RIAT 2013
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RIAT 2013
I'm thinking about going to one of the "Park & View" days at Fairford this year.
What day would be best to go?
Unfortunately I never seem able to make it to the main event!!
What day would be best to go?
Unfortunately I never seem able to make it to the main event!!
I've only ever gone on a Monday. I take the view that the arrivals spread themselves out over several days but most aircraft depart on the Monday so you get a good/better selection in a short time.
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Go on departures day, Monday.
I've seen the list for show days and it's crap compared to previous years, nothing at all from the USAF (no great shock there given their recent military cutbacks).
I hope the weather stays fine for you whichever day you decide to go.
I've seen the list for show days and it's crap compared to previous years, nothing at all from the USAF (no great shock there given their recent military cutbacks).
I hope the weather stays fine for you whichever day you decide to go.
There's nothing from the US yet, as I suspect (not that I am privvy to an inside track on RIAT these days) that negotiations are still ongoing.
Last year's US participation was pretty impressive (from memory - B2, C5, KC10, E6, plus the head honcho in his Gulfstream and others I have probably forgotten) so I can't think it would go from that to zero in a year.
I do agree that the overall list might look at bit lacklustre (though the Breitling Super Connie will do it for many) but also have a feeling there might be at least one big announcement still to come....the clue is in the artwork on the Royal International Air Tattoo homepage.
Last year's US participation was pretty impressive (from memory - B2, C5, KC10, E6, plus the head honcho in his Gulfstream and others I have probably forgotten) so I can't think it would go from that to zero in a year.
I do agree that the overall list might look at bit lacklustre (though the Breitling Super Connie will do it for many) but also have a feeling there might be at least one big announcement still to come....the clue is in the artwork on the Royal International Air Tattoo homepage.
Last edited by Wycombe; 7th Jun 2013 at 09:14.
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I do agree that the overall list might look at bit lacklsutre
Have a great weekend all.
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USA probably wont send anything, they've grounded quite a few squadrons for budgetary reasons, thunderbirds and blue angels are not displaying at all this season. be a shame not to have them but a lot of others coming though so should still be a good show. probably some more rarer stuff to make it interesting. as long as the connie makes it that will make the show for me !
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I'm helping out on a stall at RIAT at the W/E. I've never been before & have heard various horror stories about traffic queues. I live about 3 hours' drive away. Couple of questions, if anyone can help:
I need to collect a pass from gate G (exhibitors). I assume this will be signposted, since I don't want' to join a queue somewhere at the far end of the place?
What's the latest time to arrive to avoid huge traffic queues? Is 8AM too late? I don't mind a bit of a wait, but not several hours.
Ta,
Tim.
I need to collect a pass from gate G (exhibitors). I assume this will be signposted, since I don't want' to join a queue somewhere at the far end of the place?
What's the latest time to arrive to avoid huge traffic queues? Is 8AM too late? I don't mind a bit of a wait, but not several hours.
Ta,
Tim.
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The prices of admission are just through the roof! The Sky Sports of military aviation viewing! Best of luck to everyone whom is going though - mind you, for that money I would be expecting at least one North Korean Tu-134, a pair of Iranian F-14s, a 707 tanker and that's only if the Yanks are attending too with B-2, C-141, KC-97 etc!
Last edited by Tom the Tenor; 17th Jul 2013 at 15:26.
RIAT consider themselves to be competing with the likes of Alton Towers, at least that's what the Chief Exec said. I am not going this year for the first time out of choice since 1989 (missed one or two for unexpected reasons) as the balance between cost and content has, for me, come down heavily on the cost. I hope next year will be better.
I ended up going on the saturday and as reported there was probably half the total aircraft from the year before, which whilst understandable from a government fiscal point of view, made the spectacle somehow less. A question to the knowledgeable, why oh why did the Vulcan do it's display at 11am ? Something so popular and iconic should have been in the afternoon towards the end. Perhaps one of the pilots had to go off and do his day job ? 
The RAF Typhoon gave a sterling performance as ever, loud, audacious and competent, but equally impressive was the A400.....the way it was slung around the sky defied it's size, very impressive! I watched it from 10miles away on the sunday, flying normally and then it just dove down at an impossible angle (Keh San approach) and disappeared into the horizon. Although I knew what it was doing, to see an aircraft of size doing that looked surreal. Nice also to see a VC-10, static alas, but all the same it can't be long before there's no more to go to any show
Did I see a Global Hawk hiding behind a hangar ? Assuming that I did, and it was a real one and not a mock up, how did it get there considering that it isn't allowed to fly over land where there's civilization in density or has that now changed ?
All in all a nice show
SHJ
The RAF Typhoon gave a sterling performance as ever, loud, audacious and competent, but equally impressive was the A400.....the way it was slung around the sky defied it's size, very impressive! I watched it from 10miles away on the sunday, flying normally and then it just dove down at an impossible angle (Keh San approach) and disappeared into the horizon. Although I knew what it was doing, to see an aircraft of size doing that looked surreal. Nice also to see a VC-10, static alas, but all the same it can't be long before there's no more to go to any show
Did I see a Global Hawk hiding behind a hangar ? Assuming that I did, and it was a real one and not a mock up, how did it get there considering that it isn't allowed to fly over land where there's civilization in density or has that now changed ?
All in all a nice show
SHJ
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Global Hawk almost certainly came in a freighter. Haven't been to Fairford since we had the Bears, 500 military aircraft on the field, USAF in abundance etc. Once you have seen the best shows, everything that follows is a downer.
Went yesterday and despite the sparsity of numbers in static, the quality was good, and so was the flying. Some great displays, the standouts for me being the Rafale, C27, Swedish Gripen and RAF Chinook. The Lanc/GR4 and Dutch F16/Apache flyby's were also worthy of note.
The French had a difficult afternoon, with the Rafale getting stuck on the runway after landing (nosewheel issue?, difficult to see from where I was) and the PdF having to abort mid-display due to an engine issue on No.2. Some sort of AOG part had to be brought from France late afternoon (in another Alpha Jet) to fix the jet in time for it's Paris flyby (as part of the Tour de France party) yesterday evening.
Oh, and once the sun came out it was damn hot.
The French had a difficult afternoon, with the Rafale getting stuck on the runway after landing (nosewheel issue?, difficult to see from where I was) and the PdF having to abort mid-display due to an engine issue on No.2. Some sort of AOG part had to be brought from France late afternoon (in another Alpha Jet) to fix the jet in time for it's Paris flyby (as part of the Tour de France party) yesterday evening.
Oh, and once the sun came out it was damn hot.
Last edited by Wycombe; 22nd Jul 2013 at 07:43.
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Slightly off-thread, but who else started throwing stuff at their TV when the muppet on Sky News referred to the Red Arrows flypast of the Arc de Triomphe last night ??? Er , those were French Alpha Jets, you clown !
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Vulcan Display Timing
SHJ. According to a team member I spoke to it was not their wish but a decision of the RIAT display organisers. Many punters were still trying get in at this stage and probably didn't get the view they wanted.
