R I A T 2021

[ch37]

Not sure if the timelines match up as I went quite a few times, but possibly RIAT at Boscombe when I was a youngster I was invited up to sit in the cockpit of an F111. No special contacts or access, just happened to be stood their with my Dad!

If memory serves it was an Australian one, again not sure if that's correct!

[Turn7]

Black Eaglesjust went straight over our heads, transiting to RIAT

[Sixpackpert]

Amazing day! Non stop flying from 10:30am to 6pm.

[SmithCorona]

At last RIAT (I.e. 2019) they definately had a couple of fixed wing heavy lift open. C17 at least. So it does still happen.

[Master Bean]

Great day out.

[tog]

I was at a local sailing club most of the day. Helicopters and props were a bit distant, but all the fast jets were right overhead.

[LHB]

Amazing day! Absolutely cooked ourselves in the sun but it was bloody worth it.

[LotusOmega375D]

Great day out yesterday. As posted earlier, we took a local coach company day trip, practically from our door step. All very convenient. We brought our own picnic and booze, so saved a lot of money on that. Only 25 on the coach. We were towards Eastern end of the runway. Plenty of space a few yards in from the fence for our folding chairs and base camp with ideal viewing. Organisation was great, although the bowsers were running short on drinking water, not helped by the fact that 80% of what poured out ended up on the floor!

Some lovely displays both aerial and static. Here’s a taster.



Look closely:























One for Eric. Silver Swallows from Ireland:

[clive_candy]

IanH755 said:

QuadCamCapri said:

Also used to go Mildenhall, Greenham etc. in the 70's, back when you could go in some of the aircraft, Galaxy, Starlifter, C-130 etc.

Last time I saw that kind of "lets show you onboard" at a proper airshow was more by accident than by design when a very fast moving and very heavy weather front moved through the Mildenhall airshow in '93 or '94 and the crew of the AC-130 I was looking at let people (inc myself) onboard for a few minutes to escape the torrential downpour.

After that I worked on the Harrier display team in '97-98 and worked airside twice for the Waddo airshow in '04-'05 and haven't seen that public access since, other than 1-2 very small PR events on Merlins (school visit in Kenya etc).

The KC-135 was open to the public on Saturday. Bit of a queue but you got to sit in the cockpit and in the boom operator's position. And what is it about Americans that they are so good at the PR? After talking to a few of them my son was up for taking US citizenship and joining the USAF.

[SBDJ]

clive_candy said:

what is it about Americans that they are so good at the PR?

At the last RIAT we went to, the USAF guys took my son in his wheelchair up the ramp into one of the heavy aircraft (memory fails as to which) and showed us around. He'd us back down too.

Today they wanted £20 to let my son have a closer look at the Osprey!

[Trevatanus]

LotusOmega375D said:

In case anyone is wondering why there is a giraffe in the cockpit.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/671347273660608

[silverfoxcc]

Request for Farnborough info

Can anyone nearby, or who is going today or tomorrow, give a heads up on what is flying in the afternoon display please
TIA

[Trevatanus]

silverfoxcc said:

Request for Farnborough info

Can anyone nearby, or who is going today or tomorrow, give a heads up on what is flying in the afternoon display please
TIA