(26th September 1999)
What can I say... It was a biggie. And a goodie. Still didn't have that magic
something the '97 show offered, but I don't think we'll ever see a IAT that special
again. However, I thought it was an improvement on '98, which wasn't exactly bad,
so thumbs up to the organising committee again. In particular, thanks to whoever
had the bright idea of lining up some of the more photogenic static aircraft off
at the western end of the field so that they could be photographed without anything
getting in the way. But no thanks to whoever had the idea of setting up those
photo towers... I didn't see anyone using them, and a couple of them were sited
in positions that made it impossible to get decent photos of the static aircraft
nearby. Still, there did seem to be more thought given to the static arrangements
than in years gone by, so on the whole I'm not complaining.
I can't really think of anything to say regarding the flying displays... too much
variety to sum up in a paragraph or two! I guess I'll just say that if the pair
of gliders put in an appearance next year, I'll be happy.
Since this was my first IAT since moving to the area, I had the luxury of being able to stay on the field a lot longer each evening, instead of having to shoot off early in order to get back to the hotel in time for dinner. And it's rather nice, being able to wander around the static lines with hardly anyone else around, or sitting back and watching some of the flying participants get in some more practice, or even just fly around in circles waiting to land :-) I'd definitely recommend a late departure to anyone - stay around until 9pm, finish off those last few rolls of film, have something to eat, listen to the concert, and then spend all of 10 minutes waiting to get off the field once you do decide to call it a night! Did someone say traffic jams??? Not me...
No SLR this year, I decided to treat myself to a new digital camera and a pile of memory cards. Excellent for photos of the static and larger flying aircraft, but the 3X zoom is a bit puny for getting clear shots of the smaller aerial stuff. Still, considering how many photos I took, how convenient it is to be able to immediately review and delete your photos (especially if you think someone walked in front of you just as you pressed the shutter release...), and the total absence of processing costs, I reckon it was a pretty good idea. Plus, with all the photos available in digital format immediately, I haven't had to sit feeding photos into the scanner for an entire weekend, which is kinda useful when you want the photos for a website...
Flying participants only... static stuff to be added soon.