FSC Weston Pictures and Videos

[Ells228]

Photos and videos have started to come in from some fans so I'll start this thread and post them up with a description of each.

I have requested the photos and videos the organisers took and they should be with me soon.

 

Thursday, arrival and set up day

 

Must be getting close

 

Found it

 

 

 

Wow!!

 

 

This is where we are gong to set up our area, couldn't have picked a better attack helicopter to be next to and man I never new it was so big in real life!!

 

 

I wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of these rocket pods I can tell ya!!

 

Clive from Eventuality had already set his dome screen up for us to use and Simon (event organiser) had leant us his RED1 pit (thanks guys).

 

After about 4 hours of unpacking the car and getting it all set up, we're good to start testing the kit. Many thanks to John for all of his technical help.

The Thrustmaster T-shirts and donated Warthog have arrived, many thanks to Emma and Eric for these.

We're having major problems getting the dome Sol7 software to work on Windows7 and Vista and await a reply from Australia.

 

A very sunny day outside as the sun sets over Weston-Super-Mare

[Ells228]

Friday, press day.

 

Two boxes of TM brochures and 2 stands arrive so time to get those out.

 

 

 

 

The VRAF guys turn up and set up. Very nice guys, good to meet you Duncan and Alec.

 

With Ghost not coming to the event, I had a brainwave and try my spare XP box on the dome screen and viola, success!!

Simon giving it a spin...shouting at the top of his voice (all weekend I might add lol) Smoke On...GO!!

 

Now lets try the back seat ride view from our FLG show

 

 

And see what it looks like from show centre, some work to do on the joining of the projected pictures.

 

 

Now time to test the LiveStream HD feed onto the big screens around the hanger. Again thanks to John for help with this and soldering an audio cable to blare out Ripper's narration.

 

 

 

A few of the other exhibitors and press came to fly (as I cranked up the volume of Crow's calls on the phantom server).

Also got to meet Brandon and Ian from Sky High Radio (www.skyhighradio.co.uk), awesome guys, and an on-air interview with Brandon coming soon.

 

I saw Sky TV walking around interviewing people and have been told they took some shots of our display and me flying, so will find out more on that.

[Ells228]

Saturday, first public day

 

Up at 6.30am to get to the hanger for 7.30am start (thanks to Simon for wake up cup of tea), very bright sunny day and wondering how my TrackIR will perform with all the light in the hanger.

To be honest Saturday morning went in a blur it was very busy with lots of people wanting to fly in the dome and on my pc.

 

Some younger and older pilots. (Note, all images of children have had express permission from parents or guardians to be taken and shown)

 

 

 

At 11am I decided to open the LiveStream studio and check in with the team on teamspeak. To say panic set in was an understatement. Teamspeak had massive lag and I couldn't hear the team, LiveStream studio just wouldn't open an I was getting pings of over 1000 to Crow's server.

JOHN!!! I shouted as loud as I could.

From 11.30am until show time at 1pm I was running around with John between my pc and the big screen trying to figure out how we can improve the Internet bandwidth so we can do the show.

We had to take SkyHigh Radio off air and the VATSIM guys too in the end (thanks to both of them).

 

I had no time to have a warm up flight, attend the pre-flight briefing and was a little stressed at this point. Not to mention there was a crowd of around 30 people looking over my shoulder and a few hundred at the big screen.

 

Ok Ells, time to pull it together and show these people what you're made of!!

Ready to start our second live public show (on big screen).

 

Some of the crowd starting to gather for the show.

 

Despite all of the technical problems and pressures of flying in front of a live audience watching over your shoulder, we did an amazing job and got a rapturous round of applause at the end of the show, and I was even asked to autograph our flyers.

 

With no time to relax after the show, lots of people wanted to fly on our show phantom server and give it a go, so back to work for me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Duncan from VRAF flying on the phantom's wing

 

The last member of public to fly was at 18:30 so a very long, exhausting, but very enjoyable day.

We were due to have a Vietnam style disco, and I stopped off to get something to eat then go change at the hotel but made the mistake of laying down on the bed and woke up at 3am.

