The show must go on...

RIAT

The show must go on...

Gary Parsons looks at the flying displays

Forget all the security problems, the politics and the traffic queues, and let's concentrate on why we went - the flying displays. There was much to enjoy (once you were in...sorry, won't mention it again) although it all went a bit pear-shaped midday Saturday with the G-222's little incident (see sidebar). This meant no F-15 demo team, no B-52, no Patrouille Suisse as the schedule was hastily revised during the three-hour blackout of the runway, but to the credit of many pilots smaller acts such as the Hawk used a reduced length for take-off, an advantage Fairford's 10,000 ft new runway offers.

Showstopper II!

Just as happened at Waddington, at lunchtime on one of the showdays an incident occurred that blocked the runway for some three hours. This time it was the Italian Air Force G-222 that had a mishap, a heavy 'Khe-san' type landing breaking the nosewheel oleo leg which then collapsed, causing the plane to sink onto its nose as it slithered down the runway, reputedly putting a one-inch wide and deep groove in the brand-new runway! The unit commander stated that he hoped to repair it and fly it out, but according to the RIAT engineers the fire damage was quite serious, the heavy landing pushing the nosewheel inside the cockpit - they considered it a write off. Typically, local radio reported that a "plane had come crashing down ablaze", proving that sensationalist tabloid-type journalism is alive and well.

The display programme at RIAT is always broken into a series of themes, this year dominated by Bombers and the 60th anniversary of the arrival of the USAAF in England. 'Sally B' was on hand to lead the tribute to the Eighth Air Force and the Bomber Crews in general, Major General Robert Burns (see part one) taking the salute of four Aviano F-16Cs at the end of the day.

It was good to see the Americans appearing at an airshow in force, with demonstrations from the B-1B, B-2A, B-52, F-117A and F-15 Eagle. Forming the bulk of the Mighty Eighth tribute, it was a welcome opportunity to reacquaint ourselves with the brute force of the Lancer, the unique take-off of the Buff and the strange lines of the Nighthawk. Demonstrations they were, not as spectacular as in past shows, but it was important they were there. The F-117A was piloted by an RAF exchange officer, Sqn Ldr Linc Taylor, confirming the RAF still has an interest in stealth operations. No less than four F-15Cs escorted the B-2A Spirit through UK airspace - it's interesting how things have changed from its 1999 debut when it performed solo displays - in 2001 two Eagles were escort for its single flypast, now four. At this rate by the end of the decade the whole of the 493rd FS will be accompanying it!

SALUTE TO BOMBER CREWS

World War II campaigners, Falklands and Gulf War veterans met today's aircrew over the weekend. In a two-nation tribute, US and British aircraft flew in honour of the crews who fought with the wartime Eighth Air Force and RAF Bomber Command, and all those who have served with bomber squadrons and units over the subsequent sixty years. B-17 Flying Fortress 'Sally B' took off with an escort of P-51 Mustang and P-47 Thunderbolt fighters to symbolise the 440,000 sorties flown by the US 'Mighty Eighth' during World War II, shortly followed by a 'Missing Man' formation of four F-16Cs from Aviano. As the formation crossed crowd centre one of the Falcons pulled up skywards, leaving an empty space to represent fallen comrades across the decades.

The Royal Air Force remembered the 55,000 Bomber Command airmen who perished in World War II with a flypast by ARC's Blenheim and the BBMF Lancaster, Hurricane and Spitfire. Then, as with the previous American formation, four Harrier GR7s of the modern RAF performed the traditional 'Missing Man' formation in tribute to those who do not return.

RAF Bomber Command and 8th Air Force veterans, accompanied by airmen and women in service today, together with veterans of the Falklands and Gulf War, took the salute. A minute's silence was observed at around 18:00, before which RIAT Director Paul Bowen said "It is a great honour to pay this tribute, particularly to those who served in World War II. The gallantry of aircrew as young as 19 brought us the freedom we enjoy today. In 1940 Winston Churchill accurately predicted that 'the fighters are our salvation, but the bombers alone provide the means of victory'".

