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2018-09-10

RIAT - A Hub for Aerospace Excellence

The Royal Air Force (RAF) celebrated its centenary in style at this year’s Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire. The airshow showcased a Royal Review of aircraft and parade from the Queen’s Colour Squadron, as well as a series of spectacular flypast to commemorate the anniversary.

The RAF Charitable Trust's Patron, HRH the Duke of Kent and his brother, HRH Prince Michael of Kent, conducted the review and took the salute for the Queen's Colour. Meanwhile, a special tribute to the legendary 617 'Dambusters' Squadron saw the Battle of Britain’s iconic Lancaster bomber fly in formation with the squadron's current aircraft, the Tornado, and the RAF's new state-of-the-art F-35B Lightning II.

An Air Tattoo spokesperson referred to “a record crowd of 185,000”, while Apollo 15 astronaut, Al Worden visited for the first time, engaging with young people in the Techno Zone and taking in everything the Tattoo has to offer. He said: "I've got to tell you, this is unbelievable - I think this is probably the most complete airshow I've ever been to. We've seen pilots and airplanes from around the world; RIAT is a very special place. I hope they keep doing this because I want to come back. I should come and volunteer!"

In the run up to the show Al Worden visited local schools, speaking to young children about his past and the importance of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths) subjects. "It's going to take these kids growing up and getting all of the education they can get to build the kind of things that are able to take us where we need to go”, Worden said. “That's why I'm so supportive of STEM - because that's where it
starts, with these young people.”

Epic Flying Display

In total, 302 aircraft from 43 air arms representing 30 nations attended the airshow, 121 of which took part in the flying display, including the U.S. Air Force Heritage Flight, the Ukrainian Su-27 Flanker, the Royal Canadian Air Force CF-188 Hornet, the French Aeronavale Rafale M duo, the Italian Frecce Tricolori aerobatic display team and the RAF's Red Arrows.
Visitors were treated to a rare fly-past by a U.S. Air Force B-2A Spirit stealth bomber, while the static aircraft park featured debut appearances by the Embraer KC-390 from Brazil, the Kawasaki C-2 from Japan and Italy’s HH-101A CaeSAR tactical helicopter. Meanwhile, history was made by the maiden transatlantic flight of a civilian-registered Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA), the SkyGuardian.

Guests, Delegates and Visitors

Among the Royal guests in attendance were HRH the Duke of Kent, HRH Prince Michael of Kent; HRH The Princess Royal and HRH Prince Feisal bin Al Hussein of the Jordanian Royal Family. Guests from the world of politics included the British Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond; the Secretary of State for Defence, Gavin Williamson; the Parliamentary Under-secretary of State for Defence, Tobias Ellwood; and Minister for Defence Procurement, Guto Bebb.
Air Tattoo’s 79 global military delegations included 64 military chiefs: Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Hillier; First Sea Lord Admiral, Sir Philip Jones; Chairman of the NATO Committee, Air Chief Marshal Sir Stuart Peach; and Vice-Chief of Defence Staff, General Sir Gordon Messenger. Among the industry sponsors in attendance were BAE Systems' CEO, Sir Roger Carr; Lockheed Martin CEO, Marillyn Hewson; Boeing CEO, Leanne Caret; Airbus CEO, Tom Enders; Babcock CEO, Archie Bethel; Fujitsu Senior Vice President, Duncan Tait; and Leidos CEO Roger Krone.

SkyGuardian Air Tattoo Debut

The MQ-9B SkyGuardian was on static display for the full airshow duration (13-15 July), and is being developed by U.S.-manufacturer General Atomics Aeronautical Systems as the latest version of the MQ-9 Reaper RPA. The aircraft will go on to form the basis of the RAF's new Protector system, due to enter service in the early 2020s.
SkyGuardian flies up to 40 hours at a time at altitudes of 40,000 ft and its 24-hour, 2-minute flight to RAF Fairford was the first to be entirely controlled by satellite communications in British airspace, with pilots in North Dakota taking 12 hour shifts to fly the aircraft over Canada, across the Atlantic and around southern Ireland before reaching west Wales.
The SkyGuardian has operated successfully over Afghanistan and is currently flying operations over Iraq and Syria. RAF Chief-of-Air-Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Hillier, confirmed that the first RAF unit to operate the Protector will be 31 Squadron, which currently flies the Panavia Tornado, while Air Vice-Marshal Julian Young, Chief of Air Material at the Defence Equipment & Support Agency said: "Protector features world-beating characteristics that we are bringing into service as the lead customer and this aircraft will be a game-changer like none other. One hundred years of experience is being applied to this world-leading capability."

