Return of RIAT

The Czech Air Force performed a dual helicopter flying display comprising an MI-17Sh Hip transport helicopter and an Mi-24 Hind attack helicopter. The MI-24 can be seen here head on during the display

be part of the operational development at the USAF base.

Atherton explained: “The reason that we moved aircraft to the east and the western edge of the southern taxiway was because the north-eastern loop was being used by the USAF. And let's not forget that Fairford is now an operational USAF base with personnel and aircraft permanently based here. It is something we have never faced before, and what we normally do is put the aircraft that are going to be displaying in that area so that they can start up, taxi and get airborne well away from the public, thereby minimizing any risk. That was not available this year, so we had to make an alternative arrangement and, of course, that increased the risk of mixing live aircraft with people, so we had to put in a whole raft of mitigations to make that as safe as possible. ”One benefit was that we managed to get the public very, very close to live aircraft and I think that has been received incredibly well. To be honest, it is a nice problem to have and next year we will have to consider whether we wish to continue doing that.”

RIAT22 USAF PARTICIPATION LIST

Aircraft unit Display Bell Boeing CV-22B Osprey 7th Special Operational Squadron Flying Bell Boeing CV-22B Osprey 7th Special Operational Squadron Static Boeing E-4B Nightwatch 595th Command and Control Group Static Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker 351st Air Refueling Squadron Static Boeing KC-46A Pegasus 514th Air Mobility Wing Static Lockheed Martin F-16CM Fighting falcon 555th Fighter Squadron Static Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II 495th Fighter Squadron Static Lockheed Martin MC-130J Commando II 67th Special Operations Squadron Static McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle 492nd Fighter Squadron Static McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle 494th Fighter Squadron Static

The USAF sent multiple assets to this year’s RIAT, mainly units from USAFE, which included the aircraft listed above. A huge highlight for many would have been a flying and static display from the heroic B-52H Stratofortress, but for unconfirmed reasons both B-52Hs we forced to cancel.

Initially, the US Navy had been planning to send a single asset to RIAT, this being a Boeing P-8A Poseidon from Patrol Squadron 46. However, as with the USAF B-52s, the Poseidon’s appearance was also cancelled, which left no participation from the US Navy at the event.