Royal International Air Tattoo 2014 Review

Polish Su-22M4 Fitter

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Royal International Air Tattoo 2014 Review
Around 140,000 visitors attended the Royal International Air Tattoo on Saturday 12th and Sunday 13th July at RAF Fairford in 2014. This year also had limited tickets to see a four hour flying display on the Friday.

Showground attractions included 'Techno Zone', 'Adrenalin Zone', 'Vintage Village', 'RAF & Red Arrows Village', as well as the 'Service Stations' which were introduced last year.

This year's themes included 'Red Arrows 50th Display Season', and 'Flying High at 40' which marked the 40th anniversary of the Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon, and the BAE Systems Hawk aircraft. The operational theme was 'Partnership 2014' where different military organisations of different nationalities conduct joint operations or utilise each other's infrastructure and bases, or commercial operators effectively communicating when reacting to a humanitarian crisis across international borders.

The star of the show was meant to be the debut of the Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II but the whole fleet of F-35 aircraft were grounded due to an engine failure last month. It was hoped that the F-35 aircraft would still make it to the UK to participate at the Royal International Air Tattoo and Farnborough Air Shows but sadly time ran out. An MoD spokesman said "The safety of pilots and aircraft has to be our priority. Of course, it is disappointing that the Lightning II has not arrived in the UK in time for the Air Tattoo but we fully support the decision not to grant clearance for the aircraft to make their first transatlantic flight to the UK until the technical investigations following an engine failure are complete.”

Patrouille Suisse

Patrouille Suisse

Jordanian Falcons

Red Arrows

Red Arrows

Orlik Team

Orlik Team

Frecce Tricolori

Breitling Jet Team

Wingwalkers

Display Teams included the Patrouille Suisse with their six red and white Northrop F-5E Tiger II jets, the Royal Jordanian Falcons with three Extra 300L aircraft, the Red Arrows flying in their 50th year, in nine BAe Hawk T1 aircraft, Polish Air Force Orlik Aerobatic Team flying with seven Polish-built PZL-130 “Orlik” TC-I trainers, and the Italian Frecce Tricolori in their ten Aermacchi MB-339-A/PAN aircraft. The Patrouille de France displayed on Saturday but not on Sunday. Also displaying were the Breitling Jet Team which are based in Dijon, France flying seven Aero L-39 Albatros jets, and the Breitling Wingwalkers with a four-ship of Boeing Stearmans and four wing walkers. The Steedman Display Sword award for the best UK flying demonstration went to the Red Arrows while the Lockheed Cannestra Trophy for the best overseas flying demonstration went to the Frecce Tricolori.

This year's display included the following Fighter Jets: the Belgian F-16AM, Swedish JAS 39C Gripen, Dutch F-16AM, Swiss F/A-18C, two Polish Su-22M4 Fitters, RAF FGR4 Typhoon, Italian F-2000A Typhoon, Italian A-200 Tornado, Turkish F-16C, and Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornet. Unfortunately, the Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornet did not display on Sunday but departed before the flying display to get to Farnborough. The Paul Bowen Trophy for best solo jet demonstration went to Flt Lt Noel Rees of 29 Sqn for the RAF Typhoon display. The Sir Douglas Bader Trophy presented for the best individual flying display went to Commandant Aviateur Renaud ‘Grat’ Thys, flying the Belgian F-16AM from 350 Sqn Belgian Air Component.

Belgian F-16

Swedish Gripen

Dutch F-16

Swiss F-18

Polish Su-22

Polish Su-22

RAF Typhoon

Italian Typhoon

Italian Tornado

Turkish F-16

The Royal Air Force was represented in the flying display by the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF) consisting of the Lancaster B1 bomber, Spitfire, Hurricane IIc, and a Dakota, a Tucano T1, a Chinook HC2, as well as the Red Arrows, and the Typhoon which also displayed with a Spitfire. The Army Air Corps had an Apache AH1 and a Lynx AH7, while the Fleet Air Arm had a Merlin HM2 helicopter in the flying display. The top award, the King Hussein Memorial Sword for best overall flying demonstration went to WO1 Mick Kildea and Capt Neill Posthumus of 671 Sqn Army Air Corps, flying the Westland Lynx AH.7.

BBMF Lancaster

BBMF Hurricane

BBMF Hurricane

BBMF Spitfire

BBMF Dakota

RAF Chinook

RAF Tucano

AAC Apache

AAC Lynx

RN Merlin

Two transport aircraft in the flying display included the very manoeuvrable Italian Alenia C-27J Spartan, and the very impressive display by the Airbus A400M. The Alenia C-27J Spartan is a medium-sized military transport aircraft which is also used or has been ordered by Australia, Italy, Greece, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Mexico, Morocco, Romania and Peru. The Airbus A400M is a tactical airlifter with strategic capabilities which is currently entering service with the French and Turkish air arms but has also been ordered by Germany, Italy, Spain, Luxembourg, and the United Kingdom. The RAF will get 22 examples of what it has officially named the Atlas C1 for service as part of its air mobility fleet at Brize Norton and is expecting its first aircraft later in 2014.

C-27J Spartan

C-27J Spartan

C-27J Spartan

Airbus A400M

Airbus A400M

Also displaying was the Austrian Air Force's SAAB J1050E trainer, Swiss Super Puma, Italian AMX, and Estonian Albatros. The AMX is an Italian-Brazilian joint venture ground-attack aircraft for battlefield interdiction, close air support and reconnaissance missions. Produced by the Aero Vodochody company in what was Czechoslovakia, the L-39 Albatros jet trainer was built to the tune of over 2,800 examples, the first of them flying in 1968.

SAAB J1050E

Swiss Super Puma

Swiss Super Puma

Italian AMX

Estonian Albatros

Flying out of RAF Fairford on Sunday was a couple of Beechcraft aircraft, the Textron Airland Scorpion prototype, and a couple of Folland Gnats. The two-seat, twin-engined Textron AirLand Scorpion is a proposed American light attack and Intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) jet aircraft. It is being developed by Textron AirLand, LLC, a joint venture between Textron and AirLand Enterprises, LLC. It made its maiden flight on December 13, 2013, and the manufacturer foresees a significant market for such an aircraft in the current fiscal environment. The use of technology and components developed for Cessna business jets helps keep costs down, as does the Scorpion's modular mission system, intended to allow the integration of new systems without significant extra expenditure.

Beechcraft Pair

Scorpion

Scorpion

Folland Gnat

Folland Gnat

The aircraft static display included a pair of Hellenic A-7 Corsair II aircraft, a United States Navy P-8A Poseidon, a Spanish Air Force F/A-18 Hornet, Japanese KC-767J, and German Tornado as well as aircraft from many other nations. The Best Paint Scheme award, for the aircraft with the best special livery, went to the Hellenic Air Force A-7E Corsair II from 336 Olympos Sqn.

Hellenic A-7

Hellenic A-7

P-8A Poseidon

Spanish F/A-18

German Tornado

More photographs of the aircraft in the static display can be found by clicking here.

Thanks to the organisers for putting on another excellent display and the dates for next year's Royal International Air Tattoo are 17th-18th-19th July 2015.

               Article and photographs by Webmaster - https://www.military-airshows.co.uk

Trophy Winners 2014 Press Release.

A further 195 photos taken at RIAT 2014 by Phil Catleugh & Simon Oldfield.