Royal
International Air Tattoo Part One: A thoroughly British affair.
Gary Parsons reports
from deepest Rutland. All pictures by the author.
- Oi Rodders, you plonker!

- "Del Boy", award-winning TV star David Jason,
still relies on hand signals even when swapping his Reliant Robin for an RAF Harrier jump
jet. An aviation enthusiast, he forgot all about his 'Only Fools and Horses' mode of
transport when he visited Cottesmore on Thursday for a preview of RIAT. As he patted the
nose of an RAF GR7 Harrier jump jet he said "this has to be the ultimate
three-wheeler".
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It seemed right somehow. RIAT, the largest military
airshow in the world, with the proceeds going to the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund,
being held on a traditional RAF station. Maybe it was the glorious weather enjoyed over
the entire six-day period, but a garden party atmosphere pervaded that made it seem so
much more pleasant than the ordeal Fairford can be. Superb traffic management meant no
delays in entering or leaving the base, despite a return to typical Fairford crowd numbers
after last years rather more lean gathering. Sure, there werent as many
aircraft as would have been at Fairford, but surely three-hundred and fifty plus is enough
for most? After all, it would only mean more of the same, more KC-135s, C-130s and F-16s.
A full flying display was offered, from ten until six, so the entertainment factor
didnt suffer.
The Empire strikes back
A superb RAF static display, the best seen for years, was
headed by recently delivered C-17A ZZ172 on the old TTTE
servicing platform (now the VASS). Almost every unit was
represented, laid out in an imaginative way, not just rows of planes as is usually seen.
Harriers in hides gave an in-the-field feel and even the dreaded blue cones
were spruced up with Tricolour marks. It was an excellent way to show off the
countrys air assets without them getting dispersed into the long static lines on
either side. Yes, we have an Air Force...it almost made one proud to be British! Although
not a debut for 99 Squadron, it was an 'official' one for 28 Squadron and their Merlin, the unit only having officially re-formed a couple of weeks
previously.
Tribute flypasts were
flown for two British heroes recently departed: Harriers & Spitfire formation for
Johnnie Johnson, and the lone VC-10 for test pilot Brian Trubshaw. It was just a shame
that the Red Arrows and VC-10 couldn't have linked up, as the Reds followed the '10 by
less than a minute. More on the tributes in part three.
One by one, the stars all went out...
AIRSHOW CELEBRATES 30th
BIRTHDAY
This year marked 30 years for Europe's biggest airshow. The first Tattoo was held at
North Weald on 31 May 1971 when just over 100 aircraft took part. The flying display did
not start until 14:00, and only five overseas air forces were present.
In contrast, RIAT 2001 saw fifty air arms representing over thirty nations. One of the
highlights was the appearance of veteran Hunter pilot Rod Dean, now retired from the RAF
who, as a young Pilot Officer, won the first-ever Tattoo flying trophy in 1972. Rod led
the RIAT 50th anniversary tribute to the Hawker Hunter in F6A XF515,
the British designed jet that was the most successful fighter of its era.
RIAT Directors and former air traffic controllers, Paul Bowen and Tim Prince, also
celebrated a thirty year association with the Tattoo. Both men helped to organise the
North Weald event and, over three decades, have been the masterminds behind RIAT's present
day ranking as the most exciting and varied airshow to be seen anywhere. Paul Bowen said
"When the Tattoo began, the RAF was operating Lightnings and Phantoms. Since then it
has been a great honour to showcase the many advances in aviation technology, including
the introduction of fly-by-wire and stealth aircraft." Tim Prince adds "From air
traffic control to airshow organisation can be seen as an unusual career move, but Paul
and I agree it has given us thirty years of doing the best job in the world".
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We were promised much - the Harbin Hong-5, three B-2s,
two E-2 Hawkeyes, JATO Herc demo et al...but, as seems the norm these days,
last-minute cancellations wreaked havoc. To be fair to the organisers, it was all beyond
their control - the Harbin crashing during a pre-show test flight. A tyre burst on touchdown
and the aircraft veered to one side, the wing coming into contact with the ground,
breaking away from the aircraft. The crew escaped uninjured, but the aircraft was
written-off, being ninety percent destroyed according to reports. It had just spend two
years with the Aerostar factory at Bacau for complete refurbishment and a limited upgrade.
