It’s now less than 20 weeks until aircraft start to touch down at RAF Fairford for this year’s Royal International Air Tattoo and we’ve got some new attendees!
This week we have the Czech Air Force checking in with a trio of aircraft travelling across Europe to join us in the Cotswolds.
They will be providing a PZL-Swidnik W-3A Sokol for the flying display, which is a great opportunity to see it perform its energetic search and rescue display routine.
Moving onto their other assets, the Czechs are bringing a LET L-410FG Turbolet for static display, which ties in with our operational theme of ‘Eyes in the Skies’ as this aircraft is fitted with a glass nose to enable it to carry out reconnaissance missions. Last but not least, they’re also sending an Aero Vodochody L-159 ALCA for static display.
At midnight on Sunday 2nd March, our enclosure offer moves from up to 10% off to up to 5% off both Friday and Sunday so to make sure you secure a discount, book now!
RIAT returns to RAF Fairford on the 18th, 19th and 20th July and promises to excite and exhilarate with an incredible array of aircraft action in the sky and plenty to see in the static display. We also have our Techno Zone®, where cutting-edge technology, innovation and education collide.
We have a wide range of enclosures available, to suit every taste and budget, where you can set up base and explore the show from. Check out all our hospitality packages here. Be quick though, they’re selling fast and once they’re gone, they’re gone.
If you have already purchased your general admission ticket and would like to upgrade to one of our enclosures, click here.
It’s week three of Take Off Thursday, and we are pleased to announce our first international display team with the Royal Jordanian Falcons joining us this July.
In addition to their exciting aerial performance, the Royal Jordanian Air Force is also bringing a C-130H Hercules for static display.
Closer to home, our friends in the German Army are set to join us again with a pair of NH90 TTH helicopters with one lining up on the static display, whilst the other will be part of the flying programme. Rounding off this week’s update is a pair of ‘Eyes in the Skies’ related aircraft with aPBY-5A Catalina and Piaggio P.166C touching down at RAF Fairford.
Next week (Sunday 2nd March) our enclosure offer moves from up to 10% off to up to 5% off for both Friday and Sunday, so to secure your seat at the best possible price, book now!
Enclosures are still available for Saturday including Altitude, our newest enclosure with all-inclusive food and drink, Viewing Village Grandstand, for a fantastic view of the flying displays and the Family Enclosure, our family-friendly spot to enjoy a picnic and watch the displays.
If you have already purchased your general admission ticket and would like to upgrade to one of our enclosures then click here. Be quick and book today!
A hat-trick of helicopters for this week’s Take Off Thursday, including the Portuguese Air Force confirming their attendance at RIAT25!
Participating in the flying display and in a unique camouflage livery, their AW101 Merlin will be heading to RAF Fairford for the very first time and performing a SAR demonstration on both Saturday and Sunday.
Sticking with choppers, we are pleased to announce that Historic Helicopters will be supplying their Whirlwind and Wessex for this year’s static display, joining a line-up of search and rescue helicopters. Meanwhile, also on static display, the Portuguese will also be providing a Lockheed P-3C Orion for a very rare airshow appearance.
Is there someone you want to spoil this Valentine’s Day? Then why not buy them a ticket to the Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT)? They’ll have the most amazing day experiencing sights and sounds that will raise the hairs on the back of their neck as aircraft from across the world touch down at RAF Fairford.
Or, if you’re already planning on joining us, why not make it even more special and upgrade to one of our enclosure packages? There’s one to suit every taste and budget. Take a look here at all the different options. But you’ll have to be quick as we’re already sold out for Viewing Village Garden, First Class Lounge, Flight Deck, Cotswold Club and Aviation Club on Saturday, but the Viewing Village Grandstand, Family Enclosure and Altitude Saturday, are still available for now. RIAT25 will return to RAF Fairford on 18th, 19th and 20th July and we can’t wait to see you there.
Take Off Thursdays are back and off to a flying start with an award-winning display heading to RAF Fairford. The Finnish Air Force will be providing their popular F/A-18C Hornet, which is set to feature in the flying display on Saturday and Sunday.
