RIAT 2016

[ecsrobin]

Trevatanus said:

Slightly different, but had my first ever taste of Mountain Dew at Greenham in 85 brought over by the Yanks in a similar way.

The yanks always have a BBQ hidden away near the aircrew enclosure at RIAT worth a walk through the staff car park to get some yank drinks, crisps and BBQ.

[williamp]

ecsrobin said:

Trevatanus said:

Slightly different, but had my first ever taste of Mountain Dew at Greenham in 85 brought over by the Yanks in a similar way.

The yanks always have a BBQ hidden away near the aircrew enclosure at RIAT worth a walk through the staff car park to get some yank drinks, crisps and BBQ.

I went to Fairford as an air cadet in the early 90s. I remember being invited onto the roof/wing spar of an Italian G222 to eat Italian chocolate and watching a display (I'm SURE it was the f14 Tomcat. Italian top gun references were hilarious). And the Americans having what seemed like a party in the back of a C5 galaxy.

Got to sit in a MiG29 and MiG23 too. And I met Rob Curling (when the bbc covered airshows). Great times. Then there's the story of 6 or so of us getting changed in the back of a Leyland Sherpa minibus. There was only one other boy in there....

I'm going for a lie down now. I miss the 1990s....

[NJK44]

Just a quick updated list of the FLYING display. Excited is an understatement!

Run down of the flying programme at Fairford, holy crap!

Belgian F-16AM
BAC Strikemaster Mk87A- Mark Petrie
The Royal Jordanian Falcons- 4x Extra EA.300L
The Wings of Storm- 9x Pilatus PC-9 Turbotrainer (Croatia)
The Ramex Delta- 2x Dassualt Mirage 2000N (France)
French Dassualt Rafale C
German Army MBB Bo-105P
Hellenic F-16C/D Fighting Falcon 'Zeus'
The Il Frecce Tricolori- 10x Aermachi MB-339PAN (Italy)
Italian F-2000A Typhoon
Italian HH-101A Caesar
Dutch AH-64D Apache
Polish F-16C Fighting Falcon
Polish Mig-29C Fulcrum
The Team Orlik- 6x PZL-130 Turbo Orlik (Poland)
Slovakian Mig-29AS Fulcrum
Swedish JAS-39C Gripen
The Patrouille Suisse- 5x F-5E Tiger (Switzerland)
Turkish F-16C Fighting Falcon 'Solo Turk'
The Red Arrows- 9x Hawk T1A (United Kingdom)
RAF BBMF Hurricane, Spitfire & Lancaster
RAF Typhoon FGR4
The Black Cats- 2x AW159 Wildcat HMA2 (United Kingdom)
USAF F-22A Raptor
USAF F-35A Lightning
USAF CV-22B Osprey
USMC F-35B Lightning
USMC KC-130 Hercules

[NJK44]

Latest update: 16/06/16

Airbus show off their tactical transporter, the A400M in the flying display.

Lakenheath sends a pair of F-15Cs for the static park from the 48th Fighter Wing / 493rd Fighter Squadron and an F-15E from the 492nd Fighter Squadron.

The USAF Special Operations Command provides a static MC-130J Commando II courtesy of 67 SOS.

The French Air Force bring two Alpha Jet E trainers to the static line up.
Carlo Ferrari returns with his Beech 18S

Two trainers from the RAF Flying Clubs' Association and Halton Flying Club in the form of Tecnam's P2002 and P2008 will appear in the static park.

The unique Piaggio R166C returns to the static display.

Tony de Bruyn's OV-10B Bronco and SC-7 Skyvan make a welcome appearance in the static park.

[z06tim]

Isn't there an F-4E Phantom from Greece coming? Unfortunately only on static display though.

[NJK44]

z06tim said:

Isn't there an F-4E Phantom from Greece coming? Unfortunately only on static display though.

Yeah there is. I'd love to see it come in on arrivals day but too far for me.

[z06tim]

NJK44 said:

z06tim said:

Isn't there an F-4E Phantom from Greece coming? Unfortunately only on static display though.

Yeah there is. I'd love to see it come in on arrivals day but too far for me.

I'd love to go to Fairford again. Not been since about 1995! I'm not keen on the crowds.