The B-2 for static didnt appear, and both French Navy Hawkeyes pulled out the
eleventh hour, just as one had done at Waddington. The debate rages as to whether RIAT
should publicise such star items, but it will always be catch-22 - dont advertise
the stars, and the ticket sales will suffer. Anything can go tech just before
its departure, so when the hell could you advertise anything? If these star items
werent advertised, the organisers would be criticised for not trying to get anything
special. You still want their job now?
At first glance the static line-up looked terrific - Eurofighter, JSF and a
Mako LCA!! But closer inspection revealed them to be all plastic, as was the Gripen, Hawk
and Tornado 'ZA556'. What a swizz. It was evident that the show lacked that extra sparkle
that just the Hong-5 would have given, but given the weather, these matters faded into the
background as that gorgeous Canadian CF-18A hit the sky. Where
else could you see a display team of Iskras? Or a SOCATA TBM-700 flying display? Did you notice the new Italian C-130J? Not great crowd-pullers admittedly, but variety is what
its all about.
A display line too far?
Safety is uppermost at the moment, post-Biggin.
Understandable, but the airshow industry needs to re-assess what it is all about. Most
spectators go to experience noise, action and good flying. But this year some items were
so far away they became meaningless specks - the MiG-21 Lancer was
a classic example. No, we dont advocate flying directly over the crowd, but some
straight and level, low-level passes could be made much closer to the crowd, with a
pull-up and turn away. As it was, the MiG-21 was mostly lost in the haze and could only be
properly observed on take-off or landing. We think it is time for a review of flying
safety based upon the physical dynamics and trajectories of routines - radically different
and more exciting displays could be achieved without compromising safety standards. At the
other extreme is that final cross-over by the Frecce Tricolori -
just how do they get away with that one? Well rehearsed yes, but it would seem to leave
little margin for error, something that they especially should find hard to live with.
Generally, flying standards were exemplary,
with awards going to Rod Dean and his joint UK/Swiss Hunter
Team (The King Hussein Memorial Sword (Best overall)), Major Vari of the Hungarian Air
Force flying the MiG-29 Fulcrum who provided a spectacular flares release (The Lockheed Martin Cannestra Trophy (Best
overseas participant) and The As the Crow Flies Trophy (awarded by the Friends
of RIAT)), Captain Alan Wade of JEFTS, RAF, flying a Firefly
(The Steedman Display Sword (Best UK participant)), Andy Sefton,
chief test pilot for Rolls-Royce plc, demonstrating just how to fly a World War II
Spitfire Mk XIX (The Shell Oil UK Sir Douglas Bader Trophy (best individual
flying display)) and Captain Jyri Selvenius, 11 Squadron, Finnish
Air Force flying an F-18C Hornet (The Solo Jet Aerobatic Trophy (Best single jet
demonstration)).
American adventures
- A stealthy Brit

- Thirty-two year old Squadron Leader Lincoln
Linc Taylor was posted to the Flying Knights of the 9th Fighter
Squadron in 1999 and flies the F-117A on missions from Holloman Air Force Base in New
Mexico. The trans-Atlantic special relationship sees Britain as the only
nation invited to take part in such an exchange programme.
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- The son of an RAF engineer, Squadron Leader Taylor joined
the Royal Air Force in 1991. After basic and advanced flying training, he flew for five
years as a Harrier pilot with 3(F) Squadron at Laarbruch in Germany. In 1999, after brief
spells at RAF Cottesmore and RAF Wittering, he moved from the Harrier to join the
Flying Knights in New Mexico.
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- 'Linc' flew the F-117A into the show on Thursday, and was
non-committal on the security shenanigans surrounding the beast.