Joining the Finns is the Lithuanian Air Force, with its search-and-rescue Dauphin helicopter, which is returning to RIAT for only the second time, on static display.
Elsewhere on the ground and also tied to this year’s theme of Eyes in the Skies, are some intriguing civilian-owned aircraft courtesy of Fighter Aviation Engineering. The first of their two aircraft is a Supermarine Spitfire painted in Indian Air Force markings and equipped with aerial reconnaissance cameras, while the L-12A Electra Junior also carried out a specific role, as it was used for covert missions for the Special Intelligence Service.
We’re delighted that you are excited for RIAT25, with more than 50,000 of you having booked your spot for this year’s extravaganza. Like you, we can’t wait for the world’s greatest airshow to return to RAF Fairford on the 18th, 19th and 20th July. Five of our Saturday enclosures are already sold out, so don’t delay, book your tickets today and be part of the fun. Why not upgrade to one of our unique hospitality areas. You will need a general admission ticket to upgrade to an enclosure.
Dates have been confirmed for this year’s amazing Midlands Air Festival. From 30th May to 1st June 2025, this annual aviation and ballooning spectacular will fill the skies over the historic Ragley Hall estate with another thrilling international line up. Classic and military jets, high energy aerobatics, formation teams, helicopters, aerial ballet, flying circus, WW2 warbirds and parachutes will provide three days of almost continuous excitement.
As well as the air displays, organisers have confirmed they will be bringing over 150 giant hot air balloons, including some massive character balloons, known as ‘special shapes’ including Thomas the Tank engine, Snow White, Astro the Alien, Princess Nelly the Pink Elephant, The UP balloon from the film of the same name and our star balloon direct from the USA standing nearly 150ft – Oggy the Friendly Dragon.
A sneak peek at what’s in store
Described as the perfect way to start the summer, this year’s highly anticipated three-day event promises a thrilling programme of superb entertainment for families and enthusiasts alike.
Some of the highlights will include, from France, the mighty F86 Sabre classic fighter jet. Celebrating the 80th anniversary of the Pitts special there will be two versions of this famous aerobatics aircraft with top female Aero’s pilot Lauren Wilson in her standard S2 and world famous Rich Goodwin in his insane jet powered Pitts special.
The brilliant Flying Bulls from Austria will return to the Festival with several aircraft including the Bolkow 105C twin engine helicopter. This amazing display will feature the only chance in the UK to see a helicopter actually flying upside down. Only the B105C can undertake this due to a special fixed pitch rotor system.
Also look out for a flock of Bell 47 helicopters which are also celebrating their 80th anniversary. Easily recognised with their bubble canopies and their TV appearances in Whirlybirds and the Korean War programme M-A-S-H.
New to this year’s festival is the award-winning father-son duo Team Niebergall from Germany, performing their unique display, flying Marchetti SF-260 aircraft, nicknamed the ‘hotrod’ for their speed and grace.
Organisers say this is just a small taster of what’s to come, with more rare aircraft and of course the highly anticipated UK military formation teams yet to be announced.
Up, up and away
The excitement kicks off on Friday with an afternoon air display, followed by the spectacular sight of over 100 hot air balloons taking part in a mass ascent. As night falls, the festival’s signature Nightfire display will commence featuring illuminated aircraft performing pyrotechnic displays with fireworks streaming from their wingtips. The grand finale will leave visitors in awe as the event concludes with the breathtaking Fireglow display, where balloons fire their burners in sync with music, shooting massive flames into the night sky. The evening will be crowned by a dazzling firework festival finale, ensuring a truly unforgettable experience for all.
Trevor Graham, Midlands Air Festival flying director, said; “We are delighted to confirm we are back once again and would like to thank our regular and enthusiastic audience for their support already. I invite those we have yet to meet to join us for another unforgettable weekend. There will be further announcements about even more exciting aerial displays in the very near future.”
