The Royal International Air Tattoo (better known as RIAT) is the world’s largest military air show, it’s a superb demonstration of international cooperation and a brilliant showcase for the World’s best pilots, crew and aircraft. The show takes place over 3 days in July with the Saturday and Sunday being the main show days featuring a full day of flying. Many enthusiasts choose to extend their stay to take in the arrivals days (Wednesday and Thursday) and the departures day on Monday. These days are excellent ways to see the unique and eclectic collection of aircraft intended for static display flying in and out of the airfield.  

This year Airscene elected to attend on the Friday of the show. The Friday offers a mix of aircraft arrivals and a comprehensive flying display. Although, the Friday offers a shorter show time, the schedule was still packed and the last few hours of the day are often a great opportunity to catch a few unusual aircraft as they fly-in for the weekend, for example the French Air & Space Forces E-3 Sentry dropped in shortly after the RAF’s F35 Lightning II closed the official flying display.

One downside of the Friday is that not all of the showground is complete and therefore partially closed to the public. This means, access from the Green car park is via a shuttle bus which can add to delays entering and exiting the venue. You also get a tantalizing glimpse of some of the aircraft being lined up for the weekend. The USAF B-1 Lancer was just being repositioned as we arrived, but sadly out of reach for a reasonable photograph. The B1 Lancer was also scheduled to feature in the flying display, but sadly this was not to be due to operational reasons.

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 its large Bombers and the enigmatic but ageing U2 spy planes. An example of the Lockheed U2 was the first aircraft to greet us as we skipped off the shuttle bus. Sadly, most of the other USAF aircraft on static were in the closed area, including some of the F15 and F35 Fighters also based here in the UK at RAF Lakenheath. The U2 aircraft headed up a range of aircraft to feature in this years theme ‘Eye’s in the Sky’. There was also an excellent range of Search and Rescue Aircraft on show within the static park.

The ‘Eye’s in the Sky’ theme was interpreted in a number of different ways. It was fantastic to see such a great range of Search & Rescue aircraft around the showground and in the flying display. The Portuguese Air Force excelled at this with their role demonstration in the Leonardo AW101 Merlin. The RAF’s Rivet Joint used for aerial electronic surveillance also made a rare flying appearance with a low-level fly-past. Sadly, the RAF’s latest acquisition, the Wedgetail was unable to make the planned fly-past with the Red Arrows on the Friday. This would have been the icing on the cake for the theme.

On the ground, the ‘Eye’s in the Sky’ theme was well-adopted by several nations and civilian organisations. Over from Duxford we had the superb Supermarine Spitfire Mk 14 with its special Indian Air Force markings and photo reconnaissance camera ports clearly on view. Alongside it was a beautiful Lockheed Electra once operated by Sidney Cotton, who was largely credited with the development of the RAF’s aerial photography wing during the Second World War. Airscene were also lucky to be granted a private tour of the two Metrea aircraft on show, their Fire Swift and Swift Eye are the pinnacle of aerial surveillance and communications. The former aircraft was on show for the first time and will soon be put to use in tackling forest fires from the air.

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 RAF presence on the ground was impressive with a huge RAF experience area with an A400m Atlas at it’s centre. Even early in the morning, the crowds were gathered to meet their Red Arrow pilot heroes.

If anyone has not experienced RIAT, then it’s worth explaining the concept as it is unlike any other UK air show. Air arms from all over the world are invited to take part in both the static and flying displays. RIAT organisers offer out a theme and put in requests, but  ultimately, the participating aircraft is dictated by what assets each nation is prepared and able to send. Most of the aircraft on show are cutting edge military aircraft flown by their own operational pilots, but some civilian operators are also invited. The flying display is second to none and you get some real gems parked up on the concourse for close inspection. This year the Egyptian Air Force became the 59th nation to attend the show, they brought along a beautiful example of the Antonov An-74T ‘Coaler’. The Greek Dassault Mirage 2000 aircraft were other highlights on the ground.

The RAF put in an excellent performance for the air display sending along their Typhoon display team for a flawless solo routine. The Red Arrows never fail to impress, but at RIAT the crowd get to see them take off and land which really adds to the excitement. Their iconic diamond nine is still a crowd-pleaser. Sadly, the Avro Lancaster was not quite ready for the Friday, but a Spitfire and Hurricane did a Stirling job representing the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight.

There was also fast jet displays from the Finnish Air Force with their F18 Hornets and the Polish F16. Plus, an excellent performance from the Slovenian Air Force with their solo PC9 display – performing some unearthly manoeuvres. But, the Friday display was dominated by some incredible helicopters. In addition to the Portuguese Merlin mentioned earlier we also saw the impressive Swedish Black Hawk and the German MH90. The Royal Navy Black cats also put in a fantastic show with their two Wildcat helicopters.

However, the stars of the show were the Army Air Corp who, with two Apache’s and a wildcat literally set alight to the airfield with their explosive role demonstration. The three helicopters danced around the sky in a simulation of the modern battlefield, showing us how the 3 assets work together as a team to gather intelligence, spot targets and attack. The display included epic pyrotechnics and a grand finale with flames erupting behind the 3 helicopters right in front of the crowd.

Review by Lee Chapman