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There is doubt that
the USAF ever intended bringing the B-2 for static display. Officially, it was decided
that the great British weather would play havoc with the radar absorbent paint (possibly a
consequence of last years Mildenhall experience) but the security restrictions
surrounding the sole F-117 suggests otherwise. With the 117,
the Americans made complete fools of themselves with laughably tight security - a double
fence, armed guards and no photography of the rear or from an elevated position.
This is when it went beyond a joke - photographers, on both show days, were subjected to
sharp orders to cease if they stood on a ladder, box or anything else to gain that six
inches of extra height. Unconfirmed rumours suggest that some were threatened with
confiscation of film - this is just not on, as there were no signs informing of any
restrictions. People come to airshows for pleasure, not to be threatened by over-zealous
security personnel when simply trying to take a picture of an aircraft on display.
If the 117 was so sensitive, then it shouldnt have come. Its not as
though its anything new - it has been around the airshow circuit since 1992, and
never has there been such an intense security presence. Questions to find out if a new
piece of hardware fitted to the rear of the plane were neither confirmed nor denied, but
all that was achieved in the end was a dent in the British publics opinion of the
American military. Even the pilots were embarrassed.
Not helping matters were the sedate flypasts of the B-2 Spirit,
one pass, straight and level, was all we saw on both days - the displays of 99 and
2000 seem just a memory. Global Power missions, the same aircraft rotated at Whiteman AFB
to return on Sunday, reducing the planned three-ship presence this year to one. The
purpose of the two missions was to test the bomber's combat turn-round time - after flying
a twenty-one hour round trip on the Saturday the aircraft was back in the air again with a
fresh crew after only three hours and fifteen minutes on the ground. An impressive feat
yes, but a very unimpressive contribution to the show.
Making some amends for the American reluctance to
entertain was the pilot of the B-1 on Sunday, who proceeded to roll
the aircraft twice after a fast pass. Maybe he just needed to show there was some
spirit left in the USAF, as apart from the F-15C display routine
there was little to cheer; even the C-17A demonstration was
unusually dull.
KRAC (Keep RIAT at Cottesmore!)
- Mal-teaser

- AA patrol-man Terry Kirton of Peterborough was called in
on Friday night to carry out the most unusual rescue of his career. He was called out by
the Director of Operations, Tim Prince, to break into the Maltese Air Force BN2 Islander.
When RIAT Airfield Manager, John Thorpe, needed to reposition the Islander at 22:00 he
found it locked and could not contact the crew. Tim used his personal AA membership card,
and all his persuasion, to call out Terry. Ten minutes after arriving at the airfield,
Terry had broken into the Islander using his home made 'master keys'. The Islander was
moved to its weekend parking place in time for the Tattoo's opening on Saturday.
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So Cottesmores brief tenure of RIAT is over.
Despite a shaky start last year, this years proved that it can work, and work better
in many respects than Fairford. Thanks to the co-operation of the Station Commander, Group
Captain David Walker, there was always a good relationship between the base and the IAT,
although there was a hint in his opening speech of some relief that it was back to
Fairford next year. "I'm enormously impressed by the the team led by Paul
Bowen and Tim Prince", he said, "all I have done is provide the real estate for
these two years and it's been a pleasure to work with them. It's the last time here, and I
have mixed feelings, but there's a lot of work involved but I think it should go back to
its proper home at Fairford."
Cottesmore effectively closed down for a fortnight over
the RIAT period, so one can imagine the effect of training operations for what is the
RAFs front-line Harrier station. Long-term a year-on-year shutdown every July just
wouldnt be sustainable.
It just seemed so right,
RIAT being on an active RAF airfield. Top Brass, Air Cadets and air force blue were much
in evidence, with the crescent of pre-war type C hangars providing an
atmospheric backdrop. Many actually think that IAT is organised by the Americans due to
its permanent presence at Fairford, which is far from the truth and unfair to the efforts
of all the 4,500 volunteers who make the event happen. We know were back at Fairford next year, but how about
Cottesmore every other year, Mr Organiser? It would save a lot of people a lot of
queuing...
Part two:
Women in Aviation & Training
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