OK mate, I'll re-check the dates, and see how Mick is fixed for work rotas, and be in touch.
Grant, Cosford was the first show I've been to on the 'public' side for many years, so I don't really know the answer to the traffic problems. In this instance, it might be at least partially due to the relatively long spell of good weather - 8 days without rain, and quite a bit of sun - as we haven't had that for six years, since 2006!
It could also be partially as a result of budget cuts in local Councils and Police Forces across the country, which I think would have an impact on funding for road signs, and Police traffic control etc.
I didn't experience the delays that Karl had, but it was evident that the poor guys in charge of traffic marshaling and parking, on the field, had been under pressure, due, no doubt, to what must have been organised chaos turning away those without pre-paid tickets. This was reflected in the parking arrangements, and just seeing the huge mass of cars and people gave some indication of what it must have been like for the two or three hours prior to our eventual entry to the field.
That said, at Cosford the actual parking arrangements appeared to be lacking from the outset, either by accident due to the huge influx, or at the planning stage, as allowing vehicles so close to the crowd line, with enough space between each vehicle to fit another one and half vehicles (or more) which resulted in people setting up chairs, tables etc, restricted parking slots overall, and made it impossible to get within 200 meters to the fence line, at best.
I think it would have been better to have a 'forward line', maybe 100 meters deep, or less, back from the fence line, where car parking ended. This would have allowed an open area up to the fence line, where the public could either line the fence (if they got there in time!), or set-up their 'camps' further back, which in turn would have allowed all vehicles to be parked with 'normal' spacing between each vehicle.
By doing this, at worst the same number of vehicles would have gained access, and probably more, which would have minimised the problems at the gate, and greatly reduced the traffic delays on, and from, the primary route to the field.
I know what's involved in organising and executing these arrangements at air shows, and it's not as easy as it sounds, so I won't criticise the organisers too much. But, perhaps they will have learned from this, and things might be better next year, although I doubt I'll be going there again for a show.