Showcasing Boeing's Centennial Wings

A STEM initiative, Centennial Wings, is backed by Boeing, the Royal Air Force and the Air League to enhance the existing RAF Air Cadets' curriculum by inspiring youngsters to study science, technology, engineering and maths through hands-on practical application of classroom theory.

For this year’s RIAT, 18 Air Cadet Squadrons from Northern Ireland worked together to build the Sting S4 ultra light aircraft from a kit outside the Techno Zone, totalling 400 hours of work and leading David Pitchforth, Managing Director of Boeing Defence UK Ltd, to confirm that "Our STEM campaign is called 'Inspiring the Next Generation' because that's precisely what we aim to do”.
Meanwhile, for Sir Michael Arthur, President of Boeing Europe and Managing Director of Boeing UK and Ireland, ”These young men and women are the future of our industry and I could not be prouder that we can support this engaging, hands-on STEM initiative."
Dawn McCafferty, Air Commodore of the RAF Air Cadets said: "It's brilliant to see the STEM subjects grow within Air Cadets. Hopefully it has helped to inspire young people to study STEM subjects and take an interest in a military and aerospace career. The engineering and technical scientists of the world really can help to shape the future."

RAF Descends on Air Tattoo

Britain's skies burst into colour as the biggest military aircraft show in the world saw the Battle of Britain aircraft reunited in flight when Hawker Hurricanes, Supermarine Spitfires, Avaro Lancasters and a DC3 Dakota took off again. The dramatic fly-past featured nine RAF Typhoons in formation amongst 50 more RAF aircraft including Typhoons, Tornado GR4s, an A400M Atlas, the Red Arrows, plus Puma and Chinook helicopters.
The RAF’s newest stealth fighter jet, the F-35B Lightning II also took to the sky, while the RAF100 Relay Baton, carried across the world by RAF personnel, cadets, veterans and sporting associations, made its way into the area and recorded in action by UK Aerospace. Air Tattoo’s RAF Experience also promoted education in the STEM subjects, including a Virtual Reality Dome which pleased younger visitors.
Alongside participating air arms from around the world (Canada, Switzerland, Spain, Greece, Finland, Czech Republic and Denmark), a historic P-51D Mustang and a state-of-the-art, stealthy USAF F-35A Lightning II performed a joint display as part of the U.S. Air Force Heritage Flight. Meanwhile, the RAF’s new list of static aircraft featured 20 of the newest, biggest and most rarely seen examples from the RAF's fleet, including the Phenom 100 trainer, Voyager tanker and RC-135W Airseeker.

Italy Boosts RAF100 Celebration!

The Italian Air Force committed four fantastic flying acts, courtesy of national aerobatic team the Frecce Tricolori, and five static aircraft in their Air Tattoo display. A Typhoon fighter, T-346 Master jet trainer and impressively manoeuvrable C-27J Spartan transport aircraft thrilled audiences with their loops and rolls, while Italy also showcased the C-27J and Typhoon, alongside a Tornado ground attack fighter and the HH-101 and HH-139, with manufacturer Leonardo sending the T-346 alongside five examples of the C-27J.

Romania’s ‘MiG-nificent' Display

A Romanian Air Force MiG-21 LanceR returned to the Air Tattoo after an absence of 17 years to join the RAF100 celebrations. Romania operates a fleet of around 25 MiGs, which are slowly being replaced by F-16s purchased from Portugal.

Spanish Aerobatics

Patrulla Aguila, Spain's national aerobatic team, returned to Air Tattoo. The team, whose name translates as 'Eagle Patrol', entered 2018 with the first female pilot in their 33-year history. Formed in 1985, the team now comprises of seven CASA C-101 jet trainers and performs close formation aerobatic manoeuvres, often ending with their signature formation landing.

