I’ve been going to airshows since I was about 7 years old and have taken tens of thousands of photos which are mostly gathering dust up in the loft or hidden away on hard drives. Also gathering dust are the sights and sounds stored in my brain so I’ve decided to start banging it all up on the web and bring some order to the chaotic jumble of over 40 years’ worth of air display experiences in my head.

Going to an airshow isn’t just about sitting on the crowd line watching the display or shooting the statics. Each one is a unique, never to be repeated life experience. It starts with the planning, the anticipation, who you go with, the drive to get there followed by the queuing to get in. It’s the weather, the quality of your overpriced bacon sarnie, where you sit, what kit you are using to shoot pics. The stalls, the tat you get, models, books, t-shirts even the program. And yes, the actual aviation! Unexpected favourites, disappointments, subtle changes to a routine that can make an entire day. Sounds, smells. I remember an ex-girlfriend telling me I smelt like her dad ( a fellow avgeek) when I got home from an airshow. Avtur, Avgas, cigs, burgers, suncream.

This wider view of each airshow I’ve been to is what I really want to share with you and hopefully you ‘get’ it. Some recollections will be very scant but hopefully the more I write the more will come back as I get in the flow.