Tell me about RIAT please

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Chipper

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Linda
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So, there is a chance that I might be able to go to this. I have just had a look at the website and there are so many options for tickets... What would you recommend and any other tips, please? Thanks
 
RIAT is a huge airshow over multiple days. Take lots of cards and batteries.

One of the nice touches is that the sun is behind you most of the day.

There are individual tickets as well as FRIAT (Friends of RIAT) packages which include allocated grandstand seating.

Question is; what are you looking for and how much do you want to spend?

Several of the nearby campsites offer great viewing options too; similar to a naughty field.
 
I go Friday to Sunday and buy the "Super Early Bird Tickets" in January to get the biggest saving. I tend to stay late on the Saturday to catch the static displays when most of the visitors have left and therefore avoid the jams when the flying display finishes. I do the opposite on the Sunday, leaving just before the end of the show for the long drive home with full memory cards, drained batteries, a big grin and a good tan (hopefully!)

Depending on which direction you will be arriving from, the Red Car Park is a good option, because you actually park on the airfield (on concrete), whereas the other car parks are in adjacent fields.

Any other questions, don't hesitate to ask.

PS You can't buy tickets on the gate anymore and I think I read somewhere that the Saturday is usually less busy (not that you would notice!)
 
Thank you ...if not this year, I'll look at the early bird thing in January.
 
Chipper said:
Thank you ...if not this year, I'll look at the early bird thing in January.
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You're welcome. It might be worth registering for the enewsletter so that you get early notification of the ticket prices for next year. The other thing that I should have mentioned earlier is that hotel rooms within a 25+ mile radius sell out very quickly, so I tend to book once the show dates have been released!
 
Being new to aviation shows, what sort of focal lengths will I find most useful? My usual workhorse for more distant subjects is the trusty Nikkor 300mm f/4D, usually in concert with a TC14E, occasionally a TC17E-II. I may, however, be able to bring a Nikkor 200-400mm f/4 - will that flexibility come in useful? (All with a D7100, I should note) On the ground, I'm afraid I'm currently limited to a Sigma 30mm f/1.4 and 10-20mm f/4-5.6, which I'm hoping might come in handy for the static shots.
 
The 200-400 is ideal if you have one. I've no clue on nikon gear, is that a cropped sensor body? The main issue that will give you is potential difficulties panning at lower speeds.

Something a bit longer would be probably helpful for stuff on the ground (covering up to about 100 ideally)
 
Porsupah said:
Being new to aviation shows, what sort of focal lengths will I find most useful? My usual workhorse for more distant subjects is the trusty Nikkor 300mm f/4D, usually in concert with a TC14E, occasionally a TC17E-II. I may, however, be able to bring a Nikkor 200-400mm f/4 - will that flexibility come in useful? (All with a D7100, I should note) On the ground, I'm afraid I'm currently limited to a Sigma 30mm f/1.4 and 10-20mm f/4-5.6, which I'm hoping might come in handy for the static shots.
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What some visitors to RIAT are shooting with.

View attachment 37132
 
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James Wheeler said:
The 200-400 is ideal if you have one. I've no clue on nikon gear, is that a cropped sensor body? The main issue that will give you is potential difficulties panning at lower speeds.

Something a bit longer would be probably helpful for stuff on the ground (covering up to about 100 ideally)
Click to expand...

It's a crop body, indeed - 24MP, and consequently quite demanding of lenses for best results. I'm hoping the range'll still be useful, rather than being fixed at 300mm, but at the cost of double the weight of my usual lens.

I may well look into a mid-ranger of some kind, as that's an awkwardly large gap in my coverage at the moment. That said, I'm primarily a wildlife sort, so I don't usually have much desire to go shorter than 300mm. ^_^

And I love the grandstand shot. I want to see a video clip of them all tracking their target. :D
 
Take sun screen and, for when you are stuck in the queues, reading material.
 
Would love to have bought one of these..

A Friend of the Royal International Air Tattoo membership package is ideal if you are passionate about aviation and photography as you get exclusive access to a centrally located grandstand, private marquee, free WiFi, private toilets and secure left luggage facilities.
 
RIAT is possibly my favourite air show to go to, as already said the sun is usually behind you for most of the day. I'm not going this year as I can't get the time off work, but I'm hoping to be back next year. I usually do just the Saturday and drive down, but I might look at staying for the weekend next year.
 
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