RIAT 2026

[theplayingmantis]

Great news everyone, the Royal Jordanian Falcons are back this year, so everyone has an easy 30 mins to wander the static, buy tat and get some refreshments.

Assuming you can park.
Assuming the Iran situation has ceased by then.


ANyway annual thread, who's going?

[Eric Mc]

Do you think it might be cancelled?

[theplayingmantis]

Nope but if it's ongoing, USAF assets will be thin on the ground you would think, and they do a lot of heavy lifting.

And the middle east air arms usually have a strong presence so again could impact that and generally a reluctance for NATO to have planes poncing around Fairford for a weekend jolly.

Edit but then this may a be a classic trick Eric question for those ignorami on this sort of topic?!?!

So I await my schooling! Maybe!

[Eric Mc]

No trick questions. I was just thinking that many of the air arms usually involved might want their assets elsewhere. And don't forget thta RAF Fairford is a USAF reserve airfield and used fairly frequently for deployments of B-52s, B-2s and U-2s.

[normalbloke]

I thought Fairford has just been authorised for the Iran love in. Be surprised if RIAT is held there…

Edited by normalbloke on Monday 2nd March 17:14

[theplayingmantis]

Its over a third of the year away. So unless this escalated massively there shouldn't be any concerns. Riat occurred throughout the other middle Eastern wars

Diego Garcia as used for the operation last year is more important i think.