Midlands Air Festival 2021

Discussion relating to 2021 airshows/fly-ins/exercises/other events. Post news before the event and post your photos afterwards! Please create only one thread per event.
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Adam
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Post by Adam » Thu Jun 03, 2021 10:41 am

Red Arrows display times:
Friday - 18:20
Saturday - 13:00
Sunday - 13:56 (flypast)

Typhoon display times:
Saturday & Sunday - 17:20

RAF Falcons display times:
Saturday & Sunday - 18:00
Last edited by Adam on Fri Jun 04, 2021 10:11 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Freelance airshow media and videography (thisisflight.net)
Producer with PlanesTV
Airshow commentator

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Adam
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Post by Adam » Mon Jun 07, 2021 6:18 am

Probably the most enjoyable three days I've spent at a UK airshow! I have a feeling that this was the (long overdue) year that the Midlands Air Festival was taken seriously by the wider airshow community, after being unfairly sidelined in 2018/19. Ragley Hall - especially with the redesigned site layout - is a brilliant airshow venue. The weather was phenomenal and the line up was great. Seeing 103 hot air balloons launch over the course of an hour is sheer magic, and the remote control models were a surprisingly entertaining time-filler. The main flying displays were low, close and intimate to an extent I've never seen in the UK nowadays beyond Shuttleworth. I also thought the selection of acts was very good indeed, with lots of very quirky performances and very little filler.

If I had to pick a fault, it would be with the communicaton, which repeatedly came up short. The testing announcement, for example, prompted a slew of entirely foreseeable FAQs, which instead of being pre-empted and answered clearly on the website, were responded to via Facebook comments on a case-by-case basis. I also think the gates could have opened earlier on Friday to spread out the arrival of traffic, which caused some major queues. Traffic flow in and out was very smooth on Saturday and Sunday. But onto the flying...

I thought this year's Red Arrows routine is sub-par, even ignoring the missing no.5 jet, with some long repositions, notably distant manoeuvres and fewer wow moments than usual. The Russian Spitfire was another disappointment - very nicely flown, but it just doesn't look very good in the flesh, with dull matte paint that looks dark and murky.

But the rest of the show was a collection of highlights. Particularly of note was the Typhoon (especially on Sunday), which put on a world-class show - something that cannot be said in all previous seasons. I tremendously enjoyed Team Raven, the Turbulent Team, Stampe Formation Team (Chris Jessons' solo must be the finest classical aerobatic display on the circuit) and the very characterful Tiger 9 Aeronautical Display Team. Seeing the full nine-ship bobbing about in the sky is quite a sight. Rich Goodwin was fantastic in the new Pitts, particularly in the evening light on Friday, Paul Freeland showed off the lines of the Marchetti to great effect, Brendan O'Brien's "chopperbatics" were very entertaining, and both the B-17 and Catalina put on typically photogenic performances.

Finally, I can't end without mentioning the wonderful people that made the show work. Everyone involved was utterly delightful - modest, organised, professional and generous. There was a real sense of community, far more so than most other airshows I've been to. The weather, venue and line up all helped, but it's the company that will make this show live long in the memory.

Two videos below. Highlights compilation to follow in a few days.

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Freelance airshow media and videography (thisisflight.net)
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Adam
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Post by Adam » Thu Jun 10, 2021 10:50 am

Highlights video! I really hope this captures the wonderfully relaxed atmosphere and the astonishing variety of aerial entertainment on offer across the three days.

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Freelance airshow media and videography (thisisflight.net)
Producer with PlanesTV
Airshow commentator

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