This week, we’re bringing you a huge German Armed Forces line-up for RIAT26, including three incredible flying displays!
The Panavia Tornado returns to the flying display – a rare and unforgettable sight. Joining it, the German Air Force’s Eurofighter EF2000 will also take to the skies as part of our ‘Fighter Meet’ theme.
On the ground, don’t miss the Airbus A321-251NX making its RIAT debut, alongside returning favourites including the A400M, CH-53G, and Sea Lynx.
Plus, the NH90 will feature in both flying and static displays!
A big thank you to our German partners. Stay tuned for more RIAT26 updates coming soon.
Don’t miss your chance to secure premium viewing at the best price. Sunday tickets for the Flight Deck and Cotswold Club are currently available at an exclusive 5% discount rate, but this won’t last for long. At midnight on Monday 6th April, prices will rise to full price.
If you’ve been considering upgrading your RIAT experience, now is the time to act. Lock in your place today and enjoy unbeatable views, comfort, and hospitality before the price increase.
Prefer to keep it classic? General Admission tickets are still available, offering incredible access to all the action, from thrilling flying displays to extensive static aircraft exhibits. With demand building, now’s the perfect time to secure your spot and be part of an unforgettable day.
The Royal Air Force Museum Midlands has been awarded a £1 million grant from the Biffa Award to support the development of a major new exhibition exploring the story of the RAF from 1980 to today.
The funding, awarded through the Landfill Communities Fund, will contribute to the delivery of ‘The RAF: 1980 to Today’ exhibition, a central element of the Museum’s wider Inspiring Everyone: RAF Museum Midlands Development Programme.
The innovative new permanent exhibition will share the critical role of the RAF over the past 40 years, inviting visitors to discover the RAF’s role today and how it is adapting to the future including its responsibilities for space and cyber defence. Through compelling storytelling, immersive aircraft and object displays, and digital interactives, visitors will gain insight into the people, technology and operations that define today’s RAF.
Biffa Award, is a multi-million pound fund that helps to build communities and transform lives through awarding grants to communities and environmental projects across England and Northern Ireland as part of the Government’s Landfill Communities Fund. The RAF Museum’s Biffa Award grant will support essential elements of the exhibition’s design and build, including display cases, lighting, setworks, mannequins, interactives, mount making, and specialist infrastructure.
Maggie Appleton, CEO of the Royal Air Force Museum, said:
‘We are enormously grateful to the Biffa Award for this transformative £1 million grant. This funding will enable us to create a bold and immersive exhibition that explores the RAF’s story from 1980 to today, a period of rapid technological change, global operations and evolving challenges. As part of our Inspiring Everyone development programme, this exhibition will help us connect with new audiences, reflect contemporary service life, and inspire visitors to think about the RAF’s future. The support of the Biffa Award is instrumental in helping us realise this vision at our Midlands site.’
Rachel Maidment, Grants Manager at Biffa Award, said:
‘We are delighted to support the RAF Museum Midlands with this significant grant through the Landfill Communities Fund. This new exhibition will shine a light on the vital work of the RAF over the last four decades, helping visitors of all ages connect with the people, technology and stories that continue to shape our national defence. At Biffa Award, we are committed to funding projects that inspire, educate and strengthen communities, and we are proud to help bring this important exhibition to life.’
The new exhibition forms part of sitewide transformation of the RAF Museum Midlands, made possible with the support of funders including The National Lottery Heritage Fund and the Royal Air Force, as well as the RAF Museum’s own investment. The redevelopment will also deliver a state-of-the-art Learning Centre, Collections Hub, expanded green spaces, along with a community engagement programme, ensuring the Museum remains nationally relevant and accessible for decades to come. The new spaces will be available for visitors to enjoy from summer 2027.
Progress has been made with the carried over restoration work on Lightning T5 XS417 at Newark Air Museum (NAM).
The recent spell of warmer weather has allowed the museum’s volunteers to apply the 56 Squadron ’Firebird’ makings to the tailfin of XS417. This work brings the successful completion of this particular project much closer to a conclusion.
In other news, the on-loan cockpit of Lightning F6 cockpit from XR757, left the museum site on Thursday 26th March, 2026 for a new home in North East Lincolnshire.
This cockpit arrived at NAM in summer 2015, when it had to vacate its previous display location at the former RAF Scampton airfield. Its new display location is much closer to the owner’s home in Lincolnshire. During its time at NAM there were limited opportunities for museum visitors to view inside the cockpit.
We’re?officially one week closer to RIAT26!?This week’s Take Off Thursday brings another addition to the flying display as the Slovak Air Force brings their UH-60M Black Hawk to RIAT for the very first time!?
