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Royal International Air Tattoo 2024 |
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| ‘The Qatar Emiri Air
Force also provided one of the stand-out performances of the
weekend, with an exceptional display of the new Boeing variant of
the F-15’ |
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50 years ago there was a lot happening in the world of military
aviation. In response to political unrest and global concerns
there was significant investment in the development of new
aircraft technology. 1974 turned out to be a very significant year
for aviation. It was the year that the Panavia company, an
alliance between Germany, Great Britian and Italy first flew the
MRCA prototype which would become the Tornado. British Aerospace
(now Bae Systems) also first flew the HS.1182 prototype that would
evolve into the Hawk and over in America General Dynamics YF-16
took to the skies for the first time on 20th January. The YF-16 became the F-16 Fighting Falcon (also known as the Viper in some Nations). It has left an indelible mark on aviation history. It is still fulfilling front line missions today and it stands as a symbol of global cooperation. In Europe alone, there are more than 700 F-16s in service today and it has been used by more than 25 countries. It was therefore no surprise that the Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) choose to mark it’s 50th anniversary with something very special. A static line-up of F-16’s from 10 different Nation’s was planned for the Saturday and Sunday of the show. This year, Airscene attended on the Friday. Whilst this is not a full show day as such, you can usually expect something unique to the other days of full displays. In addition, you can also expect a host of last minute arrivals for the static display too. The trade off is an incomplete static park and a slightly shorter flying display in comparison to the weekend dates. Although, a four-hour non-stop flying display is beyond what most other air shows in the UK can usually offer. To mark the F-16’s anniversary we were treated to no less than five F-16s in the air which included a superb solo display from the stunning F-16AM from the Danish Air Force. The specially painted red and silver jet was put through it’s paces in a thunderous display of noise and afterburners and the skillful aerobatics showed off the half-century livery perfectly. The other four F-16’s from Belgium, Greece, USA and Romanian made up part of the NATO flypast, but we will get to that later. |
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| The other two aircraft celebrating their 50th birthdays were not forgotten by the RIAT organisers. The Panavia Tornado got it’s chance to shine, with the Italian Airforce bringing along a special-scheme 50th anniversary example. The static display also featured two German Air Force Tornadoes. The Finnish Air Force got to show off their Mk66 Bae Hawk in a fantastic solo routine just after breaking away from the epic NATO fly-past. A larger formation of flying Hawks was also scheduled for Saturday. | |
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| Meanwhile, in 1974 the now potent Qatar Emiri Air Force began it’s life as a small support wing to the State of Qatar’s military. They too, were here celebrating half a century. They are also operators of the BAe Hawk, based here in the UK. One of their Hawk’s flew in early Friday morning to join the static line up. The Qatar Emiri Air Force also provided one of the stand-out performances of the weekend, with an exceptional display of the new Boeing variant of the F-15 developed especially for Qatar. The power and maneuverability of the jet was clear for all to see. | |
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| Stepping back to 1965 now, when the Royal Air Force Aerobatics Team, aka The Red Arrows were first seen flying seven Folland Gnats. They are of course now the most famous users of the BAe Hawk which is excellent timing as they celebrate their Diamond year. They are now back up to full strength with the full diamond nine back after a few years of flying 7 and 8 jets. They gave another flawless performance to close the Friday afternoon flying display. They are also supporting a new scheme to mark their 60th year. | |
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| We now step back in time to 1949, when following the horrific events of the Second World War, the North Atlantic Treaty was signed by 12 Countries to safeguard the future of the North Atlantic region. Since then, other Nations have joined the organization ensuring peace and protection for all it’s members. This year, exclusively for the Friday, RIAT organized a multi-national fly-past of an impressive array of aircraft led by the RAF’s Boeing RC-135W Rivet Joint. The fly-past also included a collection of F-16s, an Italian Tornado, two Saab Gripens from the Hungarian and Czech Air Forces, the French Dassault Mirage 2000, the German EF2000, an E-3 Sentry and a Northrop SF-5M from Spain. | |
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| We have to go back 100 years to 1924 for the final anniversary marked by this year’s RIAT. The birth of the Royal Canadian Air Force. For this year’s show they provided an impressive line-up of aircraft. Their McDonnell Douglas CF-188 performed outstanding solo displays, joined the NATO fly-past and formed up with the Red Arrows on Friday. On the ground, a large area of the airfield was dedicated to the imposing aircraft flown over the Atlantic for the show. The impressive fleet included a CC-130J Hercules, a Globemaster and the rarely seen Polaris and Kingfisher aircraft. The Norwegian operated de Havilland Vampire also proudly wore Canadian markings to help the celebrations. | |
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RIAT is held at RAF Fairford, a large RAF base in
Gloucestershire that is operated by the United States Air
force. It has regular detachments of America’s larger aircraft
including B-52 Bombers and the enigmatic but ageing U2 spy
planes. Examples of both aircraft types were present on the
airfield at the show, with the later taking to the skies for a
unique display in Air Tattoo history. The Lockheed U2 is
designed for extreme high altitude and is not a natural
display performer, but the combination of low fly-bys, touch &
goes and chase car passes made for an unforgettable moment
from the day. Those staying later on the Friday also got to
see a U2 landing following a mission, two U2’s flying in one
day!
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| Other stand-out flying displays from Friday included the now regular Spanish McDonell Douglas EAV-8B Harrier II, which performed an excellent display capped off with the obligatory hover. It was also great to see the Brazilian Embraer KC-390 Millenium in the skies. From closer to home, the Royal Navy Black Cats are a welcome site at any show and the RAF Falcons parachute team provided a different opening to the show after dropping in from the RAF’s C17 Globemaster before performing their trade mark formations and synchronized falling in glorious blue skies. | |
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| RIAT is organised by the Royal Air Force Charitable Trust and all the profit from the event goes to the charity and allows the air force to continue to support STEM programmes, numerous inspirational flying initiatives and a host of other worthy causes. There were plenty of exhibits and activities on the ground to promote these excellent causes. The display of static aircraft is beyond compare and a huge selection of stalls, stands and activities make for a perfect day out. The static display and showground are not fully complete on the Friday, but even still an impressive range of aircraft are on show from the RAF heavies to gems like the Turkish F4 Phantoms. | |
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| RIAT is the world’s largest military air show, it’s a fantastic demonstration of international cooperation and a brilliant showcase for the World’s best pilots, crew and aircraft. The show place over 3 days in July with the Saturday and Sunday being the main show days featuring a full day of flying displays. Many enthusiasts choose to extend their stay to take in the arrivals and departures. There are also a range of enclosures and hospitality options to improve your view and enhance your experience. If you have never experience RIAT, I strongly urge you to add it into your diaries for next year. RIAT 2025 will take place on 18, 19 and 20th July and tickets are already on sale, if it’s anything like this year, you will not want to miss out: https://www.airtattoo.com/tickets | |
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Review by Lee Chapman |
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