I would have loved to have seen Simon dressed up as a purple pimp but alas was too tired.

 

Sunset over Weston-Super-Mare on Saturday night

[Ells228]

Sunday, second public day

 

Up at 6.30am again to go get things warmed up, forgetting that the guys had a very late night and I ended up sitting in the car writing tweets and FB status updates until 9am when the gates opened.

Sunday was a busier day and the only time I sat down all day was when we were flying.

 

We had the charity auction at 12.00pm and Simon was hosting it. Great job mate and sorry for cutting you short so we could do the live show.

Over £1100 pounds raised for charity with the HOTAS Warthog going for £280, nearly retail price.

 

With all of the technical problems at the event sorted, we managed to get some tech problems on Ripper's PC with comms and music. I guess no show goes perfectly.

 

Many thanks to Paul and Julia for sending the photos and video of me flying the Sunday show. It was a great pleasure talking to you both and enjoy your holiday.

 

So, this is me flying our live show on Sunday, and no Ghost they are not gardening gloves lol

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Crowd videoing me flying

 

Here is a video of me flying on the Sunday, in the zone with stern concentration:

 

The day finished around 5pm, so time to pack everything up and I left Weston-Super-Mare around 6.30pm

 

Many thanks to...

Simon for inviting us to display at your event and we thoroughly enjoyed it.

John for helping getting all of the technical problems sorted.

Clive for providing the dome screen

Warren for all of your help over the weekend helping out with the public

Lee for letting us come into your museum

Brandon from Sky High Radio for the live coverage about the team

The catering guys for providing the much needed morning cups of tea

The public for your gracious comments

The LockOn and DCS community for your support and words of encouragement

The Fighter Collection for your continued support and charity donations

And mostly to our sponsor Thrustmaster for your support, for providing the HD LiveStream channel and for your charity donations.

 

RED8 Ells

[Panzertard]

Thanks for a great summary, Ellis. Sorry I wasnt able to watch your stream, but this makes up for a lot of it.

Sounds like you gents got even more new fans now, hehe.

o7

[Ells228]

Cheers PT, yeah I had a great weelend at Weston and made some good friends.

For sure we will be there again next year bigger and better.

 

The streams are still on our livestream channel at www.livestream.com/vralive

Although it seems the Saturday stream didn't save correctly so we will re-stream that this week.

[Heli Shed]

Well done Ells. Superb Flying.

 

'T'

[jib]

I was also amazed at how big the hind is in real life!

[Loz]

Yes It was a really good day out. I went on Saturday and was most impressed by the Museum itself also by the skill shown by the Virtual Sparrows! Impressive stuff indeed.

I satisfied myself with a thankfully not to embarissing attempt on Bobs sim in a JetRanger.

Was pleased to see one of the Whirlwinds HAR 10 that I did my basic helicopter pilot training on almost 40 years ago. Haha it's lasted the rigours of time better than I have and now that it's safely tucked up in this museum it'll outlive me by a long way hopefully.

 

 

With four other types that I've flown in my youth (or close variants of) I was well pleased at this nostalgic (for me ) visit.

I even bumped into one of my old Chinook budies who was now flying the HEMS chopper.

[Ells228]

Well done Ells. Superb Flying.

 

'T'

 

Thanks buddy, I had to get into "the zone" quickly with all the distractions.

 

I was amazed at thed Hind too and the smell of oil on the gun and rocket pods gave me a real "OMFG" moment.

 

Glad you enjoyed it Loz, did you come over and have a go?

 

Virtual Sparrows, why I oughta....... :thumbup:

[Loz]

Sorry I should have been more polite. How about the "Virtual Reds" as when I was in the service, quite a long time ago now, but I bet it's the same, they were always referred to as "The Reds"

 

No I saved my embarassing attempt at heli flying with Bob from RCSims. :)

[Ells228]

haha I was joking Loz.

 

I didn't really get a chance to fly any other sims as was busy for the 3 days, but there was some great stuff there.

Will def go again next year.