We also confirm the participation of the Royal Netherlands Air & Space Force as part of our ‘Fighter Meet’ theme. They will bring a pair of F-35A Lightning II?aircraft?for static display?– only their second appearance at RIAT?– alongside their NH90 NFH.??
The Royal Jordanian Air Force will send their C-130H Hercules for static display, accompanied by a Jordanian cultural display?located?at the eastern end of the showground.?
Finally, the French Wing of the Commemorative Air Force will bring their Piper J-3C Cub to the static display.
Don’t miss your chance to be part of the world’s greatest airshow! Secure your RIAT26 tickets now and get ready for an unforgettable day of incredible flying displays, iconic aircraft, and an unbeatable atmosphere.
For a truly elevated experience, upgrade to one of our premium enclosures. The Cotswold Club offers a relaxed garden-party setting with great views, while the Flight Deck puts you right at the heart of the action with a prime viewing position.
See our website for all options available. Make it a day to remember – lock in your tickets today!
The news that many have been waiting for has just been released and it confirms that the RAF Aerobatic Team, The Red Arrows will be taking centre stage at the acclaimed Midlands Air Festival at the end of May.
2026 will be a historic year for the team, as for the first time in its long history, the RAF’s premier display team will have a female commanding officer. Wing Commander Sasha Nash recently replaced Wing Commander Adam Collins who has just completed a successful three year tour with the team. Wing Commander Nash is now responsible for the 150 strong unit based at RAF Waddington and will coordinate every aspect of the team, including displays, safety, engineering and detailed planning. Their appearance at the Midlands Air Festival will be the very first opportunity to see the team’s new season display at an inland UK air display.
The Red Arrows, who are the largest military aerobatic team in the UK, will join a stellar lineup of display aircraft from all over the UK and Europe, to include the rare cold war MiG 17F jet fighter from Poland, the Grumman Turbo Firecat from France performing its very first fire bombing demonstration in the UK dropping over 3,000 litres of water in 4 seconds and Team Raven who are largest civilian display team in the UK.
The Battle of Britain Memorial flight will be displaying with a Spitfire and Hurricane and unusually, a Douglas DC 3 Dakota as the Lancaster is in deep maintenance at the moment. There will also be the first display after a long restoration of the world’s only Westland Whirlwind historic search and rescue helicopter in company with a giant Sea King helicopter.
The RAF mass parachute team, the Falcons will also drop on all 3 days. Many more exciting aircraft make up the daily flying display.
Adding to the excitement is a major hot air balloon festival too, with over 150 giant multi coloured balloons including many special shape ‘character’ balloons, most standing over 100ft tall including Smiley Scarecrow; Fly Alien; Busby the Kings Guardsman; Orient Express and Iggy the Friendly Dragon.
The Festival kicks off on the evening of Friday 29th May with the signature ‘Nightfire’ show, with pyrotechnic air displays, balloon ascents, Fireglow and a massive firework finale.
The Midlands Air Festival takes place in the beautiful estate grounds of the historic Ragley Hall at Alcester from 29th to the 31st May. More information can be obtained at www.midlandsairfestival.com
A specialist team of Dustbusters with a head for heights are carrying out the annual suspended aircraft spring clean at the RAF Museum Midlands.
Suspended from the ceiling, up to 100ft in the air, eight aircraft including a Vulcan bomber, will all be given a light dusting this week as part of the annual clean and inspection. Other aircraft being spruced up include a Canberra, Meteor, Sabre, Hunter, Lightning, Dakota and Javelin, all displayed within the Museum’s National Cold War Exhibition.
Strapped into harnesses and with nerves of steel, the specialist cleaning team climb the rafters of the building and abseil down to access the aircraft. No cleaning solutions are used on the aircraft, just a good dusting using large soft fibre mops. In addition to cleaning the aircraft, the team are also conducting safety inspections of the suspension cables supporting the aircraft in their flying display positions.
‘Each aircraft in our collection has its own story and maintaining them properly is essential to ensuring those stories can continue to be shared with future generations. The suspended displays are some of the most striking in the Museum, but they also require a very specialised approach to care. It’s fantastic to work with a team that can safely access these aircraft and carry out such work with precision, helping us keep them in excellent condition for everyone who visits.’
Danish Seahawk debut and iconic fighters join the line-up
It’s been another busy week of planning for this year’s RIAT, including four more aircraft confirmed for the static display line-up!
Leading the way is a UK debut from the Royal Danish Air Force, bringing their Sikorsky MH-60R Seahawk. This marks the first time this variant of helicopter has appeared at RIAT, making it a real highlight.
