Angels have landed

#26
#26
davethevol said:
They ended up having maybe 4 food stands. The lines were crazy for them. It took me 3 hours to get from my house in Knoxville to the show due to the traffic. There were some amazing planes, and the F16 stole the show. I enjoyed it, but I wouldn't do it again. The area just can't handle the traffic, and the lack of food stands was pathetic.
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I'll be there Sunday, ticket for green lot. I can make it all day without food but sitting out in the sun I'll need plenty to drink. Were there more options for drinks or just the four food stands?
 
#27
#27
ruger1234 said:
I'll be there Sunday, ticket for green lot. I can make it all day without food but sitting out in the sun I'll need plenty to drink. Were there more options for drinks or just the four food stands?
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Not many options for drinks either from what I saw. There might have been a couple of lemonade stands. Someone really dropped the ball with concessions. I seriously waited in line for an hour for hot dogs and water. Maybe they'll have more vendors tomorrow.

Honestly, I think you might be able to sneak water in. I'd give it a shot. They didn't seem to have anyone checking for that.
 
#29
#29
Yeah, the 134th did ok with their parts, but Blount county and the Air Show was lacking in a ton of areas, particularly preshow...

I really hope it doesn't scuttle any chances for future shows, because I could sit and watch planes for days.
 
#30
#30
Does anyone know if you can access the red lot via 321 from Lenoir City to Old Glory to Louisville Road?
 
#32
#32
kiddiedoc said:
FYI: the above option worked out great
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I took that route too, but I live in Blount county, no traffic at all when I went a little before noon.

All I can say is that was the most F'd up planning for an event this size I've ever seen.

I paid $40 to park in the red zone and was able to take a bus to the other side of the airport where the exhibits were. What was F'd up is you had to walk back, I'm talking a good 2 miles as the buses drove by empty? The bus driver told us he was prohibited from taking anyone back. Why???

Water. You want something to drink you'll get some water a week or 2 later if you're willing to wait in line. There was an hour long line for the concessions.

Enough of my rant, the military personnel that were there were very polite and accommodating. I just don't understand why you need to walk a 2 mile hike back to the parking lot when empty buses were driving by? Oh and if you're thirsty FU.
 
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#33
#33
Whoever planned this event clearly was in way over their head. They should be absolutely embarrassed for how the parking/traffic and food we're handled. There was a news story about yesterday's parking fiascos and how the gate attendants for one of the lots weren't allowing people in even they were supposed to starting at 8 am. After a while people took matters into their own hands and drove in to the lot anyway. Just a complete cluster.

The Air Force was outstanding though.
 
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#34
#34
Parked in green today. It was about 2.5 miles to where we decided to set our chairs. Best seats for the show, just beside the VIP and reserved seating. We were basically centered for the show.

Where we sat I could grab food or drink with less than a ten minute wait. There were at least 10 food vendors within a very short walk. Waits for a porta potty were much longer than the food and drink lines so I forced myself to a limit of two tall boys.

Great show and the weather was perfect. Would love to see the thunderbirds there in the near future.
 
#36
#36
So are they planning on making this a yearly event? I know the last one in this area was like 16 years ago which is partly why the planning was so poor.
 
#37
#37
The friends I still knew in the 134th all sounded pretty fed up with the Air Show people and how poorly certain things were put together. I know mostly medical people and they had people dropping like flies all day, mainly because of the lack of available water and shade, and the jacked up ways they had people humping it in from 2 miles out. From the looks of people there, more than 30 or 40% had no business walking .25 miles in the sun, much less the distances they were walking.

As has been said, hopefully they learn and are able to put together a better show in 2017 or 18.
 
#38
#38
WallyBalls said:
The friends I still knew in the 134th all sounded pretty fed up with the Air Show people and how poorly certain things were put together. I know mostly medical people and they had people dropping like flies all day, mainly because of the lack of available water and shade, and the jacked up ways they had people humping it in from 2 miles out. From the looks of people there, more than 30 or 40% had no business walking .25 miles in the sun, much less the distances they were walking.

As has been said, hopefully they learn and are able to put together a better show in 2017 or 18.
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They literally give away ice water at crowded places like Dollywood to prevent dehydration and other heat related issues. It should be a requirement for events like the air show. All they would have needed is access to a water hose at the base.
 
#39
#39
WallyBalls said:
The friends I still knew in the 134th all sounded pretty fed up with the Air Show people and how poorly certain things were put together. I know mostly medical people and they had people dropping like flies all day, mainly because of the lack of available water and shade, and the jacked up ways they had people humping it in from 2 miles out. From the looks of people there, more than 30 or 40% had no business walking .25 miles in the sun, much less the distances they were walking.

