May – Page 3 – Airscene News

New Irish Air Corps additions & classic jets await at RIAT25!

This week we have another F-16 added to the flying display, this time from the Polish Air Force! They will bring their ‘Tiger Demo Team’ to perform in the flying display.

In addition, four additions to the static line! The Irish Air Corps will bring their Pilatus PC-12NG and AW139 helicopter. The Commemorative Air Force will be extending their ‘Navy to Victory’ Tour with their Douglas R4D-6S “Ready for Duty” aircraft to include an appearance at RIAT25. This will be part of our theme celebrating 40 years since the first Air Tattoo was held at RAF Fairford in 1985, as the aircraft was here at IAT85. Finally, we add another classic jet to the lineup with a Fouga Magister, privately operated in France.

View Confirmed Aircraft

Time is running out to secure your place at RIAT25. We now have less than 5000 general admission tickets left for Saturday. And Friday is hot on its heels.

We only have one enclosure left for Saturday now which is Altitude. If you want to upgrade your experience then you need to act now! We don’t want you to miss out on all the incredible aircraft we have lined up for this year’s show. So book your ticket today while you still can! We can’t wait to see you all there.

Book Tickets HERE

The De Havilland Moth Club Present a New Event at Shuttleworth

On Thursday 31 July and Friday 1 August, the de Havilland Moth Club present their DH.60 Centenary Fly In event at Shuttleworth Aerodrome (Old Warden).

2025 marks the 100th anniversary of the first flight of the prototype DH.60 Moth, the aeroplane conceived and developed by Captain Geoffrey de Havilland which, together with its Cirrus and later Gipsy engine, revolutionised the concept of the light aeroplane around the world, as well as establishing the practicalities for Club flying and private ownership.

Across two days, visitors can enjoy seeing what is anticipated to be the largest gathering of DH.60 Moths since the Second World War, including several flying in from bases overseas. Marvelling at a fantastic array of de Havilland Moths flying into the iconic home of Richard Shuttleworth, a well-known de Havilland enthusiast, visitors can also take in a short bespoke flying display, featuring de Havilland aircraft from Shuttleworth’s Collection, including the oldest flying DH.60 Moth in the world, the Tiger 9 Display Team and more to be announced on Friday 1 August.

Outside of the airborne action, guests can enjoy an open airfield area, allowing them to get as close as possible to these stunning aircraft. Then there are all six of Shuttleworth’s Collection hangars to explore, and the calm idyl of the nine-acre Regency Garden to relax in before refuelling at the popular on-site Runway Café.

Stuart McKay, Secretary of the de Havilland Moth Club, said, “We have waited 100 years for this unique opportunity to salute the inspiration of Captain Geoffrey de Havilland who, against all the accepted beliefs of the day independently proceeded with the design and construction of a suitable engine and airframe which, in 1925, were agreed to be the most practical solution to providing standard equipment for the emerging light aeroplane clubs being promoted, encouraged and subsidised by the British Government under a scheme soon to be copied by the governments of Australia and Canada.”

Jean Munn, Head of Engineering at Shuttleworth said, “We are delighted to be hosting the de Havilland Moth Club for their DH.60 centenary celebration, an aircraft that our founder Richard Shuttleworth was so very fond of. We hope to see the aviation community turn out to support this fantastic occasion.”

Tickets for the DH.60 Centenary Fly In event, presented by the de Havilland Moth Club, start from £18 and children attend for free. Tickets can be purchased via www.shuttleworth.org

Aircraft from Poland, Canada and the Royal Navy

RIAT Polish F16

A pair of Polish Air Force F-16s headline this week’s announcement as we make further additions to our flying and static displays.

Their Tiger Demo team will be performing in the flying display, whilst their second fast jet will be lining up along our ever-growing ‘Viper Line’.

Turning to helicopters, we have the Black Cats display team plus two Merlin choppers courtesy of the Royal Navy.

Rounding up the week and bolstering our displays on the ground we have an RAF Poseiden a Royal Canadian Air Force Griffon plus two civilian aircraft in a Mustang and Corsair.

With under 3,000 tickets remaining for Saturday, we urge you to avoid disappointment and book your visit now!

www.airtattoo.com

Jets from Portugal, Lithuania and Hungary to join RIAT24

RIAT Portuguese F16

With less than 10 weeks to go until this year’s Royal International Air Tattoo, things are shaping up nicely, with a pair of Portuguese F-16s the latest jets confirmed to be heading to RAF Fairford in July.

