Royal International Air Tattoo

I've finally put the bulk of my photo selection from this year's Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) at RAF Fairford on the photo gallery. I'll be adding a few more air display photos in the next few days, but pretty much all of the static photos I've selected are now on there.

RIAT cetainly makes for an enjoyable full day out. It was about 10 years since the last time I attended the RIAT, so it was good to see how things have changed. The Russian contingent enjoyed back in the 90s has been absent from the airshow scene for some years as I understand it, which is a shame, as it's nice to see some Migs and Sukhois intersperse the regular Tornados, F16s and like, but it's nevertheless good to see what the Western Air Forces have got to show off.

Now by no means think that the RIAT is in the same boat as Farnborough. The two are very different beasts. Farnborough is primarily a trade show, with a varied air display of both civil and military aircraft. The focus is very much on the latest hardware the aviation industry has to offer. You can quite easily see an Airbus A340 next to a Swedish Grippen. In contrast, RIAT is a show for the fans, that lets the air force display pilots show off their stuff. From the fighters pulling Gs to formation flying teams or the great thunder of some massive bomber, the RIAT has it all, and on a massive scale. Row upon row of aircraft make all other airshows pale into insignificance. Many other airshows may specialise in certain areas, but if you're wanting to see military hardware on show on a big scale, this is the show to attend.