Discussion
The USAF have only paid lip service to RIAT for a long time now - they're not interested. For some reason they'll do other shows in places like Finland but not the UK. The hardcore plane nutters don't seem bothered though - they'll keep on getting excited by some obscure helicopter with unusual markings.
That said I'll continue to go and enjoy the fast jets that do appear, but on a lot of forums moaning about the paucity of aircraft gets you blackballed.
That said I'll continue to go and enjoy the fast jets that do appear, but on a lot of forums moaning about the paucity of aircraft gets you blackballed.
WelshChris said:
The USAF have only paid lip service to RIAT for a long time now - they're not interested. For some reason they'll do other shows in places like Finland but not the UK. The hardcore plane nutters don't seem bothered though - they'll keep on getting excited by some obscure helicopter with unusual markings.
That said I'll continue to go and enjoy the fast jets that do appear, but on a lot of forums moaning about the paucity of aircraft gets you blackballed.
I mean your fist part is just wildly untrue, RIAT in the last 2 years have got some of the rarest machines in the air forces inventory an E-4, that thing doesnt even attend US shows, the C-130 weatherbird this year, those were bonkers participants, this year had all the front line jets in Europe, B-52 flying and static, U-2s I could go on, the crews love it too, they always have time for the public. That said I'll continue to go and enjoy the fast jets that do appear, but on a lot of forums moaning about the paucity of aircraft gets you blackballed.
But the 2nd point is massively true, I would foresake an F16, 15 or boring 35 for any rare type not seen before, seeing the Italian Mangusta, Lithuanian Dauphin or Czech Hip, I’d take those all day long
Lastly why do you think they attended the show in Finland after the country announced it was looking to replace their F-18s? Hint; it’s the same reason the Typhoon and Gripen were sent!
RIAT is the greatest airshow on the planet, I spend into the thousands to be there for 6 days, I cant bloody wait!
zsdom said:
WelshChris said:
The USAF have only paid lip service to RIAT for a long time now - they're not interested. For some reason they'll do other shows in places like Finland but not the UK. The hardcore plane nutters don't seem bothered though - they'll keep on getting excited by some obscure helicopter with unusual markings.
That said I'll continue to go and enjoy the fast jets that do appear, but on a lot of forums moaning about the paucity of aircraft gets you blackballed.
I mean your fist part is just wildly untrue, RIAT in the last 2 years have got some of the rarest machines in the air forces inventory an E-4, that thing doesnt even attend US shows, the C-130 weatherbird this year, those were bonkers participants, this year had all the front line jets in Europe, B-52 flying and static, U-2s I could go on, the crews love it too, they always have time for the public. That said I'll continue to go and enjoy the fast jets that do appear, but on a lot of forums moaning about the paucity of aircraft gets you blackballed.
But the 2nd point is massively true, I would foresake an F16, 15 or boring 35 for any rare type not seen before, seeing the Italian Mangusta, Lithuanian Dauphin or Czech Hip, I’d take those all day long
Lastly why do you think they attended the show in Finland after the country announced it was looking to replace their F-18s? Hint; it’s the same reason the Typhoon and Gripen were sent!
RIAT is the greatest airshow on the planet, I spend into the thousands to be there for 6 days, I cant bloody wait!
That said I agree it's a fantastic few days, but I'd argue it's not the best airshow on the planet - in Europe maybe.
I think sadly if you are as old as I am and you went to about 3 or 4 airshows a year in the 80's and 90's even the RIAT is a shadow of what an airshow could be. We all know the reasons why, and they are not simply due to insurances and risk, but a modern airshows really is just not worth the effort, money queues and travel time for me sorry.
Especially if you just want to watch, not stand there with radios, 2000 lenses and gooning about on a stepladder, in all honesty those folk should ONLY be allowed in certain areas of any public event at times, they ruin it for normal folk who just want to see things! It is a long time since I went to a show, but the last time I did, the camera goons made it a less than pleasant day
Especially if you just want to watch, not stand there with radios, 2000 lenses and gooning about on a stepladder, in all honesty those folk should ONLY be allowed in certain areas of any public event at times, they ruin it for normal folk who just want to see things! It is a long time since I went to a show, but the last time I did, the camera goons made it a less than pleasant day
flatlandsman said:
I think sadly if you are as old as I am and you went to about 3 or 4 airshows a year in the 80's and 90's even the RIAT is a shadow of what an airshow could be. We all know the reasons why, and they are not simply due to insurances and risk, but a modern airshows really is just not worth the effort, money queues and travel time for me sorry.
