MQ-9 flies to RIAT 2018
 

do they come to breed??

Quite a few temporary danger areas are being established to enable this drone to fly in to Fairford, some at short notice.

Presumably the populations of towns such as Penzance, Helston, Camborne, Redruth, Hereford, Cheltenham, Gloucester and Cirencester have been made aware of this?

Oh good....:hmm:

Oh a lighter note, the aircraft will be under the control of a multi-billion dollar corporation (GA) so if it falls on your house there'll be plenty of compo to be had.

Mind you, given that most of the towns you mention are in helicopter country, the risk from the RPAS is substantially less than the daily rotary traffic.

Except that the person at the controls of the helicopter has an interest in not crashing into your house.

Given that President Trump is also flying to the UK at about the same time (13th July) I hope no one presses the wrong button!

The moment bloody drones start being flown at airshows is the moment I stop going. Hopefully this one won't be part of the flying display.

They have been flying at airshows for years.

I don't remember one being flown at RIAT before. Farnborough maybe once? That was the point where everyone went to the toilet or got some food IIRC. It really is boring watching them amble around the sky.

The Germans flew drones over the UK years ago so nothing new in this>>>

That reminds me of the B52 display I saw at Leuchars. The B1 display was dull too, but noisier.

The B-1 is worth watching for the sheer noise alone even though it doesn't do much. Same can be said for the Thunderbirds though :}

Will the MQ-9 come to Farnborough as well? I'd love to see it coming in low over the Swan.

No. It's on static at RIAT and then returning to US to continue trials.

I remember seeing both the B-52 and B-1B displays at Griffiss AFB one year when I was there on static display with a VC10K.

The B-52 came in very fast and low and was closely followed by lots of synchronised pyrotechnics on the ground - very well done!

Then came the B-1B. Even faster, of course, but then it pulled up surprisingly steeply, conducted a shallow wing over and visual circuit to land. It was rather an energetic arrival display by Uncle Spam's new bomber, I thought. After landing it parked behind us and was immediately surrounded by ropes and barriers manned by humourless air force police in chrome-plated coal scuttle helmets. Out climbed the crew, led by some lantern-jawed, RayBan wearing racing snake of a young Major.

Once the initial interest had waned, I wandered over and met a grizzled old maintenance chief of the old school who was looking after the Bone. His first comment was "Damn young asshole overstressed the bird with that hot dogging - we'll be stuck here for days!". But I was allowed to have a look inside - what a magnificent aeroplane. The RAF should have had some to replace the Vulcan!

Some years later I was again in the US with a VC10K, this time at McConnell AFB. We'd had to move from our first hotel and were in what was then the Holiday Inn, enjoying a free (yes, really!) Happy Hour on the roof terrace. Then the whole building shook as a number of B-1Bs took off and flew directly overhead in max burner almost deafening us all - epic!

RAF B-1?
 

Beags,

In Chapter 8 of "Project Terminated" by Erik Simonsen - discussions took place between U.S. and British officials on the possible procurement of the B-1.

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/922/4...c851455b_b.jpg

Bone was somewhat less entertaining as it reached Vr 200 yards from our tent at 0600 every morning in the sandy place. Like being woken up by an earthquake every day.