My folks live in a small village that used to see some of the arrivals coming in. Was lucky enough last year to see two B-2s fly over.

[NJK44]

z06tim said:

I'd love to go to Fairford again. Not been since about 1995! I'm not keen on the crowds.

My folks live in a small village that used to see some of the arrivals coming in. Was lucky enough last year to see two B-2s fly over.

It's closed now but there was a farm that people used to watched the show from, a lot less crowded, you've been missing out!

[ukaskew]

z06tim said:

I'd love to go to Fairford again. Not been since about 1995! I'm not keen on the crowds.

My folks live in a small village that used to see some of the arrivals coming in. Was lucky enough last year to see two B-2s fly over.

I've been for the past 5 or 6 years and not once encountered any traffic whatsoever. We just make sure to arrive bright and early (around 30 minutes before gates open), drive right in, then normally leave a little while before the end of the displays...drive straight out.

I do the same with the Festival of Speed, lovely and quiet at 7am on a Friday

[NJK44]

ukaskew said:

I've been for the past 5 or 6 years and not once encountered any traffic whatsoever. We just make sure to arrive bright and early (around 30 minutes before gates open), drive right in, then normally leave a little while before the end of the displays...drive straight out.

I do the same with the Festival of Speed, lovely and quiet at 7am on a Friday

Ditto. Get there at 7:30. Easy in. Leave at end of displays and it's easy out too. Very well managed.

[z06tim]

That's good to know, thanks for the tip chaps.

It's mainly the traffic getting in and out that puts me off.

Having done Goodwood quite early a couple of years ago I still felt it was busy, but not ridiculous. Probably arrived before 8am and queued up to an hour to get in.

[jmorgan]

Did two days last year and in before or by 7. Got in the people queue to get in and that grew quite quickly on both days.

Up at four mind you or the two hour drive.

[NJK44]

"
We are delighted to announce that visitors to the Air Tattoo will be treated to a show stopping joint flypast featuring the F-35B, two RAF Typhoons and the legendary aerobatic display team, the Red Arrows. This unique flypast will take place on all three days of the airshow. "

RIAT just keeps getting better..

[K50 DEL]

Just discovered that Rhymes is closed this year... that's me not going to RIAT then :-(

[NJK44]

K50 DEL said:

Just discovered that Rhymes is closed this year... that's me not going to RIAT then :-(

What's wrong with GA?

[K50 DEL]

NJK44 said:

K50 DEL said:

Just discovered that Rhymes is closed this year... that's me not going to RIAT then :-(

What's wrong with GA?

Have to be bought in advance and I can't commit to definitely going until the actual day, rhymes was great for that and also for decent viewing without being 3 miles away courtesy of the 'elf and safety idiots

[richebets]

K50 DEL said:

Just discovered that Rhymes is closed this year... that's me not going to RIAT then :-(

Totterdown farm park and view is open ( although this will be crazy busy from very early I would guess )

[NJK44]

K50 DEL said:

Have to be bought in advance and I can't commit to definitely going until the actual day, rhymes was great for that and also for decent viewing without being 3 miles away courtesy of the 'elf and safety idiots

Fair enough but I've always thought the distance of crowd line is great.

[Trevatanus]

z06tim said:

Isn't there an F-4E Phantom from Greece coming? Unfortunately only on static display though.

One of the coolest airshow related things I've ever seen was FIA2000, I was working there, and had to go to the security hut a few days before to get my pass.
The Eurofighter that year was a Luftwaffe aircraft and it was escorted down to about 500 feet by a Luftwaffe F4, the amount of st pumped out the back of the F4 must have done a lot of damage to the local ozone layer!

[z06tim]

Trevatanus said:

One of the coolest airshow related things I've ever seen was FIA2000, I was working there, and had to go to the security hut a few days before to get my pass.
The Eurofighter that year was a Luftwaffe aircraft and it was escorted down to about 500 feet by a Luftwaffe F4, the amount of st pumped out the back of the F4 must have done a lot of damage to the local ozone layer!

Some of my fondest airshow memories are the older, mostly 2nd Gen. fast jet stuff. This includes in no particular order:
F-104
Lightning
F-4

Perhaps we need a thread for "Fondest airshow memories", or maybe it already exists?