Tails of RIAT

by Gary Parsons

Part two: Stars on parade

Undisputed star of the event was the B2A Spirit 'Stealth Bomber', arriving in style on Friday morning by performing a long, curving almost-ninety-degree pass before landing on runway two-seven. Originally two had been promised, one for static and one for the flying, but this always seemed rather optimistic, given the type's security status and operational commitments. Nevertheless, 'Spirit of Indiana' managed both tasks admirably, by being located in the static park at the western end of the airfield and joining in the flying displays on both days, operating from runway zero-nine. A large area of the airfield was cordoned off to accommodate the beast, a double security fence proving to be a frustration to many photographers. Bubble wrap covered the engine outlets whilst in the static, to stop prying cameras taking note, but had to come off for the flying, so one wonders exactly what was achieved. A 'stealth park' was created around the pan, as the Spirit was joined by an F117A and U2S.

Colourful tails everywhere, it seemed. The NATO celebrations certainly brought out the paint pots for most air forces, with the notable exception of the Royal Air Force. We know times are hard for the British Armed Forces, but a bit of Esprit des Corps with some celebratory artwork would be welcome amidst the toned-down squadron markings that are the face of the service in the late nineties. Even the French, noted for their are-they-in-or-not approach to NATO, took the effort to spruce up an Etendard for the occasion.

F16s were in abundance, each seemingly sporting a brightly coloured tail, trying to out-do its neighbour. Tigers were in evidence from 313 Squadron of the Royal Netherlands Air Force, as F16A J-196 and F16B J-265 sported two subtly different designs, the former unfortunately beginning to shows signs of being worse for wear. Other fabulous Falcons included Norwegian twin seater 711 in letraset NATO marks, Danish single-seat E-180 as previously seen at Waddington,  31st FW 'CJ example 89-001 and Belgian MLU FA60, again with stuck-on NATO marks. It was rumoured that these stickers, along with those on the Norwegian, would be taken off before flight, but they both left on the Monday with them all in place. It would be interesting to know if the stickers were still in place when they got home!

Literal 'star' of the static was German Tornado 45+79 from JbG31, which sported an overall dark blue scheme embellished with a constellation of stars, celebrating 40 years of the squadron last year. Although an 'old' scheme, it was glorious to behold, and probably very effective at night! Similarly adorned was Starfighter MM6827 from the RSV, Italian Air Force which provided a spectacular flying display on both days, turning tighter than a...well, maybe a B52. Back to Teutonic Tornados, other colourful beasts included 44+88 from AkG51 and 46+48 from JbG32, the latter continuing the Tiger theme popular with pilots and enthusiasts alike. Completing the Tiger theme was regular RIAT participant F5A 134 of the Norwegian Air Force, somewhat a familiar sight on the Fairford taxiway in July...

If there had been a prize for the most colourful aircraft, the two Alpha Jets from the Belgian Air Force would surely have scooped it, one picked out in blue with the other in an eye-catching red and white scheme. Not just celebrating 50 years of NATO, the Belgians are also commemorating 20 years of the Franco-German trainer, a theme that will be heavily emphasised at the forthcoming airshow at Beauvechain in September. Running the jets a close second was US Coast Guard Hercules 1713, looking immaculate amongst the line of otherwise mainly grey military heavies. Not quite so colourful, but welcome nevertheless, was artwork on the tail AMX MM7189 from 51 Stormo of the Italian Air Force, in the form of a Red Indian. 

Noseart was evident amongst the American aircraft, although not quite on the scale seen at the base during the recent operations against Kosovo. No less than three B52s were in attendance, joined by a brace of B1s, with another Lancer going 'tech' en-route and spending the weekend at Mildenhall. Other 'biggies' of particular note were C135C 12669, which stayed for Saturday only, and Special Forces C141B StarLifter 70010, sporting some interesting bumps and blisters on its nose. Canadian CP140 140114 from 415 Squadron wore pseudo RAF 1944 code GX-N, similar to 140105 at Waddington, in recognition of its wartime roots.

In terms of rare and interesting aircraft for the enthusiast, of note were the Polish M28 Bryza 1R, at least almost pronounceable, the Ukrainian two-seat Su27UB Flanker which unfortunately sat northside for the weekend, and a pair of AV8Bs from HMM365 of the US Marine Corps.

Overall, the weather and the colour schemes provided a haven for the serious photographer, although RIAT is always a challenge with the trade stands, stalls, cones and barriers that are as much a part of the scene as the aircraft. But, it doesn't stop you getting pictures like above, so use your imagination!

Part three: The flying displays.