'Zeus' Roars Back

Hellenic Air Force's F-16 demo team, known as 'Zeus', returned with the solo jet demonstration that marked only its third appearance in Britain. Flying a Block 52+ version of Lockheed Martin's outstanding F-16C Fighting Falcon, itself a variant making its UK flying display debut, 'Zeus' has performed twice before at the Air Tattoo 2015 and 2016.
On the first of those occasions, the specially painted F-16 was awarded the trophy for best aircraft livery at the show. The team is named after the father of the Olympian gods in ancient Greek mythology and aims to demonstrate the capabilities of the Hellenic Air Force, as well as foster links between the Greek public and its air force and encourage recruiting.
The initial 'Zeus' demo team was formed by the HAF under the guidance of the U.S. Air Force, with a debut performance at Tanagra Air Base in November 2010. This season, the display was again provided with 115 Combat Wing based at Souda on the island of Crete, which has under its command two squadrons of Block 52+ F-16s - some of the most advanced multi-role fighters within NATO.

Great War Display Team

The 2018 Air Tattoo witnessed a re-enactment of the First World War's pioneering military aviators. The Great War Display Team flew a range of early 20th Century fighters from both sides of WWI in a display that commemorated the events that led to birth of the Royal Air Force.
The civilian team comprised of experienced airshow pilots and vintage aircraft display experts performing simulated combat around the UK. Their scheduled appearance at the Air Tattoo on all three days gave visitors a glimpse into how 'dogfighting' began in the early years of aviation. Visitors saw a mix of designs from biplanes to the infamous Fokker Triplane, as flown by legends such as Manfred von Richthofen.

Finnish Army Returns

The Finnish Army returned to the Air Tattoo flying display with the NH90 TTH helicopter. A second aircraft joined the show in the static display, meaning that visitors got a chance to see the NH90 TTH up close on the ground as well as in the skies.
In 2017, the Finnish Defence Forces had provided an NH90 for static display, as well as the Finnish Air Force Midnight Hawks display team, during the 100th year of Finland's independence.

Canadians Enhance Participation

The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) sent its hugely popular CF-18 Demo Team to the airshow along with additional three aircraft on display in the airshow's static park. The CC-130 Hercules, a CC-177 Globemaster and a CP-140 Aurora were each present to illustrate the RCAF's capabilities.

Based at Greenwood, Nova Scotia and Comox, British Columbia, the CP-140 Aurora has been used primarily for maritime patrol/anti-submarine warfare since it entered service with the RCAF in the early 1980s. Its endurance and 7,400km range make it ideal for a variety of missions including search and rescue and disaster relief, while also providing vital support to other government agencies in combating illegal immigration, illegal fishing, pollution and drug trafficking.

Having arrived from Canadian Forces Base Trenton, Ontario, the CC-177 Globemaster III transports troops, cargo and oversized combat equipment from coast to coast and around the world. An ability to fly long distances and land at remote airfields makes it the premier transporter for military, humanitarian and peacekeeping missions and since 2015 it has supported disaster relief operations in Nepal, transported personnel and equipment to battle the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, while supporting the global coalition fighting against terrorism. The Lockheed Martin CC-130 Hercules was also featured at RAF Fairford where its multiple uses for troop transport, tactical airlift and aircrew training were demonstrated.

Historic Norwegian Vampires

Two Cold War aircraft, the civilian owned Vampire jet fighters, joined the Air Tattoo flying display courtesy of the Norwegian Air Force Historical Squadron. The Vampires were painted in special Royal Air Force livery for the 2018 season; their presence was an appropriate way to mark the RAF's Centenary, being that the 1950s jets are some of the earliest production fighters in existence, with both of these examples having been license built in Switzerland.

Swiss Jet Team Display

Two top-class Swiss Air Force jets joined one of the two Swiss national display teams for RIAT 2018. The highly acclaimed PC-7 Team presented the air arm's F/A-18C Hornet solo fast jet display for the RIAT flying programme. The PC-7 Team flies a nine-ship formation of Swiss-built Pilatus PC-7 Turbotrainers, a single-turboprop basic trainer used by the air force for pilot selection and training purposes.
All the pilots practice for and perform the team's displays in their spare time because, in their 'day jobs', they are front-line F/A-18 Hornet fighter pilots from the Swiss Air Force's three squadrons operating the aircraft type. However, RIAT spectators witnessed them put on performances of the highest level in terms of smoothness, elegance and quality.

Meanwhile, the solo F/A-18C Hornet demonstration is among the very best of a jet fighter on the European circuit. Three squadrons in the Swiss Air Force operate the twin-engined, multi-role type, which has air policing as its primary function in Switzerland.
The Air Tattoo returns next summer on 19th-21st July 2019 to celebrate 70 years of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO).

Reference Text/Photo credit:
Richard Davies, on Flickr.
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