Salthill Airshow, Galway

po0k

I'm looking into it.
Hold your horses.
Thread locked for the moment.

po0k

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2054951835

Those the posts in question?

po0k

Cross-posted from SIN

SyxPak wrote:

Question:

Anyone care to backup the Indymedia line about the Garda bursting the balloons in the back of the vendor's van?

Apparently the Gardaí communicated the dangers of releasing the balloons into the airspace, and the GAAW organiser apparently agreed to let the attendees know they weren't to release the balloons.

Personally I thought that would've been a better idea, 99 balloons in the sky looks kinda weak. a cloud of 99 red balloons 'floating' over a crowd of people walking along the length of the prom would've been a far better way of passively raising awareness of the GAAW's opposition to the presence of the RAF pilots.

Irregardless: can someone corroberate any of the (what I am considering for the moment to be) rumours regarding the Garda-powered balloon destruction?
I don't trust either side, if it's true, then the Gardaí may have executed a Public Relations damage limitation action, yet if they had surely the GAAW would have at least one photo of either the evidence of burst balloons after the fact or a picture of them being burst. Surely?

My left ear is slightly fecked after the F-15 high-speed passes. The Red Arrows were cool, first time I've seen them first-hand. The announcer's continual blurbs about XYZ pilot joining the RAF directly after school/university midly irritated me. Those who know the purpose behind air force display teams will know why.

The Alouettes, Eurocopter and the Irish Coast Guard Sikorsky were cool.
Rotary >> Fixed Wing imho.

MargeS

People seem to forget that the airshow is FREE. Most civilian acts charge large fees to display, organisers also have to cover fuel and accommodation costs.
Other military acts ask for fees in the form of donations.
As far as I know the local Corpo doesn't financially support the airshow very well and the local Salthill businesses aren't too keen on putting their hands in their pockets. Mind you, they are not afraid to take your money on the day.
Every year it gets harder for the organisers to put on a good show without decent financial backing.

IrishAirCorps

Bottom line is its the only Airshow in the Republic this year so be happy that you even got to see one, shame one the whingers your never happy. Long may the Salthill Airshow continue to grow as its the only time you will get 100,000+ Salthill. Besides i think the Organisers should be Commended for their efforts in putting on a FREE show for us all to enjoy, You have to remember the organisers write to practically every air force in Europe & also the USA requesting aircraft.

What Salthill gets, with regards to military aircraft anyway, is what the respective governments / air forces decide to send.

Another thing to remember is the fact that the UK Forces have no fast jet displays apart from the Hawk outside the UK this year, the Germans don't do any display flying at all and the Dutch PC-7 is staying in the Netherlands also this year.

There are a few big shows in the UK that didn't have the Reds this year and they were kind of relying on them but yet they came to Salthill.

Things are getting tight at air shows all over Europe, free & private air shows are few and far between (by private I mean non-military organised) and money seems to be getting more scarse.

Would any of you guys out there be willing to throw a few euro into a bucket to help the show or did you even throw some money intot he buckets going around on the day? ? If so it possibly opens more options but without increaded financial support the show could dissapear.

I think for the resources available it was a great show and all involved in the organising team should be commended.

mikeanywhere

IrishAirCorps wrote:

I think for the resources available it was a great show and all involved in the organising team should be commended.

I agree!!

Rabbitinlights and I are following each other. Here are a selection of my pics.

po0k

Who's winging?

I threw a few quid in the buckets (first time I recall seeing them at the Airshow).

The Airshow is one of the summer events, it is a shame the event isn't developed, the 'Military' aspect that people seem to have been griping about was largely the presence of pilots who had served in Iraq. Their issue was one of opposition to what is an illegal 'battle' in an epic war spanning the last century. It's as a consequence of that that they are protesting UK and US military involvement in the AirShow.
Sucks for the oranisers, but in the event, the protest seems to have gotten very little coverage outside of the Indymedia. Which is typical. You'd hardly see it on the front page of the advertiser's website. Too Controversial.
Shame on some local businesses (read Pubs, Hotels) for profiteering. You'd almost imagine they don't sweep up enough money from the street during Race Week.

In parting I'll say this: I have a great love for planes, jets, tanks, military hardware in general. I've had an interest in tech since I was a wee lad. I don't like what the equipment has been and can be used for, and I don't like the unbalanced glorification of war (yet I still get a great kick out of playing games based soley around fragging other gamers), but there are an awful lot of bedroom Rambos who refuse to hear their public floorshows criticised in any way and dismiss any unpalatable facts as hippie rubbish. Some of it may well be spurious bollocks, but weigh up the hard evidence, don't rely on one news sources and be wise to the machinations.
You'll have hyperbolic hypocrits on both sides. You'll find a mucky truth somewhere in the middle.

K_user

SyxPak wrote:

I'm looking into it.
Hold your horses.
Thread locked for the moment.

Sorry! My "cough" was to cover up a double post not to rush anyone!!

K_user

Who’s whinging???

As I’ve stated already it was a great show and I really enjoyed it. Some of the shots shown on this thread are evidence enough for that – might add my some of my own if I get the chance.

The Jets where fantastic, nothing quite like the sound they make as they boom past!

The airshow is great for Galway, I've been to the last 3 and will continue to go as long as the event is put on.

My comments about the new mayor, Niall Ó Brolchain, stance on the airshow was on his opinions not mine.

TempestSabre

mikeanywhere - great photos mike. What camera did you use?

IrishAirCorps

The whingers and moaners are on other sites no offence guys!

sgthighway

SyxPak wrote:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2054951835

Those the posts in question?

Yes. I didn't realise it was a seperate thread:o
Sorry for wasting your time

mikeanywhere

TempestSabre wrote:

mikeanywhere - great photos mike. What camera did you use?

Thanks Tempest - Canon EOS 20D

TempestSabre

mikeanywhere wrote:

Thanks Tempest - Canon EOS 20D

Thought it might be something like that. You should share them over on SimHQ - Event Photography Forum.
http://www.simhq.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=forum;f=122 Theres some already posted but yours are better I think.

IrishAirCorps

Check these pics out! Now this is quality! Not mine.


http://www.irishairpics.com/cgi-bin/ikonboard.cgi?;act=ST;f=22;t=1233

http://www.irishairpics.com/cgi-bin/ikonboard.cgi?;act=ST;f=22;t=1234

daveg

Missed it this year. The line up this year did not interest me (no Tornado's) but I was pissed I missed the 2 F15's.

Also didn't bother as I'm going to this next week. Gonna see me a Eurofighter Typhoon as well as getting up close with lots of fast jets on the ground. I'll post back some pics next week..

mikeanywhere

daveg wrote:

Also didn't bother as I'm going to this next week. Gonna see me a Eurofighter Typhoon as well as getting up close with lots of fast jets on the ground. I'll post back some pics next week..

Jammy beggar - have fun!!

mikeanywhere

TempestSabre wrote:

Thought it might be something like that. You should share them over on SimHQ - Event Photography Forum.
http://www.simhq.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=forum;f=122 Theres some already posted but yours are better I think.

Thank you for that Tempest, very kind words.

alb

My photos of the day (excluding red arrows - they'll follow in a seperate series) for anyone interested:

Salthill Air Show 2006 photos

IrishAirCorps

ALB can you PM me please? Its all good i promise!;)