REVIEW: Royal International Air Tattoo 2024

WORDS: ALEX PRINS | PHOTOS: ALEX PRINS & JAMES CONNOLLY

The Royal International Air Tattoo is more than just an airshow. It is a nirvana for spotters, a landmark occasion for air forces and display teams. RIAT stands alone and above all comparable airshows in the UK and Europe: it has no competition for scale or international pull of military aircraft.

Yet, as a product, RIAT continues to consume itself at the expense of the average punter. Ticket prices continue their steady rise, up from £62 in 2022 to £69 last year, and £76 this year, for a single standard Saturday ticket, while the crowdline continues to be gobbled up by exclusive enclosures and other such real estate that has been gained by Farnborough’s terminal spiral. Even the Friends of RIAT enclosure will not be immune from relocation. But then, this must come as no surprise when one considers that the income from corporate hospitality probably now contributes more to the airshow’s coffers than general admission tickets. In much the same way that Premier League season ticket holders are now the least lucrative source of income for their clubs, so too is a general admission visitor to the Air Tattoo. Face it, you might have made the pilgrimage to RIAT every year since 1985, but you are worth less to the Royal Air Force Charitable Trust than Brad, a regional executive from Lockheed Martin, who wants to have lunch next to an RAF Group Captain tipped for promotion.

On the subject of advertising, this year for the first time, “large” TV screens were installed across the showground to alternately display PlanesTV’s excellent camerawork, and inflict the audio equivalent of Chinese water torture on a captive audience with a limited rotation of Breitling, Land Rover, and RAF recruitment adverts. Indeed, no second of dead air went to waste, with lyricisms such as “When 60 seconds turns to 60 years, something something, Breitling Red Arrows watch” (accompanied by distracting aircraft sound effects) continually broadcast to the assembled throng.

So why bother to attend this year at all? Why was I rolling the dice on a resold Friday ticket a week before the show, in order to spend an extra day in Fairford? Quite simply, because this year Douglas Bader House (DBH) managed to build the best military airshow line up anywhere in the world – by a fair margin. Across one 3-day weekend, we were witness to the first U-2 demo in the UK since 1993, the European debut of the F-15QA Ababil in various configurations, flypasts by Spanish SF-5M Freedom Fighters and Greek F-4E Phantom IIs, as well as debuts by the Norwegian Yellow Sparrows in the air and a new nation on the ground. In the grand scheme of RIATs past, this edition will probably be debated for its merits and its shortcomings beyond its aircraft participation, but as a military airshow in 2024, it must be regarded as the best, bar none.

This year, RIAT set out to celebrate four key themes, with strong representation for each across both the flying and the static displays. The most obvious on arrival at Fairford, having passed through the much-improved security checks (compared with the farce of last year), was ‘50 Years of the F-16’. Despite losing Portuguese, Polish and USAF F-16s from the planned lineup, the ‘Viper Line’ of 16 Falcons of various breeds was a clear focal point in the static park. Of the more notable were the Romanian F-16AM, Jordanian F-16AM/BMs and Moroccan F-16C/Ds, all of which were debuts at the Air Tattoo. In what is likely to be the last international assembly of F-16s on anything close to this scale, RIAT fulfilled the birthday brief. Indeed, as F-16s were obviously also present in the flying display courtesy of the Danish and Turkish Air Forces, these flying aircraft were also thoughtfully arranged along the active apron in a continuation of the Viper Line. From the specially-erected viewing platform at the eastern end, this further extended the Line: both were welcome touches added to an already impressive static layout.

Only a few years ago, RIAT was criticised for having too many F-16s in the flying display, but with its withdrawal from service accelerated by the conflict in Ukraine, many erstwhile stalwarts have since disappeared from the airshow scene. The challenges that come with operating an advanced fighter jet in its fiftieth year may be best demonstrated by the Danish Air Force, who had the busiest weekend of all participants. On arrival, the F-16BM slated for static display suffered a “complex incident”, while the new specially painted Dannebrog jet also became unserviceable after its excellent display on Friday. In the very definition of going ‘above and beyond’, for which they were given special recognition, the Danish Air Force sent a third F-16AM in the early hours of Saturday morning, which was then promptly readied for display later that day (in torrential rain).

Coincidentally, this third airframe was none other than the oldest F-16 still flying anywhere in the world. As Danish F-16s continue to be sent to the front lines in Ukraine, one might have expected not to see a display this year at all, as with the much-missed Belgian Viper display, so it was extremely gratifying to see the lengths that the Danes went to, in order to properly commemorate a half century of Fighting Falcons.

The Turkish contribution, too, was enjoyable. Once a very regular RIAT participant, SoloTurk hadn’t visited the UK since 2018 and its flamboyant routine, characterised by  fast loaded rolls, rudder kicks and even an imaginative ‘bow’ to the crowd, added some exotic flair to the F-16 celebrations.