Our ‘Fighter Meet’ line-up also grows with three iconic additions. The desert-camouflaged Spitfire ‘LZ842’ making its RIAT debut, Mustang ‘Marinell’ and a Hawker Hunter, planned to be ‘ZZ191’ in striking splinter camouflage. With discussions with international air arms still ongoing, there’s more aircraft announcements coming soon – stay tuned!
Saturday and Sunday tickets are now at full price and are selling fast, but Friday still offers great early bird value – a perfect opportunity to enjoy the action for less.
Looking to elevate your visit? Explore our premium enclosure packages for a more exclusive RIAT experience. With many Saturday options already sold out, availability is limited, so don’t miss your chance.
Planning for RIAT26 this July is gaining momentum, and we’re thrilled to confirm that the Belgian Air Force will be bringing several aircraft to RIAT26 as they celebrate their 80th anniversary this year.
Making its RIAT flying display debut is the NHIndustries NH90 NFH, giving visitors the chance to see this modern maritime helicopter in action over RAF Fairford for the very first time, which will perform alongside Historic Helicopters’ Sea King to showcase past and present Belgian Search and Rescue.
On the static display, the Belgians will showcase a powerful trio of aircraft, including the Airbus A400M and iconic F-16BM Fighting Falcon (adorned in special colours for their 80th anniversary). Their Dassault Falcon 7X will also be joining the static park as part of this year’s ‘Royal Flight’ theme.
More aircraft announcements are on the way, so stay tuned as the RIAT26 line-up continues to grow. You can find full details on our website.
Discounts won’t be around forever, and tickets for the Royal International Air Tattoo are selling faster than they did last year. Secure yours today before prices rise or dates sell out.
While Saturday and Sunday general admission tickets are now at full price, you can still grab early bird ticket prices for Friday, making it the perfect chance to experience the excitement for less.
Saturday enclosures now 90% sold – be quick to secure your place! Want to make your day even more unforgettable? Discover our premium enclosure packages for an upgraded RIAT experience. On Saturday, the Aviation Club and First Class Lounge packages have already sold out, and all other enclosures are 90% sold – so act fast before they’re gone!
Following a record-breaking half term week, enthralling visitors with what life was like during wartime in the 1940’s, the Army Flying Museum at Middle Wallop in Hampshire was dealt a devastating blow, losing all power on the evening of 19th Feb, and keeping their doors firmly closed for three weeks.
The Museum which has become a major player on the wider tourism scene over the last few years, has had to reschedule a number of their popular evening talks, along with a large number of school and group visits and regular weekly sessions. Regular visitors to the Museum and Café have been desperately awaiting news of when the popular Museum would reopen, but due to major investigative works, the car park remained empty and the Museum remained in darkness.
But good news is on the horizon, with the Museum due to reopen its doors on Friday 13th March.
Chief Executive of the Army Flying Museum, Lucy Johnson said “An unexpected situation is always difficult to manage, and for charities in particular, when finances are often challenging, it can feel even more overwhelming. Having to close in the middle of our biggest half term week ever was a huge blow for the whole team and we were very sad to disappoint those booked in. We have been without power for nearly 3 weeks which has had a huge impact on our income, but we have been bowled over by the messages of support we have received, and we are delighted to now be working to reopen on Friday and welcome our visitors back. And with the Easter holidays are only a few short weeks away, we can’t wait for the Museum to be full of life again!”
The Museum has another packed programme lined up for the Easter holidays including their popular Easter Egg Hunt, trails, crafts and much more. With a number of evening and daytime talks rescheduled, there is lots to see and do at the Museum this spring for all ages, as the team build up to their main fundraising event Wallop Wheels and Wings on 11 July, which this year is more important than ever in raising much needed funds for this much loved local charity.
The afternoon of Sunday 22nd March 2026 will see the return of our popular live at the museum event as a prelude to the museum re-opening for the 2026 season.
Travel back in time to the 1980’s and experience the sights and sounds of a combat alert at RAF Bentwaters during the Cold War in a unique night at the Bentwaters Cold War Museum.
Join our uniformed re-enactors for a ‘Live’ afternoon in the Command Post Operations Room, and watch from the gallery as they re-enact a scenario depicting real combat operations. It’s an opportunity to see what really happened in the Cold War and the perfect opportunity to take some very unique photos!
The event starts at 14.30pm with the ”combat alert” repeated three times during the afternoon, with each session limited to just 30 people, however whichever time slot you book you are welcome to join us for the whole afternoon to look around the museum exhibition rooms, enjoy our outdoor displays floodlit for the evening, or enjoy refreshments in our diner which will be open from 14.30 until 6pm when the event finishes.
There are 30 places available for each timed live re-enactment at 15:00,16:00 & 17:00.
