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The 2003 Military Vehicle Open Day was the biggest and hottest
I remember. Last year it rained so hard it was enough to warrant a hard hat; this
year a soft hat was essential. Split into two halves, the massed display of military
transport was basically Land Rovers and Everything Else - and for quantity I think
the Land Rover side of the road may just have won the prize.
The highlight of the day - for us at least - is the cavalcade out on the runway. In previous years the tail end of the convoy has made it onto the taxiway before the lead vehicles have completed the first circuit. This year, however, there was a sufficient quantity of vehicles to ensure that the head of the cavalcade met vehicles still making there way onto the apron - and the circuit is the best part of a mile! As before, the rules said "15mph, no overtaking", so we all behaved... for a while. By lap two, the return leg along the runway was getting more interesting. All good fun. Watching and listening to a 101 being opened up and let rip is an experience in its own right, and this is one of the few places there's space enough to do it without having to worry about having to make it go round corners.
Was it worth the journey? Of course it was. For the cost of getting there you have unrestricted access to the IWM plus the chance to play on the runway for half an hour plus the chance to go up in a vintage aircraft and/or be thrown across a sea of mud in a 432 APC - just how much more fun can you have on a Sunday. Report and pictures: Mike Allmey |
