RIAT 2015 Awards

[StevenNFFC]

Hi all,

Here are the Official 2015 RIAT Awards

The King Hussein Memorial Sword (Best Overall Flying Demonstration): Battle of Britain 75th Anniversary Flypast

The 'As The Crow Flies' Trophy (FRIAT Trophy): Vulcan to the Sky Trust - XH558

The Steedman Display Sword (Best Flying Demonstration by a UK Participant): Battle of Britain 75th Anniversary Synchro Pair - 29(R) Squadron & BBMF, Royal Air Force - Typhoon FGR4 & Spitfire

The Paul Bowen Trophy (Best Solo Jet Demonstration): Finnish Air Force - F/A-18C Hornet
/
The Sir Douglas Bader Trophy (Best Individual Flying Display): German Army - Bolkow Bo-105

The Lockheed Martin Cannestra Trophy (Best Flying Demonstration by an Overseas Participant): Slovenian Air Force - Pilatus PC-9M

Best Paint Scheme Award: Hellenic Air Force Zeus Demo Team

What do you guys think? Personally I thought that the RAF Camo Typhoon was nailed on for best paint scheme for a start!

Steven.

[f-4]

Here's my personal vote:

The King Hussein Memorial Sword (Best Overall Flying Demonstration): Kev Rumens/Vulcan

The 'As The Crow Flies' Trophy (FRIAT Trophy): Vulcan to the Sky Trust - XH558

The Steedman Display Sword (Best Flying Demonstration by a UK Participant): Kev Rumens/Vulcan

The Paul Bowen Trophy (Best Solo Jet Demonstration): Kev Rumens/Vulcan

The Sir Douglas Bader Trophy (Best Individual Flying Display): Kev Rumens/Vulcan

The Lockheed Martin Cannestra Trophy (Best Flying Demonstration by an Overseas Participant): Ramex Delta

Best Paint Scheme Award: Hellenic Air Force Zeus Demo Team

'Nuff said.

[Vulcanone]

Shame that having travelled all the way from Japan in a rather nice pair of MPAs they never got a thing

Can't comment on the rest anyway as I didn't go.

T

[starfighter]

BO-105 better than the Chinook ,far to much free wine....................................
Steve.

[StevenNFFC]

Nice to see some variation in your awards F-4!

Tim, the P-1 display wasn't deserving of an award i'm afraid - he did two circuits and then landed! Very nice to see one though.

As I only went on Sunday I can only give my awards based on that so here's what I think:

The King Hussein Memorial Sword (Best Overall Flying Demonstration): Swiss PC-7 Team : Because they are a display team that flies props they have to do a lot more to keep the public entertained. For me they did enough and more. It's a Swiss stereotype but they were also the most precise display team in my opinion.

The Steedman Display Sword (Best Flying Demonstration by a UK Participant): Synchro75 - Typhoon & Spitfire : Despite having seen this numerous times at Coningsby it really came together at RIAT - the other displays on offer by the RAF/AAC didn't do enough to better the synchro display on Sunday IMO.

The Paul Bowen Trophy (Best Solo Jet Demonstration): Finnish F/A-18C : I have to agree with this award - I was very impressed by this display. I would have loved for the RAF Typhoon to have had clear skies to do his full display as I think it's the best Typhoon display for several years - just a shame about the weather. The Greek F-16 was disappointing but he was also doing a flat display.

The Sir Douglas Bader Trophy (Best Individual Flying Display): Airbus A400M : For me, I'm always stunned seeing how manoeuvrable this massive aircraft is. The display was superb from start to finish.

The Lockheed Martin Cannestra Trophy (Best Flying Demonstration by an Overseas Participant): Dutch Apache : For me, the Dutch Apache outshined the B-105 (which was also very impressive). The PC-9M was a very good display as was the Belgian F-16 but it's the Apache for me.

Best Paint Scheme Award: Typhoon FGR4 - ZK349/GN-A : For me, this scheme should have won hands down. The Greek and Belgian F-16's were very good but I can't see past the Typhoon on this one. Also the Czech Hind on static is worth a mention.

I would have loved to have given the Vulcan an award but as I was only there on Sunday I can't. The display on Sunday was very sedate and quite disappointing to be honest - I would have loved to have seen the Saturday display though.

[Dave1316]

The King Hussein Memorial Sword (Best Overall Flying Demonstration): The French Alpha Jet team would be my choice.

Best paint job - Greek F16 (Zeuss)

The Lockheed Martin Cannestra Trophy (Best Flying Demonstration by an Overseas Participant): The Swiss Super Puma just wins it for me.

The Sir Douglas Bader Trophy (Best Individual Flying Display): Airbus A400M : no question!!!!!

The Paul Bowen Trophy (Best Solo Jet Demonstration): Mig 29. Amazing take off and love the black smoke coming from it as it waited for said take off.

