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.

[a340driver]

I bought tickets last year after 25 years of not wanting to go.

I went there with static displays a couple of times with 101Sqn VC10's, first as a Co then as a Captain and couldn't see myself as a punter. Mainly because it was expensive and I like free things, especially food and beer.

But now I'm not really sure it'll go ahead, and that if it does, that I'll really want to go.

I still live locally and every time I hear the noise of them taking off it saddens me. I was in Blairs WMD lie and I think this is being sold the same way.

[theplayingmantis]

Of course it will go ahead

[aeropilot]

theplayingmantis said:

Of course it will go ahead

It will, only on the assumption that Trump has got bored and will have taken his toys back home by then, which for the rest of us sake, we hope that's the case.

If they are still using Fairford for ops come the end of April, and there's no sign of ops ending, then there will start to be question marks over it happening.
We'll all have far more important issues to think about by then if that's the case, RIAT will be bottom of that list.

[theplayingmantis]

It took place during gw 1 and 2 I understand and wouldn't the bombng phase will be long past even if it were ongoing in July.

[aeropilot]

theplayingmantis said:

It took place during gw 1 and 2 I understand and wouldn't the bombng phase will be long past even if it were ongoing in July.

Air Ops from Fairford for GW1 and GW2 ended long before RIAT each year.

RIAT '91 had a huge GW1 contingent on display, both static and air.


As for this year, while we all hope that this mess will be over long before RIAT, and it will be going ahead as normal, I think its unwise at this point for anyone to make definite statements that it will be going ahead, as it is an assumption, not a statement of fact.

[theplayingmantis]

aeropilot said:

theplayingmantis said:

It took place during gw 1 and 2 I understand and wouldn't the bombng phase will be long past even if it were ongoing in July.

Air Ops from Fairford for GW1 and GW2 ended long before RIAT each year.

RIAT '91 had a huge GW1 contingent on display, both static and air.


As for this year, while we all hope that this mess will be over long before RIAT, and it will be going ahead as normal, I think its unwise at this point for anyone to make definite statements that it will be going ahead, as it is an assumption, not a statement of fact.

Everything's an assumption. Anything at riat is only confirmed once it touches down AFTER it's display.

[dirky dirk]

I last went in 85
Then last year it was brilliant

[havoc]

Anyone else think that the air display line-up looks rather thin this year?

Theme is "Fighter Meet", but there's not much beyond the ordinary lining up, and our American friends are notably absent right now.

[normalbloke]

RIAT are still putting on the brave face on the socials. As they have to..

[bergclimber34]

The choice is yours they are hardly going to sell it down are they, their marketing budget is probably vast, you do know how marketing works yes!!

[havoc]

bergclimber34 said:

The choice is yours they are hardly going to sell it down are they, their marketing budget is probably vast, you do know how marketing works yes!!

I'm sorry, are you making a point or just being one of those idiots that postures on the internet in the misguided belief it makes them look cool?

[aeropilot]

normalbloke said:

RIAT are still putting on the brave face on the socials. As they have to..

They've still got some time to go yet, maybe until the end of this month, and if the B1/B52 deployment is still on base by start of June, I'd be surprised if they don't pull the plug, as on-site hospitality and event infrastructure companies etc will have to have to be given enough advance notice of cancellation etc.
But the clock is ticking louder, and I suspect the RIAT team are getting more anxious as each week passes.

[theplayingmantis]

havoc said:

Anyone else think that the air display line-up looks rather thin this year?

Theme is "Fighter Meet", but there's not much beyond the ordinary lining up, and our American friends are notably absent right now.

Seriously?

There 2 months out ongoing list is better than ever. Same thing is said every year by the Misery's

[theplayingmantis]

aeropilot said:

normalbloke said:

RIAT are still putting on the brave face on the socials. As they have to..

They've still got some time to go yet, maybe until the end of this month, and if the B1/B52 deployment is still on base by start of June, I'd be surprised if they don't pull the plug, as on-site hospitality and event infrastructure companies etc will have to have to be given enough advance notice of cancellation etc.
But the clock is ticking louder, and I suspect the RIAT team are getting more anxious as each week passes.

Notam in place and alternatives have been made apparently should the bomber deployments still be kicking around en masse. USAF very confident it will happen irrespective of the Iran situation though.

Miserable scaremongering with 2 and a half months to go. Still that's the way it is on social media and in society to hear days even from the 'maturer' folk who should no better.

There will be many who desperately hope it is pulled simply to say I told you so. Not sure what joy these sad sacks get from this. I suspect the same sort who captain the hell out of roads and sit in the middle lane on motorways or flash their lights when overtaken.

Such is the life of some.