A bittersweet thrill: daytrippers watch US warplanes in action at RAF Fairford

With some misgivings, families and aviation enthusiasts bring stepladders and picnics to the perimeter fence It was a 4.40am start for the Wilkinson family. They packed their car with gear you might take on a trip to the seaside – folding chairs, blankets, a picnic. But instead of heading to the coast, they drove 80 miles from their home in Hampshire to Gloucestershire and set up camp close to the perimeter fence of RAF Fairford to watch American warplanes take off and land . “It’s definitely ch