Another key anniversary theme at RIAT this year was the 75th Anniversary of NATO, marked with a flypast led by a NATO E-3A Sentry and RAF RC-135W Rivet Joint. Having enjoyed strong support from NATO allies since the very first International Air Tattoo, Friday’s event marked this milestone in impressive fashion. 12 nations participated in the central flypast, with notable highlights including a Spanish SF-5M, Italian Tornado, French Mirage 2000-5F, and five different F-16 nationalities, including the Romanian debutant. All but the display airframes and RC-135 were then put on static display on Saturday and Sunday. As an added bonus for Friday’s visitors, all of the aforementioned jets launched from Fairford in a series of impressive minimum-interval departures.

The jewel of Friday’s NATO 75 crown however was the role demonstration by a USAF U-2S Dragon Lady. When first announced on the 4th of July, DBH were only able to reveal that a Dragon Lady from the airfield’s resident 99th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron would be ‘launching and recovering’ during the flying display. What transpired was an unexpectedly lengthy demonstration that included numerous fly-bys and missed approaches. Considering the “blink-and-you’ll-miss it” flypasts the USAF traditionally sends to UK airshows, usually at the same altitude as a passing airliner, this exceeded all expectations. Each touch-and-go was talked down by a chasing sports car as standard, and with every go-around the aircraft performed its trademark steep climb to great effect.

A few further surprises in support of the NATO 75 theme were also hinted at by Ben Dunnell in his commentary, the first of which transpired to be a second U-2 arrival, as it recovered from an operational sortie during the flying display. Having woken many camping within the vicinity in the early hours, this U-2 differed from the demo aircraft in that it carried a ‘Senior Span’ reconnaissance pod on its back, along with doubtless other surveillance equipment that remain crucial to the USAF, 69 years on from the type’s first flight. How many years has it been since an airshow crowd last witnessed multiple U-2s flying, both in different configurations, in the space of a single day? This must surely go down as one of RIAT’s greatest achievements.

Fans of Cold War aviation were further treated later that afternoon as two Hellenic F-4E Phantom IIs arrived after the flying display and performed three formation flypasts and go-arounds. Arriving into the circuit behind a C-47 Dakota, an apparent mix-up with ATC led to a lower and heartier series of flypasts than might have been expected. The whole spectacle was only slightly undermined when the pair touched down and it became obvious that the dedicated decals applied for the event had been shredded by their boisterous arrival.

Alongside the Hellenic F-4Es, the static park was populated with numerous aircraft in support of the NATO anniversary, including two further Phantoms and a KC-135R from the Turkish Air Force, Tornadoes from both Italy and Germany, and an assortment of USAF “heavies”, including a KC-46A, RC-135V and B-52H, among others. Most notably, a KC-10A Extender of the 79th Air Refuelling Squadron marked the type’s final appearance in Europe after more than 40 years of regular appearance; just four KC-10s remained in service at the time, with the final one slated for retirement in September. Efforts were also made to recognise the entire span of NATO’s 75 years, with civilian-operated historic types such as Top Aces’ A-4N Skyhawk, Hawker Hunter Aviation’s F.58, and Alizé Marine’s Bréguet Alizé, sitting alongside aircraft provided by NATO’s newest members, Finland and Sweden.

Across the weekend, NATO 75 was also recognised by a rich assortment of displays. Regular attendees such as the Czech and Swedish Gripen solo displays were typically slick, and the Italians contributed strongly as ever with their T-346A Master, F-2000A Typhoon and C-27J Spartan displays. The latter proved especially memorable, with an updated display routine that included Derry turns, aileron rolls, a loop and a half-Cuban.

Another crowd favourite, the Spanish Navy’s EAV-8B Matador II+, also returned to take part in the flying display, albeit with a routine that was typically simplistic comprising almost exclusively of straight and level passes, punctuated by aileron rolls and Derry turns, until the ever-impressive hover. The Swiss, too, provided an ever-popular participant in the form of the Patrouille Suisse, with their six F-5E Tiger IIs.

Given that the F-35 is becoming the de-facto pan-NATO fighter of the future, it was appropriate to see several examples at RIAT. Norway sent F-35As to appear on static display for the first time, while an RAF F-35B appeared in the flying display with its newly-established, confident and assertive role demonstration. While the F-35 operated from RAF Marham, it did at least touch down briefly at Fairford during its performance – something that we hadn’t seen during the demonstration’s singular previous outing to RAF Cosford.

