat watching it yesterday just thinking about all the volunteers who made it happen. Wonderful sight, it was.
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I got there at 8.30, no cars in front of me, got back to the car at 6.05, was at my folks house in Wellington 6.30. So get there early and you get to park next to the exit gate – no problem. Vulcan – awesome – but why the overall lack of fast jets?
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WHICH BRIGHT SPARK SIGN POSTED THE AIR SHOW AS BEING DOWN THE SHIFNAL ROAD AT THE A41 JUNCTION OUT OF WOLVERHAMPTON? WE CARRIED STRAIGHT ON AND TOOK 40 MINS TO GET TO RAF COSFORD OUR FRIENDS TOOK THE LEFT TO SHIFNAL AND IT TOOK THEM 4 HOURS TO GET TO COSFORD. LATER ON MY WAY HOME I SAW A TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT MAN TAKING THE SIGNS DOWN CLEARLY POINTING THE WRONG WAY. REMEMBER PEOPLE FOLLOW THE A41 UNTIL YOU GET TO COSFORD DONT TURN OFF! GREAT SHOW
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Took the train from Chester. It was empty until we got to Shrewsbury and then they packed us in like sardines and we had to wait for quite a while. Yet getting out (via Wolverhampton)was easy. I felt sorry for all those stuck in their cars! The show was great. Typhoon was incredible and Vulcan was great to see again even though I thought they were being a little too gentle with it.
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Great they are going to refund the ticket money- but not all the other money wasted due to their greed. Fancy selling advance tickets and then telling you that you can’t come in as we are full. A visit to the small claims court on the way I think
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Glad most of you had a good day, but but spare a though for those of us that have to work the show. Before you say we don’t get overtime and thier are no benifits for us to work that day and the days before and after setting up and cleaning up after the public. And we don’t get the option of taking the day off. Only took me 40 minutes to get into work from Litchfield, but as someone that does that journey everyday the road signs were a mare, and thats the highways agency problem not Cosfords.
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Who was responsible for the traffic directions which diverted traffic from the A41 onto the Shifnal Road.
Three miles from Cosford, diverted, tour of Albrighton, finally emerged, two hours later, back onto the A41. Great show
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I have to agree with those criticising the Highways Agency.
Last time I went (some years ago) they closed the A41 junction of the M54, leading to a huge tailback miles in length. There were no signs on the motorway indicating the junction was closed – just more and more people joining the queue, with no signs indicating the closure until the junction was reached.
A right bunch of jokers…
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Good airshow but as someone else said where were the fast jets? That’s what people want to see. It’s us who pay for them with our taxes. There should have been a harrier, tornados, as well as something large such as a vc10, tristar, c-17 etc.
Loads of them over London the day before, but only the Typhoon at Cosford.
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Bob
The tax payer might pay for them, but I think Operations take a higher priority than an AirShow. Even Service men and women are allowed time off. Or would you have prefered the whole of the Armed Forces at Cosford for your entertainment on Sunday? It’s bad enough that those stationed and Cosford and those supporting the Aircraft and static stands had to.
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I think this is sad for those people who couldn’t get in but a great joy as we are in a credit crunch that people still want to be part of something British!! I too got caught in the traffic as I was travelling back from Birmingham and do feel for those stuck in a hot car on the hard shoulder. Hopefully a lesson will be learnt for next time (and there is always the train!)
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Rob,
No I don’t want the whole RAF at Cosford. But, Cosford is 1 of only 3 RAF airshows and as such serves a very important recruiting purpose. Kids aren’t going to be excited by a Tutor, they want fast jets. Look at other airshows, e.g. Kemble next weekend has more RAF stuff than Cosford and that’s a privately run show. Operational reasons are always used as an excuse, I find it amazing that we don’t have 1 tornado or a harrier spare in the entire country.
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agree with a lot of the above. about the planes though, I thought the helicopters were phenomenal, british pilots doing things I expect americans wouldn’t dream of. most poignant for me was the mk1 Hurricane a true veteran of the Battle Britain. a couple of years ago they did a conmbined op with AWAC and a Hercules which did a steep landing and reversed back down the runway before tkaing aoff. awesome. would love to see that again!
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I too would love to see more fast jets at Cosford AS, but there are a finite number of RAF aircraft available at any one time (due to front line commitments such as the “war” in the Middle East, for example – hence no Harriers or Charlie 130′s). Also, Cosford airfield gets charged money for each aircraft that displays; the Vulcan cost the airfield £12,000 for its 8 minute display and Cosford is a small facility don’t forget.
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left home at 6:50 and arived at cosford at about 8:10 no trouble getting in and what a great day it was and the weather was fab the only problem was that it took more than 2 hours getting out they need to sort out how to get cars out faster like opening the crash gates
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How about….park and ride? alleviate some problems. Also, if you have advanced tickets you could also be ‘reserved’ parking in special sections so all those with tickets go one way and can get in and actually can park too. none ticket holders go another way, and maybe they can’t purchase tickets until 11am or something like a later time (depending on how many were sold in advance) that way they encourage advanced sales, plus leave the parking available for those with advanced tickets.v I know not all advanced ticket holders need parking but it’s something they could keep a note of and also direct traffic in accordance with. I really hope I don’t hear of yet another parking, travel fiasco at Cosford next year.
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winja,
I know about the “commitments”, but Cosford is now 1 of only 3 official RAF air shows and yet it had no RAF front line aircraft other than the Chinook (the Typhoon was a 2 seat trainer). The role demo of previous years has been cut due to costs. You mentioned there are no Hercules available. Kemble airshow this weekend has 2! 1 static and 1 flying. Along with a VC10 and Tristar plus everything that Cosford had.
I know the Vulcan was costly, but look how much extra money it brought in. Also, are they charged for RAF assets? I wouldn’t have thought so as it’s an official RAF airshow.
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I think it is an absolute disgrace RAF Cosford selling all those tickets if they have not got the capacity to cater for that amount and to be turned away when you have travelled there and purchased your tickets in advance expecting a brilliant day out especially if you have got children is disgraceful, i went 5 years ago it was like that then i would never go again you would of thought all these problems would of been sorted by now but no there just greedy
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The event is a farce anyway. With conflict in Iraq and Afghanistan, we have enought problems without this blatant warmongering.
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Blatent warmongering?..Farce?
What do you suggest?. Sitting at home moping all day?. Get a life man!. Its a family day out enjoyed by many – it appears you’re in the minority.
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Mike Burgess: I might be in the minority, but that does not mean that the majority are correct. I refer you to Germany in the 1930s.
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