Solo acts

Bomber salute

Part three : more FRIAT experiences

Another theme that was rather overshadowed by the Bombers was that for the Golden Jubilee - a short midday sequence of Canberra, Hunter, Jaguar, Tornado and Sea Harrier was planned, each type representing a decade of Her Majesty's reign, although in the event the Canberra was unserviceable and failed to appear. Special mention must go to the Royal Navy's participation in the overall programme, for not only was the superb SHAR duo present but also the entertaining Lynx duo and FRADU's Hawk quartet comprising of some veteran aerobatic team leaders - it's odd these days for the pilots to actually be older than the airframes they fly! Slotted into the 'Lazy Lunch' section, their routine was anything but lazy - just five more and the 'Black Arrows' would be re-born! Now, there's a thought...

Hot Chileans

Display teams were familiar - Reds, Frecce, Blue Eagles, Patrulla Aguila, Patrouille Swiss, and the two Extra 300 teams of the Jordanian Falcons and Chilean 'Los Halcones' (see sidebar). Although the Los Halcones Extra making his own cloud Jordanians swooped one of the awards, we were more impressed with the Chileans who gave a more dynamic display - maybe not with so much finesse, which may have cost them in the end. The South American's Extra 300s arrived in crates aboard a B-707 and were reassembled especially to appear at RIAT. Missing from the line-up was the Patrouille de France, a temporary grounding of French Alpha Jets ensuring its non-attendance. This grounding didn't extend to the Belgian or Portuguese attendees, however.

And the winners are:

	*The King Hussein Memorial Sword (Best Overall)* Lieutenants Francois Breton and Guillaume Coeffin of 3/33 Squadron, French Air Force, flew two Mirage F1s to victory as the best pilots of RIAT 2002. More commonly known as 'Voltige Victor', the two pilots performed as if glued together in a typically Gallic display - when will they get Rafales?
*The Lockheed Martin Cannestra Trophy (Best Overseas Participant)* The elegant Royal Jordanian Falcons won this category, but a special mention goes to Heritage Flight P-51 Mustang and P-47 Thunderbolt fighters flown by Steve Hinton and Ed Shipley. They formed a flypast with Capt Renegar in the F-15D in memory of the fallen comrades of the USAAF in the Second World War - something only seen once before at Mildenhall's Air Fete '97.
	*The Steedman Display Sword (Best UK Participant) & The ‘As the Crow Flies’ Trophy (awarded by the Friends of RIAT)* A double win for Royal Navy pilots Lieutenant Commander Rob Schwab and Lieutenant Will Hynett of 899 Squadron at RNAS Yeovilton flying two Sea Harrier FA2s. An almost balletic routine, it was imaginative, creative and spellbinding to watch. It also served to underline the sheer folly of disbanding the SHAR fleet prematurely by 2006 - not that it's good at airshows, but that it's an agile fighter with an excellent radar that could still 'cut it' in the modern battlefield. The loonies have finally taken over the asylum.
*The Shell Oil UK ‘Sir Douglas Bader Trophy’ (Best Individual Flying Display)* Captain Richard Buijs of 312 Squadron, Royal Netherlands Air Force at Volkel Air Base coaxed the very best from his F-16 to win this award. Buijs (33) is the display pilot for this year's F-16 demo. After a two-year stint his airshow career will finish on 29 September during the two-day airshow in Luqa (Malta). A stunning flared descent was a spectacular addition to his normal display routine - and I missed it! Doh!
	*The Solo Jet Aerobatic Trophy (Best Single Jet Demonstration)* A win for the Royal Air Force and Flight Lieutenant Tony Cann of 20 Squadron, RAF Wittering, in a Harrier GR7 display that proved one of the most popular of RIAT 2002. As this is written Tony is recovering from his unexpected swim in the North Sea off Lowestoft - best of health to him and let's hope for a speedy return to display flying before the season is over.
*The Page Aerospace Trophy* A KC-135 tanker operated by the 147th Air Refuelling Squadron of US Air National Guard, based in Pittsburgh, won the award for the ‘best kept’ aircraft in the Concours d’Elegance.
	*The VT Aerospace Trophy* Beating off all competition, the ‘Trembling Box’ Tornado F3 team from RAF Leuchars were judged overall winners of the RIAT 2002 ground competitions. Run at Friday Island, South Cerney, the contest included aircraft recognition and behind-the-lines survival tests.