Of course there was the weather which in true Brit style varied from scorching blue skies to dull low cloud in the space of 24 hours and everything in between.
However, the aircraft were the main talking point this year and the opportunity to see such a wide variety of aircraft and nations in one place is what makes RIAT so unique.
This year was a culmination of several anniversaries and 1974 must have been a watershed year in aviation as we seemed to celebrate 50 years of some of our most iconic jets.
PS Photo heavy!
1. For a design that is 50 years old, the F-16 Fighting Falcon or Viper still looks and acts the business. This one came from the Royal Danish Air Force and looks stunning in the new display scheme.
2. Great to see two examples from the Romanian Air Force, even better that one of them took part in the NATO 75th Anniversary flypast on Friday.
3. My favourite F-16 colour scheme came from Morocco, beats grey any day.
4. The Dutch sent a large contingent including this specially marked F-16AM.
5. Another design that has defied ageing is the F-15 (which first flew in 1972). The Qatari F-15QA being flown by Boeing pilots put on an extremely impressive performance, this one in full missile fit.
6. The other jet also displayed on the Sunday in clean configuration and included a full tail slide.
7. 1974 was also the first flight of the Hawk trainer and several examples were on show including the Finnish Midnight Hawk display team in a mix of grey and ex-Swiss Hawk livery.
8. A very notable first for RIAT was the U-2S demo on Friday which provided a unique perspective on current U-2 operations out of Fairford.
9. But the prospect of four Phantoms at RIAT this year excited many of the visitors (including me!) and the arrival on Friday of the Greek pair provided us all with a mini-airshow of runway passes.
10. The other pair of Phantoms came from Turkiye, and collectively gave many at RIAT the opportunity to see these iconic warplanes up close before they vanish from our skies for good.
11. If you want a colourful Typhoon look no further than the German Air Force who seem to love painting up their Eurofighters in some amazing paint schemes including this Tiger/Cyborg variant.
12. Not to be outdone the RAF Typhoon display jet 'Moggie' looked superb in its WW2 colour scheme, a homage to the 80th Anniversary of D-Day this year.
13. Even the Italians had a go with their colourful tailed example from the RSV test wing.
14. One of the most amazing displays is the Italian C-27J Spartan which continues to impress with barrel rolls and its signature loop manoeuvre, not bad for an aircraft you can stand up in.
15. Another 50th first flight anniversary was that of the Tornado, this very colourful version coming from the Italian Air Force test wing.
16. Rarely seen outside of Spain, a pair of SF-5Ms from Spain provided a highlight for many especially when one flew in the NATO flypast.
17. As did the very noisy contribution from the Spanish Navy, a EAV-8B Matador, and another type that is approaching the end of its career.
18. Similarly the French Mirage 2000-5 is an increasingly rare bird so great to see it flying on the Friday.
19. The RAF's F-35B showed off its new role demo which proved a much more energetic and interesting display than previous years.
20. NATO's newest member, Sweden, was also present with a very smart display from their JAS-39C Gripen.
21. It was the centenary of the formation of the Royal Canadian Air Force who displayed two CF-188A Hornets, including this very colourful example.
22. And last but by no means least, farewell to one type never to be seen again, the mighty USAF KC-10 Extender.
With so much variety and spectacle, I suspect I will look back on RIAT 2024 as a true classic. How can they top that?
