Aviation News — September 2017

T

his year’s Royal International

Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford in

Gloucestershire, held over July

14-16, marked the 70th anniversary

of the USAF. The air arm provided an array

of aircraft, though the star attraction for many

was the B-2A Spirit which performed flybys

on the Sunday accompanied by two F-15C

Eagles. The theme provided other highlights,

including the USAF’s ‘Thunderbirds’ display

team, while an F-22A Raptor performed on

the Sunday (bad weather prevented it and

some other aircraft flying on the Saturday)

and also flew with P-51D Mustang Frenesi

(N357FG). A Lockheed U-2S was a welcome

feature of the static park.

A Ukrainian Air Force Su-27P1M

Flanker was a standout item in the flying

programme, and there was a two-seat

UB1M variant in the static park along with

an Il-76MD Candid. Israel sent an aircraft

(a C-130J) for the first time in 15 years. The

Finnish Air Force ‘Midnight Hawks’ team was

also welcomed back. Australia deployed

an E-7A Wedgetail and Japan once

again contributed a KC-767A. The Royal

Canadian Air Force supplied a CH-147F

Chinook that was flown in on a CC-

Globemaster III. The French Air Force’s

Couteau Delta team, flying two Mirage

2000Ds, made its UK debut.

The UK military obviously attended in

force and provided a glimpse into the future

with new training types: a Phenom, Prefect,

Juno, Jupiter and Texan II (which returned to

the US after the show to continue testing). It

was also the last public outing for Tornado

GR4, ZG750 (painted in the Operation

Granby scheme) before being retired.

Another interesting attendee was a de

Haviland DH.9, one of three airframes

discovered rotting in a shed in India and

painstakingly restored by Aero Vintage and

BAE Systems to flying condition though at

the time of the show it hadn’t taken to the air.

A crowd of 160,000 people witnessed 246

aircraft taking part in RIAT from 32 air arms

representing 26 nations. Peter R Foster

SPECTACULAR RIAT

10 Aviation News incorporating Jets September 2017

Above: A view of the main taxiway looking

west with the crowd enjoying the diverse

selection of aircraft on show. Air Tattoo

photography

AWARD WINNERS

King Hussein Memorial Sword, best overall flying

demonstration: Capitaine Jean-Guillaume ‘Marty’

Martinez, Escadron de Transformation Rafale 3/

‘Aquitaine’, French Air Force, Rafale C

Paul Bowen Trophy, best jet demonstration: Major

Dan ‘Rock’ Dickinson, 1st Fighter Wing, USAF, F-22A

Raptor.

Steedman Display Sword, best flying demonstration

by a UK participant: Flt Lt Ryan Lawton, 29 (Reserve)

Squadron, RAF, Typhoon

Sir Douglas Bader Trophy, best individual flying

display: 1st Lt Andrej Fiorelli, 152nd Fixed-Wing

Squadron, Slovenian Air Force, Pilatus PC-9M

As the Crow Flies Trophy, best overall flying

demonstration as judged by members of the Friends

of the Royal International Air Tattoo: Col Oleksander

Oksanchenko, 831st Guards Tactical Aviation

Brigade, Ukrainian Air Force, Su-27P1M

RAFCTE (Royal Air Force Charitable Trust

Enterprises) Trophy, best flying demonstration by an

overseas participant: Capt Ivo Kardoš, 211th Tactical

Squadron, Czech Air Force, JAS 39C Gripen

Best Livery: Reparto Sperimentale Volo, Italian Air

Force A-200A Tornado

RIAT CEO Award, outstanding contribution to the

show: USAF Thunderbirds

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