Don’t miss a moment of the action
Some of the most magical and ethereal ballooning moments take place early in the morning, so the organisers are providing a comprehensive premium camping facility, right in the heart of the show site for those wanting to experience ‘breakfast with the balloons’. The camp site will cater for tents, caravans and motor homes, and will provide electric hook ups, showers, toilets, a dedicated bar and catering concessions. This year, Midlands Air Festival’s campsite will offer the perfect opportunity for guests to stay in the beautiful surroundings of the Ragley Hall estate, only a two minute stroll from the show ground.
Day tickets are available to purchase as 1-day, 2-day and 3-day passes through the Midlands Air Festival website. The event is free to attend for children under 13 years old when accompanied by a paying adult. Standard parking is also free. The event is always a sell-out show, advance tickets are already on sale at discounted price until the end of January via midlandsairfestival.com. Children under 13 are currently free when accompanied by a ticketed adult. Standard parking is also free.
Over 50,000 people have already secured their spot at this summer’s Royal International Air Tattoo, before the organisers have announced any aircraft displays planned for the show.
However, that is about to change as event organisers reveal they will start announcing attending aircraft early next month, with weekly additions to the line-up being made on their social media accounts each Thursday.
The aviation showcase takes place at RAF Fairford and sees a plethora of airframes visit the Cotswolds from across the world. This year, the show’s theme is ‘Eyes in the Skies’, focussing on specialised aircraft used for intelligence, surveillance, maritime patrol, search and rescue, surveying and reconnaissance.
Head of Air Operations, Peter Reoch and his team are tasked with inviting aircraft to the show and says there will be something for everyone at this year’s event.
“Each year at RIAT we try and showcase a broad spectrum of aviation so there’s something for everyone to enjoy.
This year will be no different with plenty of exciting aircraft poised to participate, including rarely seen surveillance aircraft as part of our theme but also all the usual favourites including display teams, fast jets and helicopters.”
Last year 168,000 people enjoyed aircraft from almost 30 different nations and with a nearly 20 hours of flying displays over three-day show.
Tickets for all three days (Friday 18th, Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th July) are still available, with all under 18s going free as the event aims to inspire young people to reach their potential in air and space through the work of its parent charity, the Royal Air Force Charitable Trust.
The action at RIAT isn’t all in the skies, highlight of the ground attractions is the Techno Zone®, where kids and adults can experience the latest tech in the world of aviation, fulfilling the charity’s mission of inspiring young people.
“Seeing young people engage with aircraft, the pilots and the groundcrew is really rewarding and inspiring future generations is important to us as an event,” he added
“The charity does an incredible job in reaching young people, so if you have a youngster who is curious about aircraft, space, engineering and everything in between, we would love to see them at RAF Fairford this summer.” Tickets are available via www.airtattoo.com
We are very excited to announce that our FRIAT six-day ticket package, offering a variety of benefits, is now on sale. If you love aircraft then why not spend six days at RIAT25 witnessing fast jets, aerobatic and static displays of some of the world’s most exciting and exotic aircraft, all in the company of like-minded people.
RIAT25 will return to RAF Fairford on 18th, 19th and 20th July, with Park and View days on 16th, 17th and 21st July. Make sure you’re a part of it and book your FRIAT seat(s) today, which offers the best value, with the following benefits:
Wednesday 16th July: Park and View entry
Thursday 17th July: entry to both Park and View and FRIAT enclosure
Friday to Sunday: general admission to the showground and access to the FRIAT enclosure
Monday 21st July: entry to both Park and View or FRIAT enclosure
Allocated grandstand seat and access to exclusive FRIAT enclosure
Free souvenir programme
Left luggage facility
10% discount on RIAT merchandise within the FRIAT enclosure
We will start announcing this summer’s aircraft line up from early February, so the countdown is on!
In addition to yet another year of successful events, Shuttleworth saw a record number of passengers aboard the Collection’s fleet of vintage buses. Taking part in all seven of the 2024 air shows, making regular trips for general admission visitors, and operating during the site’s regular wider events season, the three buses have a combined a total of over 200 hours ferrying over 11,000 visitors around Shuttleworth. The fleet is a firm favourite with visiting school children and has also participated in no less than seven weddings so far this year.
