The Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) is the world’s largest military airshow. Held annually at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, the show sees participation from around 500 aircraft each year, both in the flying and static displays. 

As well as the usual RAF participants, this year saw a greater foreign participation than in 2002, with a Hungarian MiG-29 in the flying display, as well as a German F-4F Phantom, French Air Force Mirage 2000, and a rare flying appearance by an A-10A Thunderbolt II, amongst others. RIAT regulars such as the Harrier, Red Arrows, B-1B, F-117 and the annual flypast of a B-2A spirit, joined these in the flying display.

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The static park attracted a few rare gems, such as a French Mirage IV, a pair of specially marked Swiss Mirage III aircraft, an Italian Air Force TF-104G, Typhoon, Turkish Phantoms and a pair of French Marine Rafales. 

Aswell as the Red Arrows, the extravagant Frecce Tricolore, Team Apache and the Patrouille De France painted the skies for the weekend. Star of the show for many was the flying display from the Typhoon – so impressive was it that those at crowd centre could have watched the whole display without the need to move their head – the high maneuverability and superb performance of the future RAF frontline fighter displayed to perfection by an Italian test pilot. I can’t wait to see the displays from the RAF when they enter squadron service.

Adding some welcome variation to the trainers and fast jets we see so much at shows these days were two excellent routines by Airliners – a RNZAF 757 flew a magnificent routine, keeping the plane very close to the crowd and within the airfield boundaries, and we were treated to a high speed, low level flypast as well! 

The other “heavy” was in the shape of an Airbus A330, Airbus’ proposal for the RAF next tanker. Competing with the Boeing 767, Airbus took the opportunity to show their contender to the crowds, with a series of flypasts with two German Navy Tornados on each wing, to simulate air-to-air refueling.

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There was also a huge additional static park set out to celebrate 100 years of flight, with aircraft from all decades of the century placed together, so that as you walked through the park, you “walked through the ages”. I didn’t make it to the100 years Static Park before closing though.  

Defiantly the highlight of the 2003 show season, RIAT is an extravaganza and is a must for any enthusiast around the world to experience at least once. There is talk of an F-22 at next years show as well!

Daniel

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