The Steedman Display Sword (Best Flying Demonstration by a UK Participant): Synchro75 - Typhoon & Spitfire.
Amazing.

Dave

[StevenNFFC]

Dave!!! Where's your loyalty to Coningsby - that Camo Typhoon should have won and you know it!

Steven.

[John flightpath]

From what I saw on Friday.

Best solo jet display would probably have gone to the MiG 29 (Polish AF)

Best A/c Colour scheme F-16 'Zeus' (Hellenic AF)

Thought Zeus was nailed on for that award and would have been a travesty if they did'nt get it.So Kebabs all round peep's innit lol

Cheers
John

[jem60]

Didn't go either, but bear in mind that the P.1 crews, despite having travelled a very long way, are probably operational flight crew without an Air Display Rating unlike virtually everyone else, who are dedicated display pilots, as well as being operational for the season. Would have liked to have seen it. Pretty aircraft, not designed to do specialist aeros of any sort I suspect. So no steep turns, I guess, but hey, that's fine.
Personally, I don't enjoy seeing aircraft doing things that they are not really designed for. Too many obituaries over the years, as us oldies know.

[andrew b]

Shame that having travelled all the way from Japan in a rather nice pair of MPAs they never got a thing

Can't comment on the rest anyway as I didn't go.

T

They were given a glass trophy of some description. They had it on display in front of the front landing gear.not sure what it was though.

[jem60]

I suspect the trophy was for the 'furthest travelled'. I think this was always given in my days there, but may be wrong.

[Mike]

I always thought that the "As the crow flies" trophy was for the furthest travelled, when did it change and what's it actually for these days?

[Rich H]

The "As the Crow Flies" Trophy is for the best display as voted for by those in the FRIAT enclosure.

[Mike]

The "As the Crow Flies" Trophy is for the best display as voted for by those in the FRIAT enclosure.

Thanks for that, but why's it called the "As the crow flies" trophy?

[Rich H]

Good question and I'm sure someone else can give a better answer than me. From memory the trophy was named in honour of a former RAF senior officer who ran the RAFBF - Crow was part of his double barrelled name (which I can't remember).

[NickC]

Denis Crowley-Milling is the name you're after. One of the "The Few" as well as being closely involved with IAT in its early years and beyond.

[acw367]

I have a friend on the flying control committee. Vulcan and polish migs did not win because their displays were deemed to be too on the edge of safety. If either had a ramex style birdstrike at those early critical phases of flight there was no margin to stop them ending back on the runway/hangars. The watchword now is TOTAL SAFETY. As Vulcan proved on Sunday, sedate is still a great display. A400M also got the balance right. What you called impressive is now considered by all in the military to be gung-ho. We have lost many great display pilots and a fair few members of the public over the years as pilots try to be impressive and lesson their safety margins.

[seven]

I have a friend on the flying control committee. Vulcan and polish migs did not win because their displays were deemed to be too on the edge of safety. If either had a ramex style birdstrike at those early critical phases of flight there was no margin to stop them ending back on the runway/hangars. The watchword now is TOTAL SAFETY. As Vulcan proved on Sunday, sedate is still a great display. A400M also got the balance right. What you called impressive is now considered by all in the military to be gung-ho. We have lost many great display pilots and a fair few members of the public over the years as pilots try to be impressive and lesson their safety margins.

That was NOT a great display. Just as sedate as Cosford or Weston Super-Sludge for example, only saved by the climb out at the end.

7

[StevenNFFC]

That was NOT a great display. Just as sedate as Cosford or Weston Super-Sludge for example, only saved by the climb out at the end.

+1

Safety should come first but getting rather ridiculous now. Why not make all participants just do a few passes in front of the crowd (or rather 230m from the crowd) and then land. Let's stop them doing these very dangerous things like loops and rolls - far too dangerous.

[andrew b]

That was NOT a great display. Just as sedate as Cosford or Weston Super-Sludge for example, only saved by the climb out at the end.

+1

Safety should come first but getting rather ridiculous now. Why not make all participants just do a few passes in front of the crowd (or rather 230m from the crowd) and then land. Let's stop them doing these very dangerous things like loops and rolls - far too dangerous.

From what I can remember, airshows are about showing wat the aircraft is capable of, yes safety is paramount but sometimes things accidentally go wrong,you dont know if your gonna get a bird strike or even know if your team mate will plough into you "mig 29 iat 93".I agree safety needs to be number one priority but if these aircraft just did some passes then land, well you may as well go to Heathrow for the day.I stay at totterdown campsite, and I can honestly say if I didn't see some ridiculous manoeuvres I prob would sit at the end of the runway,the other thing to remember is people come to riat to see these marvellous machines put through there paces, if they didnt no money would be made for RAFBE.