The Luftwaffe is becoming an ever larger RIAT participant, and alongside static participation from no fewer than three Tornados, an A319OH and CH-53, they also provided an EF2000 and A400M for the flying display. The former was a welcome debut for RIAT, different in style to the familiar British and Italian Typhoon displays but perhaps higher and a bit more distant than either. The A400M Atlas was perhaps the weekend’s biggest anticlimax, following as it did from last year’s superb air-to-air refuelling demonstration with what was slated to be a full display, but was reduced to 3 unimpressive flypasts in various configurations.

Another RIAT debut that similarly divided opinion was the Yellow Sparrow display team of the Norwegian Air Force, comprising six canary yellow SAAB MFI-15 Safaris. The effort required to bring these mid-wing training types from Norway (a roundtrip that will have taken the better part of a fortnight) should not be overlooked, nor should the quality of the formation flying. The fast-jet obsessive might have taken this display as an opportunity for a toilet break, but RIAT is far richer for its variety, and it would not be a surprise if this is the team’s only UK appearance in its history.

Completing the Scandinavian contingent for the NATO 75 festivities, the Finnish Air Force provided both its Midnight Hawks display team and a separate solo display. Unfortunately, Finland’s fleet of Mk.51 Hawks are still being returned to full strength following a 6-month grounding due to engine serviceability, and as such the Midnight Hawks were without their usual smokewinding steeds. Instead, the team used one Mk.51 and three Mk.66s formerly of the Swiss Air Force, and though both displays were technically superb and the ex-Swiss paint scheme is easily more attractive than the team’s usual dark grey, their beautiful vertical manoeuvres in particular suffered for the lack of smoke trails, and overall were visually underwhelming.

In addition to NATO 75, these displays also supported a sub-theme of this year’s show, as the BAE Hawk was celebrated in its 50th year. On Saturday a special flypast took place, as a Finnish Mk.66 joined a T.2 from RAF Valley, a T.1 of the Red Arrows, a Mk.65 of the Saudi Hawks display team, and a Qatari Mk.167, in a series of unique 5-ship formation flypasts.

Though 50 years old, like the F-16, the BAE Hawk continues to represent an ongoing British interest in Middle Eastern aviation. The Saudi Hawks, returning to RIAT for the second consecutive year with their current fleet of Mk.65s, have committed to upgrading their team to the new Hawk Mk.165 within 2 years. Comparisons with the Red Arrows inevitably follow the Saudi Hawks, and this year although some of the formations were a little less polished than their British counterparts, overall they were the more visually interesting display team – especially given the Red Arrows’ slightly scrappy Friday performance, with certain moves performed bizarrely far away from the crowd and one aircraft missing from the Vertical Break due to an apparent aborted rejoin.

The Qatari Air Force also displayed its new wares in a static area celebrating 50 years of the service. Another Hawk Mk.167 joined a Qatari-liveried Typhoon from BAE Warton, alongisde an NH90 NFH and C-17A Globemaster III, the latter of which was wearing the colours of Qatar Airways. The Emiri Air Force also provided its newest purchase for the flying display, with two examples of the F-15QA Ababil flown by Boeing pilots across the weekend.

The first full F-15 flying display in the UK for over a decade, the Ababil was clearly the headline act for RIAT 2024. As the best showcase for the new type, each day was to alternate between a ‘clean’ airframe and tooled-up aircraft with 12 AMRAAM air-to-air missiles. As was intended, the two displays were remarkably similar despite the payload, with several examples of the F-15QA’s ability to pitch up to almost vertical in an instant, and a very impressive example of the increased slow-speed manoeuvrability. The ‘clean’ display was the more technically interesting, perhaps, with the aircraft demonstrating a little extra climb performance by performing a double Immelmann after its low speed pass, while the fully loaded jet pitched up into a conventional Immelmann and adding a couple of extra low passes instead, making it feel a little more ‘in your face’ than the clean example.

Unfortunately, however, it was clear that Boeing had only worked up one routine, which relied on a high cloud base and optimal conditions. In the event on Saturday, with a low cloudbase and rain in the air, the mythical Ababil was only able perform four non-aerobatic flypasts and missed approaches (albeit still with some very impressive fast pitches) and land again. The saving grace for Boeing came on Sunday, when a few other cancellations left a gap in the programme, into which the Ababil stepped to provide both examples in different slots: a compromise that benefited those attending across the whole weekend, but Saturday’s visitors would feel rightly hard done by.