A group of 11 dedicated volunteers make up the team who operate the buses. Driving is just a small aspect of the work the team undertake. Each member is closely involved in the maintenance, polishing and cleaning of the vehicles, as well as regularly taking the buses out into the local community in Biggleswade.
Shuttleworth’s bus fleet includes the Leyland Bus ST ‘Wellingborough’ from 1913, which is one of only three surviving second-generation double decker buses outside of London. It was rescued from the grounds of the Wellingborough Sewage works where it was being used as a store shed. The ‘White Rose’ Leyland SG7 was the outright winner of the London to Brighton Veteran run in 2002 and is widely considered the visitor favourite. The Charabus lived a varied life ferrying passengers between Northamptonshire and Bedfordshire and even spent some time as a static shop that was plumbed in for water, gas and electric before being restored and bought by Shuttleworth. It is now the sole survivor of its kind.
Visitors are invited to ride the buses for free but can offer a donation of their choice, if they should wish to do so. This year’s introduction of a ‘Good Box’ contactless donation scheme has resulted in an increase of 133% in public donations, all of which are used to help maintain the Collection’s wider fleet of vehicles – including the buses themselves. Donations from previous years have allowed the team to expand maintaining and operating the Collection’s 1913 Studebaker alongside the buses during the events. This has already proved to be a big hit with the public, and the team hope to expand this activity into 2025 and beyond.
Peter Hanlon, Vehicle Events Co-ordinator and Bus Manager, said “We are delighted that 2024 has seen record passengers aboard the three buses. The team take great pride in knowing that our ‘Hangar runs’ bring so much joy to our visitors, and we look forward to welcoming them back in 2025.’
Visitors can enjoy a vintage bus ride at any of Shuttleworth’s 2025 air shows and at wider events across the site (please check the website for further details). Subject to weather and availability. Get your tickets for Shuttleworth Air Shows at: www.shuttleworth.org/book-your-tickets (Early Bird pricing ends on 31st January)
With the festivities over, start planning your summer fun now!
Now that we’re in 2025, it’s time to start planning your year ahead. Lots of you have been super organised and have already booked your general admission and enclosure upgrade for the world’s greatest airshow, taking place on 18th, 19th and 20th July 2025 at RAF Fairford. If you haven’t already, then don’t miss out, book now!
Several of our enclosures are already or nearly sold out for Saturday.
Aviation Club Saturday SOLD OUT
First Class Lounge Saturday SOLD OUT
Cotswold Club Saturday less than 150 remaining
Viewing Village Grandstand Saturday only 30 premium seats remaining
Lightning Pavilion Sunday only 15 tickets available
Viewing Village Garden Saturday less than 200 tickets available
There are enclosures for every budget and requirement. Have a look at our wide range of options here. For example, our Family Enclosure is the perfect spot to enjoy a picnic with your children and watch the displays in a safe and entertaining environment, with plenty of activities to get involved in.
Or why not try our new enclosure, Altitude? Altitude will give you an experience like no other. It’s a great base to experience RIAT from, with its upper deck spaces and cool contemporary vibe. Complete with an all-inclusive cocktail bar with selected wine, prosecco, beer, cider, spirits, cocktails and soft drink as well as complimentary food served throughout the day.
Our prices will increase this month, so don’t delay and buy your tickets today!
Things will start to hot up now as we prepare for the world’s greatest airshow, which takes place at RAF Fairford on 18th, 19th and 20th July 2025.
Next month, we will start to announce our aircraft for both the flying and static displays. We already have some very exciting additions this year which we can’t wait to tell you about.
Our Eyes in the Skies theme will provide lots of opportunity for interesting exhibits in the Techno Zone® as well fascinating civilian and military aircraft.
So don’t delay, buy your tickets today. Time is running out to secure your tickets at Early Bird prices, as we will increase our prices at the end of this month. We hope to see you all there.
