Post by zz on Dec 26, 2015 9:03:35 GMT
After reading Bob's excellent 2015 review, I thought I'd give it a quick try too!
2015 was a successful spotting year for me. (Not as good as 2014 but that did include Oshkosh!) Managed to visit 3 new countries - Egypt, Thailand and Hong Kong (only the airport though so will have to go back!)
Also flew on a new type - B.787 of Scoot.
I didn't visit many airfields this year, compared to almost every other year. However, I did attend most events that I hoped...
Highlights this year...
January Icicle Meet- only a few balloons, but needed 5 of them.
Saw 2 of the 3 Chinese Navy helis at Portsmouth.
aviationforall.proboards.com/thread/111/icicle-meet-2015
March- USS Theodore Roosevelt at Portsmouth. Love seeing these carriers- needed about 50 on board!
April- a few airfields visited "up north".
Bagby, Teeside, Sherburn, Sutton Bank and Over Dinsdale to see a few wrecks and relics! Then Conington on the way home.
Family holiday in Egypt so made a few there.
May- My local event, Popham microlight trade fair suffered due weather but the Saturday was still a good day.
I had a very rushed visit to Aeroexpo at Sywell. Some excellent stuff here- was particularly pleased with the TF- contingent.
Finally had my delayed 40th present - an aerobatic flight in G-BZEA Aerobat from Blackbushe. Superb fun!
June- finally made a visit to Kbely museum in Prague. This has been on my to-do list for years, and I managed to combine it with the AeroExpo event at the airfield.
Then flew from Prague to Paris-C.D.G and had a day at Paris airshow. An excellent 3 day trip- made over 400 new!
aviationforall.proboards.com/thread/2579/prague-paris-june-2015-photos
July - made a rare weekend visit to RIAT- usually I go on the Friday. Had a drive round the northside aircraft.
Thought it was a real return to form for the show- made more this year than for several years! Saw the Indian transport aircraft at Brize too.
aviationforall.proboards.com/thread/2844/riat-fairford-2015
Also made a quick visit to the museum at Tangmere.
aviationforall.proboards.com/thread/2884/tangmere-museum-chichester-golf-photos
August
Bristol Balloon Fiesta- excellent couple of days here, seeing 2 mass launches and the special shape launch.
aviationforall.proboards.com/thread/2989/bristol-balloon-fiesta-2015-photos
First visit to Woburn Moth Rally for about 10-12 years. Made half a dozen Moths- very pleased to have gone after finding out it is to be the last at Woburn. Visited a couple of other airfields, then went to Northampton balloon fiesta. Used to go every year, but this was the first time I've been since it's changed to the Billing site.
aviationforall.proboards.com/thread/3025/northampton-balloon-meet-billing-15
I also went to Cosford museum (needed 3), plus made 2 of my last 6 Grob Tutors on the field. I called past RAF High Wycombe for the gate guard replicas.
I also made it to East Midlands and the aeropark- still got the photos to post! Made 2 here.
September
LAA Rally Sywell. Spent the Friday and Saturday there. Despite it not being perfect weather I made about 100 new. Again, not made so many new there for years!
aviationforall.proboards.com/thread/3414/laa-rally-2015-photo-log
aviationforall.proboards.com/thread/3304/laa-rally-sywell-september-2015
Also made it to Goodwood for the fantastic BoB event and flypast.
aviationforall.proboards.com/thread/3435/goodwood-battle-britain-flypast-photos
October- had a 2 week work trip in Asia, visiting Singapore and Bangkok. Also transited through Hong Kong. Also managed to fit in the Singapore Air Force Museum.
Made over 700 in the 2 weeks- not bad for "work"!
aviationforall.proboards.com/thread/4011/hong-kong-singapore-bangkok-october
aviationforall.proboards.com/thread/3907/republic-singapore-force-museum-photos
November- tour around Warton. Also a visit to Manchester.
Uk fields visited in 2015 -
Bagby, Birmingham, Blackbushe, Blackpool, Bournemouth, Brize Norton, Conington, Cosford, Coventry, Cranfield, Dishforth, East Midlands, Enstone, Exeter, Fairford, Fairoaks, Farnborough, Gatwick, Goodwood, Heathrow, Kidlington, Lasham, Luton, Manchester, Odiham, Popham, Sherburn, Southampton, Sutton Bank, Sywell, Tangmere, Teesside, Thruxton, Warton, Wellesbourne Mountford, Yeovilton
This is by far the fewest airfields for many years! I think I still did the events I wanted to do but with family and work commitments I rushed everywhere, and didn't do much stopping!
(3 added to the list on Dec 28th!)
2016-
Spotting next year might be tricky for me for various reasons.
However definite visits (weather dependant) will be-
Popham microlight and other events
BBML Inflation day
Sywell Aeroexpo and LAA
RIAT Fairford
Farnborough- should be working there again.
Bristol balloon fiesta.
Will try and visit as many events and airfields as possible. I particularly want to visit Aberdeen again- last visited in 2012 so lots new there now!
Also hoping to go to Norwich in January to see the helis- again weather dependant.
Hopefully will meet some AFA members in 2016 too.
Foreign trips should include Berlin air show.
I intend to visit a new country again (not sure where yet!) and also tick off one the large European museums from my to-do list.
I was hoping for another Asia work trip but that seems to have been ruled out!
Thanks for reading- hopefully will meet some of you next year.
