Many thanks indeed Jerry... it really worked out well, despite a few hiccups. Someone ran off with our generator in the late afternoon, so there was a little delay in getting started, while we found a substitute. It turned out to be an innocent mistake, and worked out for the best in the end, but we could have done without the worry. We had a very tight schedule too, as we had to finish up the twilight air show first, and then plunge straight into the night time engine run. I think my prior experiences in Connecticut helped a great deal, as I knew a lot about what to expect... especially how to position the aircraft and lights quickly, and to cope with communicating in such a noisey environment. The Gatineau City fire engine team, and the Vintage Wings maintenance team worked really well together, and Peter Handley and I coordinated with them easily.... which was vital. Also, from past experience working with you Jerry, we knew we'd have a problem with how quickly the water ran off from the tarmac. We solved the issue rather simply by getting the fire truck guys to use the low-pressure hose at the front of the engine, instead of the high pressure unit on the top. It makes perfect sense in retrospect.
We had a good crowd of Vintage Wings members as well. It was the members only evening, before the main show the following day. Because this was the first year we've done this in Gatineau, we had two crowd lines... one for onlookers at the side, and then a hotramp only area for the organizers. Next year, we hope to have a VIP photo area, like at Stratford, but like all things... baby steps at first.
I can't thank the guys at Vintage Wings enough for everything they did to make this happen, especially Peter Handley, Dave O'Malley, Rob Fleck and Carolyn Leslie... but I also have you, Jerry, to thank for having the idea in the first place, and asking me to help out with your show in Connecticut in 2010. That was the model we worked from, despite the difficulties encountered with formulating a new event. I believe it's probably the first of it's kind at a modern-day public show in North America. With all the experience we have now, next year will go like clockwork.... just so long as no one runs off with our generator
Cheers,
Richard
_________________
Richard Mallory Allnutt - Photography -
http://www.rmallnutt.com
Login
Register
FAQ
Search