As has been said, hopefully they learn and are able to put together a better show in 2017 or 18.
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I agree, with a 2+ mile walk shuttles should have been an option from all parking lots. Lots of people there in no shape to walk 2 miles then sit in the sun for 5-6 hours and then walk 2 miles back. The walk back was littered with people not able to make it back without help.
 
#41
#41
Coug said:
They literally give away ice water at crowded places like Dollywood to prevent dehydration and other heat related issues. It should be a requirement for events like the air show. All they would have needed is access to a water hose at the base.
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I know, it's such a simple thing and the Air Show people really dropped the ball.

One of the local utility districts had a little set up for people to refill cups and water bottles and that was it. So...4 taps for 100k people. (100k people who had been told a million times "NO OUTSIDE FOOD OR DRINK!" in the preceding weeks, so a good percentage didn't have bottles to begin with).

Eventually I think the Base folks got fed up and brought in some potable water tanks from the 278th to get water to folks and were passing out bottles as best they could.
 
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#42
#42
Other than the walk, my only complaint was the number of big tents set up all along the middle. It was a wide space that prevented a view of the runway and lowest maneuvers. I actually got lemonade in less than 5 minutes and used the bathroom with no wait.

Next time around, I'll be paying for better parking and reserved seating in advance.
 
#43
#43
Coug said:
So are they planning on making this a yearly event? I know the last one in this area was like 16 years ago which is partly why the planning was so poor.
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they use to do them at the Tri Cities airport,I think they spaced them apart by 4 years or so,maybe 6 ? I'm not sure about that though :)
 
#44
#44
ruger1234 said:
YES!! The speed and power of the F16 much greater than the F/A18.
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As a "show" the Angels are really cool but if you were going to pick just one part of the whole affair to simply go WOW! at an aircraft it was the 16.

Wish the Raptor had been given a chance to one up the Falcon.
 
#45
#45
hndog609 said:
As a "show" the Angels are really cool but if you were going to pick just one part of the whole affair to simply go WOW! at an aircraft it was the 16.

Wish the Raptor had been given a chance to one up the Falcon.
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Definitely. Watching it fly vertically at those speeds was unreal.
 
#46
#46
Anyone that wants to see a great air show, the Snowbirds are better than T-birds and Blue Angels combined. They will be in Winston-Salem on may 18th, I recommend anyone close by to see them, you will be blown away.
 
#47
#47
Saturday I took Mom & Dad to the airshow. We parked at the Armona Baptist Church on Louisville Rd. Gave a $20 donation to park. We had a perfect view of the show. The church had food/ drinks for sale $1/$2 only and clean port-a-johns.

After the Blue Angels we took a (L) on Louisville Rd. to Quarry Rd, and a (R) on Miser Station...back in Lenoir City in no time.

Yesterday, I went with a buddy and we didn't get there until 1:45 and missed the F-16 (if it flew yesterday). No traffic coming in on Pellissippi. We parked just off Alcoa Hwy. beside the Waffle House. Great spot but it was below the runway so we couldn't see any of the take-offs.

I assume it's for safety purposes but why were the walkways cleared for the military jets?
 
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#48
#48
AirVol said:
Anyone that wants to see a great air show, the Snowbirds are better than T-birds and Blue Angels combined. They will be in Winston-Salem on may 18th, I recommend anyone close by to see them, you will be blown away.
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all depends on what you're into. Those Canadians fly in a lot older and slower birds. It makes their moves look appealing, but the pure power and force of the Hornet makes me more giddy watching the Blue Angels
 
#49
#49
hndog609 said:
As a "show" the Angels are really cool but if you were going to pick just one part of the whole affair to simply go WOW! at an aircraft it was the 16.

Wish the Raptor had been given a chance to one up the Falcon.
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No doubt.

The ideal air show for me would have just been if they had the statics out for display until about noon, then give them each a chance to fly around a little bit. I love A-10s. B-1Bs are impressive as hell to see streak over top of you. Even C-17s are cool to watch because they're so damn big.
 
#50
#50
You all need to attend an Air Show at an active duty air base.

I've seen a B52 at Blytheville AFB come in about 200 ft above the runway and then pull straight up. Efing Crazy! That same pilot, a couple years later, buzzed a tower, and a couple years after that, he was hotdoging it and crashed.

Finding food and drink on an active duty base during an air show shouldn't be an issue.

Go TBirds!!!
 
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