RIAT 2022 Preview

 It's almost time! After 2 years of rollovers and waiting (cheers Covid) this time next week Dad and I will be at The Royal International Air Tattoo aka RIAT. 

As most of you will know I've been to RIAT before back in 2017 and 2018 and I thought it might be nice to share with you the aircraft I'm most looking forward to seeing. You can find the full flying line-up here.

Here are just a few of the aircraft I'm most looking forward to seeing either in the air or on static display -

Belgian F16

 

The Belgian F16 is always a fantastic display, these photos are from display pilot 'Gizmo's' 2017 RIAT display and the video below is from his display at Airbourne the same year. 

Airbus Beluga-

I've only ever seen a Beluga at very high altitude which made it impossible to see it's distinctive nose that gives it it's name. 

Republic Of Korea Black Eagles

The Black Eagles are Korea's national display team. I saw one of their single jets way back in 2012 at Farnborough. 

In action at Farnborough

I found this video on YouTube that shows their great formations.

Czech & Hungarian Hinds

These are great looking helicopters and I'm looking forward to seeing one for the first time this year, plus there was one in Top Gun:Maverick!

Swedish Air Force Historic Flight Draken & Viggen

Unfortunately these are only on static at RIAT due to rules about vintage jets only being allowed to fly over the sea but I'm hoping that they might arrive on the Thursday after Dad and I get there. They are amazing looking planes!

Viggen

Draken

Italian Airforce Frecce Tricolori & Spartan

I've always really enjoyed the Spartan ever since I first saw it at Farnborough 2010, it's incredibly manoeuvrable for a fairly large aircraft. These photos are from RIAT 2017.

 I'd wanted to see the Frecce Tricolori for the longest time and they were well worth the wait!

NATO E1D Sentry

The RAF is retiring their Sentry fleet and the remaining airframes now belong to NATO. This photo is of an RAF Sentry from RIAT 2018 and footage of one taking part in the RAF 100 flypast.

Hungarian & Swedish Gripens

Gripens are always enjoyable and I feel they sometimes get overshadowed by their 4th Generation Fighter cousins the Typhoon and Rafale. They're agile and fast and always put on a good show. This is the Swedish example from RIAT 2017.

Swiss & Spanish F18s

I'm extra excited to see both the F18s this year since the aircraft type was the star of Top Gun: Maverick! Expect quotes to be excessively used. These photos and video are of the Swiss F18 in 2018.

USAF B52, E4 Nightwatch, CV22 Osprey & U2

I've seen B52 flypasts a few times and they never fail to impress with their size, this year one is performing a flypast on the Saturday and Sunday. 

The Nightwatch is an adapted Boeing 747 (the world's first 'jumbo jet') used for military control and command. 

We saw the static display U2 arriving at RIAT 2017 from a distance. My favourite YouTube channel bobsurgranny has a great video of it's arrival. 

The CV22 Osprey is always super cool, it's tilt rotor has a very distinctive sound. This photo is from the 2017 show.

The Austrian Air Force will be performing a role demo of two of their Typhoons 'intercepting' an enemy aircraft. Judging by the below YouTube video it looks like a great demonstration. 

Royal Air Force

And now for the home team! These are the RAF aircraft I'm most looking forward to-

Battle Of Britain Memorial Flight - This photo is from the 2018 show when the team debuted their 'Trenchard Formation'. I actually prefer watching them from the campsite because the aircraft end up flying over the top of us as they split to perform their individual parts .  

Chinook - I'm looking forward to the first 'wocka wocka' of the year from this crazily agile helicopter. This photo is from 2017. 

F35 Lightning II - The RAF's F35 is going to make a couple of flypasts at the weekend of the show along with a couple on static display. 

Taking part in the 2018 show 617 Squadron flypast with the Lancaster and Tornado

Taking part in the Platinum Jubilee flypast earlier this year with a Voyager and 2 Typhoons

This is the USAF example of the F35 at RIAT 2018

Poseidon - The RAF is celebrating the arrival of their Poseidon patrol aircraft with one flying in formation with the Red Arrows to open the show on Friday. This photo is one arriving at the 2017 show. 

Typhoon - I've still yet to see the Typhoon close up in it's 'Blackjack' paintwork, it flew over us at the Platinum Jubilee (see the photo of the F35s above) and I've seen it from a long way away when it was doing this photoshoot off of Beachy Head at the end of last summer. 

The last time I saw it at RIAT was when it had it's 'RAF 100' paintwork. 

Red Arrows - Last but not least! You all know how much of a Reds fangirl I am (just ask my right arm ...) so I'm always going to look forward to them!

                        Opening the show in 2017 with the USAF Thunderbirds

I had a sneak preview of this year's display routine at Goodwood Festival Of Speed (you can read about it here).

The next blog you'll get from me will probably the the review of the weekend's proceedings,  here's hoping for nice weather and no cancellations!

Love Jen

XxxX

Ps You can see my YouTube playlist for all my RIAT videos here