Wishing you all a Happy New Year and successful 2016!
2015 was a successful spotting year for me. (Not as good as 2014 but that did include Oshkosh!) Managed to visit 3 new countries - Egypt, Thailand and Hong Kong (only the airport though so will have to go back!)
Also flew on a new type - B.787 of Scoot.
I didn't visit many airfields this year, compared to almost every other year. However, I did attend most events that I hoped...
Highlights this year...
January Icicle Meet- only a few balloons, but needed 5 of them.
Saw 2 of the 3 Chinese Navy helis at Portsmouth.
aviationforall.proboards.com/thread/111/icicle-meet-2015
March- USS Theodore Roosevelt at Portsmouth. Love seeing these carriers- needed about 50 on board!
April- a few airfields visited "up north".
Bagby, Teeside, Sherburn, Sutton Bank and Over Dinsdale to see a few wrecks and relics! Then Conington on the way home.
Family holiday in Egypt so made a few there.
May- My local event, Popham microlight trade fair suffered due weather but the Saturday was still a good day.
I had a very rushed visit to Aeroexpo at Sywell. Some excellent stuff here- was particularly pleased with the TF- contingent.
Finally had my delayed 40th present - an aerobatic flight in G-BZEA Aerobat from Blackbushe. Superb fun!
June- finally made a visit to Kbely museum in Prague. This has been on my to-do list for years, and I managed to combine it with the AeroExpo event at the airfield.
Then flew from Prague to Paris-C.D.G and had a day at Paris airshow. An excellent 3 day trip- made over 400 new!
aviationforall.proboards.com/thread/2579/prague-paris-june-2015-photos
July - made a rare weekend visit to RIAT- usually I go on the Friday. Had a drive round the northside aircraft.
Thought it was a real return to form for the show- made more this year than for several years! Saw the Indian transport aircraft at Brize too.
aviationforall.proboards.com/thread/2844/riat-fairford-2015
Also made a quick visit to the museum at Tangmere.
aviationforall.proboards.com/thread/2884/tangmere-museum-chichester-golf-photos
August
Bristol Balloon Fiesta- excellent couple of days here, seeing 2 mass launches and the special shape launch.
aviationforall.proboards.com/thread/2989/bristol-balloon-fiesta-2015-photos
First visit to Woburn Moth Rally for about 10-12 years. Made half a dozen Moths- very pleased to have gone after finding out it is to be the last at Woburn. Visited a couple of other airfields, then went to Northampton balloon fiesta. Used to go every year, but this was the first time I've been since it's changed to the Billing site.
aviationforall.proboards.com/thread/3025/northampton-balloon-meet-billing-15
I also went to Cosford museum (needed 3), plus made 2 of my last 6 Grob Tutors on the field. I called past RAF High Wycombe for the gate guard replicas.
I also made it to East Midlands and the aeropark- still got the photos to post! Made 2 here.
September
LAA Rally Sywell. Spent the Friday and Saturday there. Despite it not being perfect weather I made about 100 new. Again, not made so many new there for years!
aviationforall.proboards.com/thread/3414/laa-rally-2015-photo-log
aviationforall.proboards.com/thread/3304/laa-rally-sywell-september-2015
Also made it to Goodwood for the fantastic BoB event and flypast.
aviationforall.proboards.com/thread/3435/goodwood-battle-britain-flypast-photos
October- had a 2 week work trip in Asia, visiting Singapore and Bangkok. Also transited through Hong Kong. Also managed to fit in the Singapore Air Force Museum.
Made over 700 in the 2 weeks- not bad for "work"!
aviationforall.proboards.com/thread/4011/hong-kong-singapore-bangkok-october
aviationforall.proboards.com/thread/3907/republic-singapore-force-museum-photos
November- tour around Warton. Also a visit to Manchester.
Uk fields visited in 2015 -
Bagby, Birmingham, Blackbushe, Blackpool, Bournemouth, Brize Norton, Conington, Cosford, Coventry, Cranfield, Dishforth, East Midlands, Enstone, Exeter, Fairford, Fairoaks, Farnborough, Gatwick, Goodwood, Heathrow, Kidlington, Lasham, Luton, Manchester, Odiham, Popham, Sherburn, Southampton, Sutton Bank, Sywell, Tangmere, Teesside, Thruxton, Warton, Wellesbourne Mountford, Yeovilton
This is by far the fewest airfields for many years! I think I still did the events I wanted to do but with family and work commitments I rushed everywhere, and didn't do much stopping!
(3 added to the list on Dec 28th!)
2016-
Spotting next year might be tricky for me for various reasons.
However definite visits (weather dependant) will be-
Popham microlight and other events
BBML Inflation day
Sywell Aeroexpo and LAA
RIAT Fairford
Farnborough- should be working there again.
Bristol balloon fiesta.
Will try and visit as many events and airfields as possible. I particularly want to visit Aberdeen again- last visited in 2012 so lots new there now!
Also hoping to go to Norwich in January to see the helis- again weather dependant.
Hopefully will meet some AFA members in 2016 too.
Foreign trips should include Berlin air show.
I intend to visit a new country again (not sure where yet!) and also tick off one the large European museums from my to-do list.
I was hoping for another Asia work trip but that seems to have been ruled out!
Thanks for reading- hopefully will meet some of you next year.
Wishing you all a Happy New Year and successful 2016!