Especially if you just want to watch, not stand there with radios, 2000 lenses and gooning about on a stepladder, in all honesty those folk should ONLY be allowed in certain areas of any public event at times, they ruin it for normal folk who just want to see things! It is a long time since I went to a show, but the last time I did, the camera goons made it a less than pleasant day
I agree with you entirely but the bit in bold is wrong. RIAT is just about as good as an airshow possibly can be nowadays. There just aren't as many types of aircraft as there used to be, and they're nearly all painted grey. Also the crowdline is too far from the runway, so you're looking over at the aircraft rather than up at the aircraft. (The crowdline at Greenham Common was far closer to the runway than it is at Fairford.)Especially if you just want to watch, not stand there with radios, 2000 lenses and gooning about on a stepladder, in all honesty those folk should ONLY be allowed in certain areas of any public event at times, they ruin it for normal folk who just want to see things! It is a long time since I went to a show, but the last time I did, the camera goons made it a less than pleasant day
The Gauge said:
Are there any decent caravan sites within walking distance of RIAT?
There aren't any permanent ones but lots of temporary ones pop up for the airshow week. We stay at https://www.fairfordairshowcamping.net/ which is around a 15 minute walk away.
WelshChris said:
The USAF have only paid lip service to RIAT for a long time now - they're not interested. For some reason they'll do other shows in places like Finland but not the UK. The hardcore plane nutters don't seem bothered though - they'll keep on getting excited by some obscure helicopter with unusual markings.
That said I'll continue to go and enjoy the fast jets that do appear, but on a lot of forums moaning about the paucity of aircraft gets you blackballed.
This year in Finland we had two B1B do a flypast and two F35s on static.That said I'll continue to go and enjoy the fast jets that do appear, but on a lot of forums moaning about the paucity of aircraft gets you blackballed.
2022 we had two F35s on static
2021-2019 nothing from the Americans
2018 two Navy Super hornets did a flyby.
So i'm not sure that we Finns are getting any special treatment. But hopefully next year we will!
zsdom said:
RIAT is the greatest airshow on the planet, I spend into the thousands to be there for 6 days, I cant bloody wait!
One word: Oshkosh.RIAT is a speck next to Oshkosh. Both for quality and (especially) quantity.
Other competitors alongside RIAT:
- Reno was a better spectacle than RIAT too this year, albeit RIAT did have greater military variety.
- I'm told that Miramar puts on a hell of a show too, albeit that is VERY much US-biased.
- ...and Abbotsford in Canada keeps getting good reviews.
If you ignore Farnborough and the Paris Air Salon as more commercial-biased, the 5 above are probably the top-5 in one order or another, but Oshkosh almost certainly claims #1 spot by most objective measures.
havoc said:
One word: Oshkosh.
RIAT is a speck next to Oshkosh. Both for quality and (especially) quantity.
Other competitors alongside RIAT:
- Reno was a better spectacle than RIAT too this year, albeit RIAT did have greater military variety.
- I'm told that Miramar puts on a hell of a show too, albeit that is VERY much US-biased.
- ...and Abbotsford in Canada keeps getting good reviews.
If you ignore Farnborough and the Paris Air Salon as more commercial-biased, the 5 above are probably the top-5 in one order or another, but Oshkosh almost certainly claims #1 spot by most objective measures.
Fair enough.RIAT is a speck next to Oshkosh. Both for quality and (especially) quantity.
Other competitors alongside RIAT:
- Reno was a better spectacle than RIAT too this year, albeit RIAT did have greater military variety.
- I'm told that Miramar puts on a hell of a show too, albeit that is VERY much US-biased.
- ...and Abbotsford in Canada keeps getting good reviews.
If you ignore Farnborough and the Paris Air Salon as more commercial-biased, the 5 above are probably the top-5 in one order or another, but Oshkosh almost certainly claims #1 spot by most objective measures.
I'm going to fight RIAT's corner here and – full disclosure – haven't been to Oshkosh so happy to be corrected. BUT my understanding is that, huge and impressive though Oshkosh is, it doesn't have the diversity of participating air forces and aircraft types that RIAT enjoys, or at least used to enjoy. After all, there's only so much you can enjoy in one day, or even over several days (which you need at RIAT, or at least used to).
But as I say delighted to be corrected if that's not the case.
No, you're right in that regard - RIAT is still probably top of the tree for current military hardware, and certainly for diversity. Being in Europe definitely helps there.
I guess I'm just a bit miffed as RIAT seems, maybe not a shadow of its former self, but certainly a victim of budget-cuts and lack of focus on Europe from the US forces in particular, and there's only so many years you can go back to the same old planes and same old displays. Highlights this year for me were the ever-entertaining Rafale and (surprisingly) the Saudi display team.
I guess I'm just a bit miffed as RIAT seems, maybe not a shadow of its former self, but certainly a victim of budget-cuts and lack of focus on Europe from the US forces in particular, and there's only so many years you can go back to the same old planes and same old displays. Highlights this year for me were the ever-entertaining Rafale and (surprisingly) the Saudi display team.
it really is not the best at all, it is a shadow of what stuff used to be, it is probably one of the better UK shows.
But if you are spending thousands of pounds to be at an airshow, fair play, i feel for you, but you have to understand 99.% of people are not or ever want to dio this so your opinion is very skewed!
But if you are spending thousands of pounds to be at an airshow, fair play, i feel for you, but you have to understand 99.% of people are not or ever want to dio this so your opinion is very skewed!
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