general thoughts etc

[Cornish-guy]

What a Great Thread.....

I had attended every IAT/RIAT from 1989 to 2003 and it to was my highlight of the year, parking on the base early in the morning and while it was still quiet seeing all the Static aircraft lined up, getting your stuff you need from the car - camera with as many films as you could fit in your pockets, your small log book/pen etc, making your way to the Movements/program stand and getting a checklist, then making your way around the static trying to do three things at once - take some pics without people or cones in them, write down the serial or tick off on the checklist, and try to read off or get a pic of arriving - support stuff
This used to take me uptil about noon then a slow walk back along the display line via the burger/beer tent and back to the car where base was made to watch the rest of the display

The desire to stay behind and catch any support stuff and watch the hot air balloons and miss the cue to get out, or sit in the traffic -

One thing i know for sure - at some time i have probably stood next to most of the folk from our great forum


C.

[Wrathchild]

To disagree - I was at Farnborough and watched the B-52 do its flypast at Blackbushe. That did happen. 100%.

The 'smack in the gob' incident is one of those urban myths. Rest assured, IT DIDN'T HAPPEN. nor did the B.52 display over Blackbushe all those years ago [although it DID fly by, due to an ATC error re speed control.] Aviation is full of urban myths mostly false. Closest thing to anyone being hurt in the Mig incident was the woman on top of the Belgian Hercules, who fell off, and managed to cling to an aerial halfway down the fuselage.
Very, very lucky escape for everbody that day!!!. [Including my Belgian Press friend, videoing in the middle of the field, having a four foot section of Mig 29 land six feet from him. It's on his video!!!!.]
I understand that both pilots called 'lost contact' but the procedures failed somehow. They were probably about a mile apart by parachute, according to the video I took of the accident, rather than standing by the side of the runway.

[jem60]

I was not disagreeing with you Wrathchild. It certainly DID do it's flypast at Blackbushe. It was NOT a display tho', nor was it a mistake by the crew. A lot of people think that it was a case of mistaken airfield identity by the flight crew, but this was most certainly not what happened. Much was made at the time of the Americans navigational incompetence, when, in fact they were not the guilty party, and the mistake was made by ATC, asking them for a major speed reduction that they were unable to comply with in time. Hence the decision to simply go back home, having run out of time. I hope this clarifies this more.

[pb643]

For me the greatest moment at any RIAT has to be the arrival at Boscombe Down of Anatoly Kvotcher flying his Su-27 (1992?) - The jet came in alongside the Tu-134 support aircraft and as the Tu touched down the Su-27 was kept in formation alongside at an apparent height above ground of about 6' all down the runway before powering away!
Just stunning and definitely an 'it could only be at IAT' moment...

That was amazing, I managed to buy a photo years later as mine were all rubbish. Without doubt my most memorable IAT/ATI moment of many.

Phil

[karlbutler]

I think I have to agree with an earlier post, for me the highlight of the many years Ive attended RIAT, IAT, Boscome, Cottesmore etc was the French Crusader, closely followed by the 2 different variants of bear at the one show .........ah those were the days ! . The absolute pinnacle for me was being introduced to IAT by my now late father, Aviation was his passion and he passed it on to me............now I am privileged to be able to do the same with my son........3 generations of aviation enthusiasts over 30 years of airshow.............that's my RIAT memory :-)

[Voodoo1]

Interesting read this thread. Great to hear everyone's memories and highlights.
I've only been to RIAT twice, my first in 2005 and last year. Two totally different shows and a lot has changed (not just aircraft)

In 2005 it was a scorcher on the Sunday & I remember the lines of Typhoons, Phantoms and Vipers on static when I first arrived on my first visit along with the 3 x Sea Harriers, B-52 in the air. The A-10s, C-5 and KC-135 at the back of the yard with the A-7s. So much going on.

Last year was totally different. All shops looked the same, static a lot smaller but flying was good.

Still an enjoyable show and looking forward to this year.



Sent from my HTC One_mate using Tapatalk

[peasus911]

I remember the Crusader landing after the flyby. took a photo of it passing me seconds before it popped a tyre on landing.
one of the stand outs for me was the D-Day finale with all the aircraft lined up on the runway including F-117 and F-7's with multiple missing man formations flying overhead.

[razor23uk]

No good with years, but a few stand outs for me.
My first RIAT with a scanner and I heard the F14 pilot call sign over the radio....TOPGUN......loved it!
When the F22 was waiting on the 27 threshold to depart to Farnborough and asked atc if he could do a display take off and fly past before leaving. ATC said yes and the whole crowd in the enclosure and at the road (where I was) stood up in unison!.....we waited...and waited...and waited some more...then the pilot called up that there was not enough gap in the clouds and departed to Farnborough.....booooo..hiss. An hour later the scanners picked him up on the way back. On finals we all had scanners on, bins locked on, a squillion quids worth of lenses locked on, all ready for a straight in on 27. He then asked atc "Can I give the crowd what I couldn't do earlier?) (or words to that effect)...to which they said "Yes!". I swear he was about 200 meters out over the field at about 100ft high, when the lights went out, the gear flew up and the doors closed. The noise was horrifying the down draft threw chairs, brollys, picnics, small children, the lot, all over the place!....I will never ever forget that!

The SAC ATTACK launch?....about 15 mins of huge metal taking off one after another.
The Thunderbirds were great to see, but will never forget the pilots and crew with their OTT routine before hand....some sort of Britains got tallent street dancers!
And of cours any one of the jets just nudging the sound barrier

[RIAT_fan]

I'm really excited for RIAT 2016!

[Timmo]

I've got many fond memories of IAT/RIATs. I'm in my 30s now and have only missed 2 shows since 1989. I started going as a youngster with my father and it was always my highlight of the year. The 90s for me were all brilliant shows. My father and I would always leave home early and I always used to know we were close when I could spot the tail of a C-5 or C-141 poking up behind the trees on the way in. We'd dash to get a spot at the front of the crowd line (we joined FIAT/FRIAT in the late 90s), read the programme, watch the charters arrive, take in the whole flying display before dumping stuff back in the car for a leisurely walk up and down the static park (and spending all my saved pocket money in the stalls!) before leaving around nine. Days I would love to relive!

I miss the big static park of old with great numbers of aircraft (the C-130s in '94, the sky tanker line up in '95 etc.), they were always fantastic. There are so many flying display highlights that I could write a book on the subject but items that stand out for me were things like the Tracor Flight Systems F-100 Super Sabre and the Mig-23 Flogger from '97, the first time I saw the SU-27 in '96, seeing XH558 return in '09, the Italian F104 Starfighter from '99 painted all black bar the white nose and stars fading back. All fantastic memories.

I still look forward to the show and have been a FRIAT member for some years now. RIAT always seems to attract something new to the UK and long my that continue. The flying displays are still terrific and although the static is thinner on the ground, I understand it's a result of the changing world we live in and no fault of RIAT. I'd like an extra half an hour at the end of show days to walk the static when it's quieter, it sometimes feels like we get hustled out by 1930hrs on the dot now.

Along with living close to Lyneham and having a father who was enthusiastic about aircraft, the Air Tattoo fueled my passion for aviation that will last a lifetime. Long may it continue