Royal International Air Tattoo 2008

The good thing about visiting the Air Tattoo is that one can sleep next to the air base on a mobile camp space. Either you can bring your own tent or rent one. Staying next to the air base allows to watch all the air traffic and not only the show. I was lucky to secure myself tickets for the show which meant that in a few months I would be travelling to the UK.

After packing my stuff including camera, camping gear and foot into my car I left one morning for Calais to catch my ferry to Dover. From there it is a solid three hour drive to Fairford. The traffic is regulated around Fairford during the air show days but the organization is very good. The weather could have been better but it was England and the rain did not surprise me while I drove to the camp space.

Once I arrived at the gate of the camp space the gate keeper told that the air shows was cancelled due to have rain. This was pretty obvious as the field where the tents were supposed to be was a lake and not a single tent build up. This was the first cancellation of the whole air show since it was first held in 1971. After a very long drive this was a massive disappointment. Luckily the tickets for the air show as well as for the campspace were transferred to the next year.

The gate keeper redirected me to a farmer’s pasture near the air base. There I could build up my tent and stay. A few minutes later my car was standing on wet ground and I was building up my tent. Many other air show spectators have arrived prior to me and the gras was turned into a big muddy area.

That evening and the next morning I was lucky to see at least few airplanes flying their displays. Among them the impressive F22 fighter. Since that year the RAF celebrated their 90th birthday also formations of their current and former airplanes flew by. Looking back, it was a special thing I experienced. These are the holidays one can tell stories about. Few days later my travel back home started as well as the plans for the following year.