Farnborough International Airshow 2008

On-site at the Farnborough Airshow to do a bit of corporate/commercial work, I took advantage of being where I was to do a bit of aerial photography (as you do). I think the B-1 bomber took the crown as the Loudest Damn Aircraft In The Vicinity, but a few other aircraft were also noisy enough to set off most car and house alarms in the vicinity. A fun day, but very tiring, and I got enormously sunburnt! Anyway, here are a few shots from this set.


One of the Blades' aerobatic team doing something crazy


All four of the Blades' team doing something crazy


An F-18 taking off


You can bet the pilot was feeling that turn


A Eurofighter Typhoon being put through its paces (with afterburners engaged - not a quiet aircraft)

Wakestock 2008 at Blenheim Palace (Sunday)

The weather over the weekend was generally good and sunny, if on the windy side (which made striking a tent quite challenging). The sun brought out lots of smiles!





There were also fairly continuous displays of skateboarding and BMX tricks on the Vans-sponsored ramp. The pool gap was also busy again, including a wet t-shirt competition.









Then on to the evening's entertainment, with Estelle, The Streets, The Futureheads and Supergrass (amongst others) doing the honours.


Estelle


Mike Skinner from The Streets


The Streets


Supergrass

Wakestock 2008 at Blenheim Palace (Saturday)

Saturday morning at Wakestock kicked off with some of the world's best wakeboarders competing on the lake beneath Blenheim Palace to see who could pull off the best stunts and tricks. It was a more relaxed affair on the lakeside, with the festival punters easing out of their hangovers from the night before with some free energy drink samples that were being handed out and hot bacon butties from the van parked nearby.







After the wakeboarding, everyone decamped back to the main festival site. There was more wakeboarding at the Pool Gap, a custom wakeboarding stunt pool erected in the middle of the main arena. There was the odd painful moment as the riders wiped out.





The festival had secured some pretty big names to play on the various stages spread across the site (not bad for Glastonbury weekend). The headliners on Saturday included The Happy Mondays, The Mark Ronson Players and Funeral for a Friend, who all gave very entertaining performances (having said which, Shaun Ryder and Bez from the Happy Mondays didn't look as if they were too sure where they were).


Shaun, Bez and a guest vocalist from The Happy Mondays


Bez from the Happy Mondays


The crowd goes wild for Mark Ronson


Mark Ronson


Mark Ronson, again


Funeral for a friend


Stay tuned for Sunday's action!

Wakestock 2008 at Blenheim Palace (Friday)

Wakestock is "Europe's largest wakeboard music festival". It's been going for many years in Abersoch in North Wales, but this year they branched out to a new venue: Blenheim Palace near Oxford, in the village of Woodstock (an apt location for a music festival perhaps). It was a blast - highly recommended.

I arrived late on the Friday evening, but managed to snap some pictures of DJ Nu-Mark (and his appreciative crowd) performing in the Beach Arena. I'll put up more pictures from the weekend soon.