There were rumours before the first validation flight that the F-15QA would suffer in being prepared for a double-header with Farnborough the week after; occasionally manufacturers will create a ‘one size pleases no one’ display that accommodates for FIA’s uncompromising airspace, and results in low-energy high-altitude displays at RIAT. Fortunately, the Ababil did not feel especially restricted at RIAT, however Embraer’s erstwhile KC-390 Air Tattoo flying debut on Friday fell foul of the FIA-effect. The medium size transport aircraft certainly looks every bit the capable new transport aircraft, as Embraer provided an example in the in-service colours of the Brazilian Air Force, but its performance was far from dynamic, with only one notable wingover, and was flown at quite an excessive height. Especially when compared with the gutsy Airbus demonstrations of its A400M from the last few years, this was an eminently forgettable transport display. Despite this, the KC-390 Millennium has been an export success, with orders placed by numerous European air forces, and the Portuguese Air Force sent one of its two newly acquired transporters for static display, despite having officially cancelled shortly before the show. Perhaps unsurprisingly, given its recent delivery and pristine condition, the Portuguese airlifter won the Concourse d’Elegance for the best static display.

The KC-390, along with the aforementioned U-2 and NATO anniversary flypast, formed part of a much-expanded Friday-only offering – which was opened by the RAF Falcons, jumping from a C-17A Globemaster for the first time at a public event. In recent years, Friday of the Air Tattoo may have felt like a low-key affair – very much the lesser of the three show days – but this time it felt like a unique proposition – almost an entirely seperate product – packed with some truly rare, exclusive one-off flying displays. Factor in some high-profile arrivals and the best weather of the entire week, and Friday this year had as much appeal as any of the “main” show days, if not more.

The final significant theme of the show, represented in both the static park and flying display, was the centennial celebrations of the Royal Canadian Air Force. As in 2018 for the RAF’s own centenary, our Canadian friends were once again generous in sending a variety of types across the Atlantic. On static there was variously: a CC-177 Globemaster, CC-150T Polaris, CC-130J Hercules, CC-295 Kingfisher, CH-146 Griffon, along with an assembled cast of appropriate civilian types including the Vampire FB.6 from the Norwegian Air Force Historical Squadron. For the flying display, we were once again treated to the CF-188A Hornet display – with its alarmingly steep take-off that brings the tailpipe perilously close to the runway, followed by a free-flowing routine that was mercifully European in style. On Friday, a Hornet (unfortunately a plain grey example due to technical issues) also joined the Red Arrows for a special flypast, and across the weekend it flew a dedicated series of flypasts with The Fighter Collection’s Spitfire. This nod to the significant links between the RAF and RCAF’s history was welcome, and efforts were clearly made to keep the formation far more engaging than the equivalent ‘Victory Flight’ routine performed in North America; a topside, then a belly-up pass, and finally, a break, rather than the three near-identical right-to-left passes seen at Canadian events. Despite that, the whole thing felt rather distant and perhaps even unmemorable.

TFC’s Spitfire was the only flying warbird at this year’s RIAT, following the unfortunate grounding of the RAF’s Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, and while no one comes to RIAT for vintage aviation, in hindsight this was a key area where the flying display felt underrepresented. Another slight disappointment concerned another of RIAT’s themes, ‘pushing the boundaries’, which celebrated test and experimental flight through the ages. Initially this perhaps conjured up images of flypasts from large flying testbeds (perhaps, at one point, this was the plan) but in the end it mostly applied to visiting civilian statics that are likely to have attended anyway. Fortunately, the static display was bursting with quality elsewhere, and particular highlights not already mentioned included the RIAT debut of a Royal Saudi Air Force F-15SA Saudi Advanced, a Serbian Air Force C-235MW (the first time Serbia had sent an aircraft to the Air Tattoo) and a noteworthy civilian contribution in the form of a Turbo Firecat from Amicale Alençonnaise des Avions Anciens – the type’s first visit to the a British airshow since entering civilian hands.

The Royal International Air Tattoo is, in many ways, a continuing, shining success. Each edition brings more corporate engagement, and doubtless billions of pounds of procurement deals are initiated or concluded behind the velvet ropes of the VVIP areas. It has outlived or outgrown every comparable event in Europe, and this success poses questions: is it possible to keep innovating, control ticket prices and remain true to the event’s original spirit when there is nobody else at your level? If you set the standard for what a military airshow is, then why bother setting it that high? Douglas Bader House could rest on its laurels, invite a rotating cast of regular fast jets and display teams, and sell corporate tickets at whatever exorbitant price they deem fit, while neatly donating a hefty chunk of profit to the worthy RAFCTE.

And yet, while the visitor experience on the ground may sometimes regress, the organising team remain stubbornly determined to bring unique formations and displays to these shores. They are steadfast in their resolution to entice aircraft to the static park that we have never seen before, or might never see again. Every year now feels like “the last great RIAT,” and every year DBH will pull a rabbit out of a hat or three, and suddenly the following July feels that little bit brighter.

The competitive airshow market is dead, RIAT has won; but while the likes of Peter Reoch and his team remain at the helm, working tirelessly to make each new edition better than the last, there will always be that draw that keeps airshow enthusiasts excited through the long dark winters. If they build it, we will come.

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