Star comment: Flying high despite the road delays
Any motorist with their head screwed on knows that if they travel to watch one of the most spectacular events in Shropshire's summer calendar, the annual air show at RAF Cosford, they have got to expect queues and delays.
They are almost a given, although you do hear stories of people who get clear runs in with no trouble.
There are two sorts of delays. There are those which are the inevitable consequence of a huge volume of extra traffic. And then there are those which are the consequence of both extra traffic and organisational chaos.
Much thought had gone in to traffic arrangements for yesterday's show and it seems to have paid off. That may seem strange when you are talking of queues stretching up to seven miles, but there was no repeat of the hold-ups of 2013 which saw visitors held up for four hours.
The delay for the 2014 show will have depended on what time people set out, and those who set out early thinking they would avoid the rush will have been disappointed because many had the same idea.
It looks like most motorists experienced hold-ups of around half an hour, which considering that there was a bumper crowd of about 50,000, was very reasonable in the circumstances.
Extra trains were laid on and will have been an attractive option to those who have had a bad experience making their way to Cosford by road in the past.
The verdict from the Highways Agency is that things went relatively smoothly. There were delays, yes, but things were kept moving – that is something that is important for morale.
Cosford Air Show is a fabulous event. For those who are looking for air action but do not want to go to Cosford, there is another fabulous event not that far away at Welshpool, in the form of the Bob Jones Memorial Air Show, which benefits from being held on the same day as Cosford.
These are a fantastic family day out. The aerial thrills are entertaining in themselves and also, when historic aircraft like the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight are put through their paces, a modern generation is put in touch with the exploits and sacrifices of previous generations.
Many who were in the crowd at Cosford will have been before. That tells you a lot about the show.
You have to expect delays getting there but boy, when you do get there, it's worth it.
