RIAT Index

Part One: The Show

Part Two The Big Themes

Part Three: The Fairford Mix

Part Four: The Flying Displays

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The Royal International Air Tattoo hosts the largest static park of any UK military airshow. It's TWO miles long and encompassess all types of aviation. Aircraft come in from around the world to create an exhibition of aircraft often larger than some of the world's most potent air forces. The static areas also along a number of companies to showcase their products to customers, namely the Commanders of a number of air forces which visit RIAT.  Paul Johnson/Flightline UK reports. All Photography copyright of Author.

UK Armed Forces, Training and Research

RIAT is still the place to see the best line up of aircraft from all three of the UK's Armed Forces. Although numbers of aircraft have slowly been reduced since 2003 it's still an impressive showing, espeacially considering the amount of other events that the RAF and other services have had to support this year such as the Trafalgar 200 celebrations and the International Festival of the Sea. Another major change for 2005 was there was no "Youth Day" which this year was transferred to IFOS. As well as the aircraft there's always an impressive exhibtion from the MoD Events Team and a number of displays from the Army and Naval on non aviation equipment. Very welcome additions to the display this year were a pair of aircraft from the Empire Test Pilots School including the ASTRA Hawk T1 and a Twin Squirrel. Since the privateisation of much of Boscombe Down's work, appearances by the "Raspberry Ripple" fleet are very rare at airshows.

The Special Relationship - The United States at RIAT 2005

The second largest contributor to RIAT is the United States Department of Defence. Of course, RAF Fairford is a stand by base for USAF Bomber fleet and is regularly used by them for exercises and military operations. Fairford is assigned to the 420th Air Base Group under the command of the 501st Combat Support Wing based at another UK based for the USAF, RAF Mildenhall. As a result RIAT enjoys a very good relationship with the US and it's armed forces. For many however, there was probably great dissappointment that the USAF's Stealth aircraft didn't make to this years event. At the time of RIAT the B-2 and F-117 fleets were both involved in large scale exercises and were unavailible. However, no other European show will you see such a diverse range of aircraft from the US Armed Forces with the USAF joined by the US Army, US Navy and US Marine Corps for this years event.

Fairford's Shop Window - The Trade Aircraft

RIAT is fast becoming  the ideal place for many aerospace and defence companies to promote and sell their wares to potential companies, an trend which has grown significantly since the Fornborough Airshow moved to become back to back with RIAT. The relationship between RIAT and the defence companies works both ways as the companies sponsor large parts of the RIAT operations from the Flight Centre to the Souveneir Programme and Evening Concerts. Some of the companies even bring aircraft with them to display although 2005 saw no flying displays from these companies. Aermacchi brought their "new" M311 basic and advanced trainer aircraft. It is infact based on the SIAI Marchetti S211 trainer and the actual aircraft itself is the I-PATS, the aircraft used in the unsuccessful bid for the US JPATS competition.The M311 is being pushed as a possible successor to the Shorts Tucano as part of the UK's MFTS programme. A trainer that is also being pushed hard by it's manufacturer and is yet to receive an order in the Pilatus PC-21, a regular RIAT attendee. The highly advanced turboprop trainer came to Fairford in it's new bright red guise after modification following a crash of another demonstrator and was regularly seen on the days before RIAT giving customer flights. Along with the PC-21, Pilatus also brought a PC-12 multi role utility aircraft. A much more successful aircraft on show was the BAE Systems Hawk 100 demonstrator still winning orders after 30 years including an brand new order by the RAF for up to 44 Hawk 128s/T2s.

Fairford's Fighters

As ever, Fairford played host to an impressive array of fast jets from around Europe. Without doubt, show stars was the quartet of Romanian Air Force MiG-21 LanceR-C aircraft. This version of the upgraded MiG-21 is a pure air defence version and carried a unusual yet attractive camoflage. There were also rare appearances by a pair of Italian Navy Boeing AV-8B+ and TAV-8B Harrier II fighters, a Spanish Air Force EF-18B Hornet and a very rare outing for a Tornado IDS from the Luftwaffe Testing Unit - WTD-61. Special mention should also be made of the Danish Air Force which sent a collection of four F-16AM/BM all with different weapons fits and one with a stunning Bright Red piece of tail art.

Fairford Fusion

It's not just the glamour of fighter aircraft at Fairford! All sorts of aircraft find their way to RIAT for an unmatched array of types and roles for display. Everything from a target tug PC-9 to a heavy lift Mi-8MTV helicopter from the Lithuianian Air Force right through to the enormous A310MRTT from the Luftwaffe are on show. It's not just modern aircraft either; there are 1930's trainers like the Boeing Stearman right through to the charasmatic Hawker Hunter on show. Making the types RIAT debut was an Irish Air Corps Pilatus PC-9M while the Italian Guardia di Finanza made a welcome appearance with a pair of AB412 helicopters. Another rare rotary italian was the HH-3F Penguin from the Air Force.