Joining a plethora of F-16s across our ‘Viper Line’ we are looking forward to celebrating 50-years of the Fighting Falcon this summer. Meanwhile, also arriving from the Portuguese Air Force is their new Embraer KC-390 for the first time at RIAT.

Elsewhere, the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) is turning 75-years-old we are delighted to welcome a Lithuanian contingent with a Mi-8T Hip and C-27J Spartan joining us in Gloucestershire. Plus, sticking with NATO, there will be a C-17 Globemaster coming from Heavy Airlift Wing based in Hungary.

Rounding off this week’s announcement we have a Soko Kraguj and a Valmet Vinka taking part in our static display, both of them privately operated in civilian hands.

www.airtattoo.com

King Charles becomes Royal Patron of the RAF Museum

King Charles

We are honoured and thrilled to announce that His Majesty King Charles III has graciously accepted the role of Royal Patron for the RAF Museum. His Majesty’s dedication to honouring the legacy of the Royal Air Force and his unwavering support for our mission to share the story of the service make him a fitting ambassador for our institution.

King Charles III has always expressed pride in his personal connections with the Royal Air Force and has shown a deep interest in the history and wellbeing of the service. His Majesty is a member of the first Graduate Entry at RAF College Cranwell and flew in the Royal Air Force Museum’s British Aircraft Corporation Jet Provost T.5. which is now on display in Hangar 1 at the RAF Museum’s London site.

With His Majesty King Charles III as our Royal Patron, we look forward to further advancing our mission of sharing the rich history and enduring legacy of the Royal Air Force with audiences around the world.

Please join us in extending our warmest welcome and heartfelt gratitude to His Majesty King Charles III for his patronage of the RAF Museum.

www.rafmuseum.org

First time at RIAT for Serbia

Serbian AF at RIAT

This week we’re excited to welcome a new nation to the RIAT, with the Serbian Armed Forces becoming our 58th participant as they feature for the very first time.

Their new Airbus C-295MW transport will be lining up on our static display, and we look forward to seeing them at RAF Fairford in July.

We also have a bumper addition from the Royal Air Force, with seven aircraft joining us on the tarmac in Gloucestershire as we celebrate 75-years of NATO.

They’ll be providing Airbus Juno and Jupiter helicopters from RAF Shawbury, BAE Systems Hawk and Beechcraft Texan from RAF Valley, an Embraer Phenom and Grob Prefect from RAF Cranwell, plus a Grob Tutor.

Rounding off this week is a trio from the Royal Canadian Air Force, which is celebrating its centenary this summer, with a Polaris, Hercules and Globemaster. These three large aircraft will all be parked together, at the eastern end of the airfield in a special RCAF centennial area.

www.airtattoo.com

Gyrocopters Saved at Newark

Gyrocopter at Newark Air Museum

A Campbell-Bensen B.8M gyrocopter, G-ASNY that has been on loan at the Newark Air Museum (NAM) for more than fifteen (15) years was recently bequeathed to NAM in the will of the late gyrocopter collector, Roger Light. This complete airframe has been displayed in Hangar 1 since it arrived at the museum in April 2009.

Additional actions by the museum trustees and its volunteers has also safeguarded a significant collection of other gyrocopter airframe structures, engines, parts and assorted spares.

During several visits to north-west England, the items have been carefully gathered together and moved into storage at the museum’s site in eastern Nottinghamshire, close to the county border with Lincolnshire.

Work is already underway to sort the items out and to produce an inventory of what has been recovered. All items are in a good condition and early indications suggest that there are at least two nearly complete machines, with three additional main-frame structures.

The NAM trustees have agreed with the executor of the Roger Light Estate that eventually these gyrocopters should be made available for disposal to other suitable aviation collections across the UK.

www.newarkairmuseum.org

Air Forces from the Netherlands, Canada and Slovakia joining us at RIAT24

RIAT Dutch F16

This week sees a five-star update from the Royal Netherlands Air Force with four F-16s and an NH90 helicopter inbound to RAF Fairford this summer.

Featuring along our extensive ‘Viper Line’ of F-16 jets, which are celebrating their 50th anniversary, the four jets from the Netherlands are the latest additions to this special static line-up.

Further afield, the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) are sending their new Kingfisher to RIAT for a first-time visit for the aircraft. The RCAF are set to feature heavily at this year’s show as they celebrate their centenary with a designated area on the showground with further additions still to come.

