Farnborough International Airshow is scrapping public displays at the weekend.
The next event in 2020 is to become a five-day show from Monday to Friday, with the final day being opened to the public.
Organisers say they acknowledge reducing the show from a seven-day event will "disappoint some".
The next Farnborough International Airshow is due to begin on Monday 20 July. (2020)
Gareth Rogers, CEO of Farnborough International says: "The Farnborough International Airshow is a unique event.
"Allowing the public to see more of the people, products and processes that underpin the global aerospace, defence and space industries will help engage and inspire a new generation.
"Removing the public weekend will disappoint some, but for our exhibitors and trade visitors the focus is on business and accessing the talent they need to sustain global competitiveness."
I read elsewhere that the background for this is that at the last show the organisers got a pummeling from visitors because the Public Day displays were thought to be very poor, with the Red Arrows being limited to a Fypast. presumably all part of the fallout from the Humter incident at Shoreham
Farnborough was never really a good airshow but from my visits in the seventies it was interesting to see prototypes and demonstration models and the aerobatics of some airliners. One memorable year saw the YF-17 and the YC-15. Also something called an A-10 with a VW Beetle parked alongside .
I always saw it as a trade show where the public were allowed to visit on some days.
No Amount Of Evidence Will Ever Persuade An Idiot (probably not Mark Twain)
Farnborough was never really a good airshow but from my visits in the seventies it was interesting to see prototypes and demonstration models and the aerobatics of some airliners. One memorable year saw the YF-17 and the YC-15. Also something called an A-10 with a VW Beetle parked alongside .
I always saw it as a trade show where the public were allowed to visit on some days.
Agree, we have been to two air shows there, wasn't that pleased with either. So we decided not to go again. Just as well. Mildenhall was one of our favorites. Waddington was ALWAYS Very Good !! Honington we only went to once, the last ever, it was great. Alconbury I think we went to a couple ? Duxford is always good, just never close-enough. H+S North Weald I remember was always a good display.
The public days at Farnborough have been going downhill for years.
It costs more than RIAT & Flying Legends to get in, yet the flying programme is half the size & the flying display content was (give or take a couple of items) pretty much what you would get at a seaside Family airshow.
All the interesting new aircraft that Farnborough is famous for all head for home before the public days at the weekend as the deals have been done & they've made their money (or not). So we're left at the weekend with aircraft that you can see at pretty much any other show in the UK at half the price (or free at the seaside shows).
So, run of the mill show content aside you then also get the new display rules which just don't work at the site. At the end of the day, it is just too built up around the airfields perimeter & theres plans for more housing to be built around the site apparently.
These new display rules came in at the 2016 show which was the last one I attended.
Reds only allowed to do flypasts, Sally B could only take off, do a circuit & land again & the whole display line had moved down the other non public end of the runway so all you got at the public end of the airfield (ie in front of the spectators) was the landings & the re-positioning manoeuvres whilst any actual display routines took place down the far end of the runway in front of the empty part of the airfield. Pointless!!
I didn't attend last years event but it sounded terrible & deserved every bit of the bad comments made at it.
There's been rumours that the public days where to be done away with for several years & I think they've used the bad press of the last few shows & the Shoreham crash as an excuse to do just that. As for dwindling crowd numbers, It was absolutely packed every time I went including my most recent visit in 2016. Uncomfortably so in fact.
For many years now , the business days during the week have been the best days to watch Farnborough. That's how it's going to continue now.
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