Lastly, we are pleased to confirm the Slovak Air Force are participating with their C-27J Spartan joining us in July.

www.airtattoo.com

Strike Hard, Strike Sure: Bomber Command 1939–1945

Bomber Command Exhibition - London

Marking the 80th anniversary of the famous ‘Dam Busters’ raid, the Royal Air Force Museum London has unveiled a new permanent exhibition dedicated to Bomber Command.

Around 125,000 aircrew from 60 nations served in Bomber Command during the Second World War, volunteering from Britain, the Commonwealth and Dominions, occupied and neutral countries as well as German nationals fleeing persecution. Their average age was just 23.

Our exhibition shares the Bomber Command story through the lens of the personal experiences of those who served. They were, in their eyes, just ordinary people from many different countries and backgrounds. In history’s, they gave extraordinary service. Men and women from across the world, on the ground and in the air, played a part.

Throughout the exhibition, silhouettes depict the stories of individuals who played crucial roles, like that of Barnes Wallis the genius inventor behind the ‘bouncing bomb’, used in the famous Dams raid, and the Vickers Wellington bomber; Wing Commander Raymond Hilton who was the first operational captain of Lancaster ‘S for Sugar’, currently on display at the Museum; and Corporal Lilian Bader who was one of the first Black women to join the British armed forces.

Also on display are other Bomber Command aircraft such as the Handley Page Halifax and the tail section of the Short Stirling Mk III surrounded by new hi-tech interpretation.

New showcases have enabled us to exhibit personal objects taken from storage such as the fire-damaged flying helmet, jacket and goggles belonging to Sgt John Hannah. This brave wireless op/air gunner was awarded the VC by extinguishing an on-board fire with just his bare hands – thereby saving his aircraft and crew against all odds.

On display are some of the innovative technical developments that supported Bomber Command in the delivery of their operations. Visitors can see the replica 9,250lb cylindrical Anti-Dam Mine (also known as the bouncing bomb); the 22,000lb Grand Slam Bomb; and a Rose Brothers Type R gun turret.

The exhibition’s themes cover training, tech and tactics, precision raids, and experience and loss. Context is provided by a timeline detailing key events in Bomber Command’s history and aircraft development while new exhibition features including augmented reality will help aid visitor understanding.

‘Strike Hard, Strike Sure: Bomber Command 1939–1945’ is now open.

The Museum is open daily from 10.00am and entry is free. Pre-book your arrival time at www.rafmuseum.org/london

USAF, RAF and Hellenic Aircraft Confirmed!!!

RIAT Phantom

Things here at RIAT HQ are getting very exciting! This week, we have more announcements coming in from the Royal Air Force, Hellenic Air Force and United States Air Force.

First up, we’re pleased to announce the first confirmed aircraft from our friends in the United States Air Force! Visitors to RIAT will be able to see a mighty C-17 Globemaster III transport aircraft, coming from Charleston Air Force Base in South Carolina, on static display.

Somewhere a bit closer to home, as part of our SKYTANKER23 them visitors on all three days will be able to witness a simulated air-to-air refuelling flypast from the Royal Air Force’s Voyager! In addition, we’ll see multiple types of aircraft on static display, which will all be parked in the Red Zone near the RAF Experience. One to watch for fast jet fans include a pair of Typhoons on static display and a F-35B Lightning on the ground for the first time too.

In addition, we previously announced that the Italian Army would be sending their Mangusta attack helicopter for static display at RIAT 2023. Following further discussions with the unit, we can now announce that this aircraft will now be featured in the flying display on Saturday & Sunday!

To wrap us up for this week, the return of an Air Tattoo favourite, as we welcome a pair of Phantoms from Greece to the static display over the weekend at RIAT 2023!

Check out the full update here: https://www.airtattoo.com/airshow/aircraft/latest-updates-2023

You can have a look at the full list of confirmed aircraft as well as a sneak peek into what might be on the way in the coming weeks.

Want to see those Phantom’s flying into the show? Why not upgrade and become a FRIAT member!

Having a FRIAT pass gives you complete flexibility over what days you would like to attend, granting access to all the 3 show days as well as access to Park and View on Wednesday 12th, Thursday 13th and Monday 17th! From £300, you’ll have a front-row seat to catch aircraft arriving and departing over the full 6-day event, so be sure to not miss out on the opportunity to see some of the world’s best take flight.