RIAT 2014 - News and updates here please

[LIBERTY-48]

Agree will keep stumm

[Gary]

Gotta love the I know or think I know something you don't willy waving posts If you want to post use the Rumours thread viewtopic.php?f=335&t=92359

[paddyboy]

Please don't let this forum get as bad as a certain other aviation forum, vis-à-vis, 'rumours'

Best regards as always

Paddyboy

[Mike]

Have a friend in Greece who said talks were on going??

There's a big difference between "talks" and wheels hitting Fairford's hallowed tarmac.

[LIBERTY-48]

So its ok to say we will know in 2 weeks if the F35 will be here but not info from a good source, I don,t normally write much on here and this has just proved my point why.

[Mike]

So its ok to say we will know in 2 weeks if the F35 will be here but not info from a good source, I don,t normally write much on here and this has just proved my point why.

Fair enough, ignore my last post.

It should read :- "There's a big difference between "talks" and being added to the "Confirmed aircraft" list"

[Gary]

Currently doing the rounds on the Web http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/03/ ... OH20140325

(Reuters) - The U.S. Defense Department is poised to approve the first trans-Atlantic flight of Lockheed Martin Corp's F-35 fighter jet in July, when the new warplane is expected to take part in two international air shows near London, according to multiple sources familiar with the issue.

U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel is "very close" to a decision that would allow two or three F-35s to fly at the Royal International Air Tattoo, or RIAT, an annual military air show outside London, and the larger Farnborough air show, held every two years, said the sources, who were not authorized to speak publicly.

Britain, which contributed $2 billion to the development of the new radar-evading fighter jet and plans to buy 138 F-35s in coming years, asked for the jet's participation to help showcase the increasing maturity of the new radar-evading plane. Britain was also the first international partner on the program.

Details of the F-35's international debut are being worked out, including how much it will cost to fly the planes to London and who will pay for it, but no issues have emerged to prevent the appearances, the sources said.

The costs will likely be shared by Britain, the Pentagon's F-35 program office, the U.S. Marine Corps and industry.

Lockheed and Britain's Ministry of Defense declined comment. Officials at the F-35 program office had no immediate comment.

"Having the aircraft front and center on the UK stage will focus attention on the fact that it's a fairly mature program at this point, with over 100 jets built," said one of the sources.

British Defense Secretary Philip Hammond is due to meet with Hagel during a visit to the United States this week, but they are not planning an announcement about the F-35's UK debut, said one of the sources.

Current plans call for at least one of the participating F-35s to be one of the three F-35 B-model jets already built for Britain, with a UK pilot at the controls.

Participating in the international air shows will allow the Pentagon's F-35 program to carry out additional training and learn how the plane's logistics, maintenance, aerial refueling, and security systems work overseas, the sources said.

"This will be an opportunity to learn real-world lessons and allow additional time to resolve any problems before the first airplanes are delivered overseas," said one of the sources.

Lockheed and Britain's Ministry of Defense declined comment. Officials at the F-35 program office had no immediate comment.

Lockheed is the main contractor on the $392 billion F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, the Pentagon's costliest weapons program. Northrop Grumman Corp and Britain's BAE Systems are the biggest suppliers.

Pratt & Whitney, a unit of United Technologies Corp, builds the single engine that powers the plane. Britain's Rolls Royce Group builds the lift fan that enables the B-model of the F-35 to land like a helicopter.

Boeing Co's F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jet is also due to fly at the RIAT air show.

(Reporting by Andrea Shalal; Editing by Ros Krasny, Sandra Maler and Peter Cooney)

Info from reuters.com

[somerset]

Wonder if they fancy doing a little detour to Yeovilton

[MRTT]

Dutch F-16 Confirmed to add to the Amazing news we have received tonight.

[KINROTATE]

So its ok to say we will know in 2 weeks if the F35 will be here but not info from a good source, I don,t normally write much on here and this has just proved my point why.

[Gary]

Today's update 27-03-2014

The Air Tattoo's parent company, the Royal Air Force Charitable Trust Enterprises, has appointed Andy Armstrong to succeed Tim Prince as Chief Executive following the 2014 airshow in July. Click here for more details.

We are aware of media reports claiming that the US Defense Department is "poised to approve the first trans-Atlantic flight of Lockheed Martin Corp's F-35" and for it to take part in this summer's Air Tattoo. Whilst we would welcome the participation of such a significant aircraft at July's airshow we are unable to comment further at this stage.

A senior military representative from the Georgian Armed Forces has accepted an invitation to attend this summer's Air Tattoo.

A first-time British airshow visitor at the Royal International Air Tattoo 2014 will be a C-27J Spartan twin-turboprop transport from the Lithuanian Air Force. It is one of three such aircraft operated by Lithuania, which accepted its first example of the Alenia Aermacchi-built airlifter - displayed often at RIAT by the Italian Air Force - in December 2006. The air arm of the Baltic state last attended the Air Tattoo in 2005, when it sent a Mil Mi-8 helicopter.

The Armed Forces of Malta has written to say that regrettably they are unable to attend RIAT 2014. "The AFM possesses a very small fleet of aircraft that are tasked to perform maritime patrolling and SAR tasks around the clock." However, the letter went on to say that the AFM hopes that sometime in the future it would be able to participate in this "prestigious event".

We have received a letter from the Portuguese Air Force stating that operational commitments mean they are unable to take part in this summer's Air Tattoo.

We are aware that the Royal Netherlands Air Force F-16 Demo Team has included the Air Tattoo on its calendar for 2014. We shall let you know if and when we receive official confirmation.

Lithuanian Air Force
C-27J Spartan TBC Transport

[MRTT]

According to UK Airshows Facebook 2 Gazelles will be making an appearance on all three days of the show.

[B58]

As we have Mr Armstrong at the helm of a great airshow can we have some info from him as to his plans, I think it would be appreciated by many.

[mushbuster]

As we have Mr Armstrong at the helm of a great airshow can we have some info from him as to his plans, I think it would be appreciated by many.

B58, Mr Armstrong is not at the helm until this years show is put to bed and Tim Prince has retired. I don't think we will see too much of his future plans until 2015 or probably 2016.

[Gary]

Todays update 03-04-2014

Five flying items for the Royal International Air Tattoo 2014 have been confirmed by the Italian Air Force. The spectacular Frecce Tricolori aerobatic team, flying 10 Aermacchi AT-339A jet trainers, will join the Red Arrows' 50th display season celebrations, while there will also be solo displays from an Alenia Aermacchi AMX, Alenia C-27J Spartan, Eurofighter Typhoon and Panavia Tornado from the air force's Reparto Sperimentale Volo flight test centre.

The Finnish Air Force has contacted us to say: "Much as we would like to display our equipment and the skills of our pilots in front of the audience in the famed Royal International Air Tattoo, the current high demands to which our personnel is subjected unfortunately preclude our participation this time."

Italian Air Force

A-11 Reparto Sperimentale Volo Fighter Aircraft Flying
A-200 Tornado Reparto Sperimentale Volo Fighter Aircraft Flying
Aermacchi MB339 PAN (x10) Frecce Tricolori Aerobatic Team Flying
Alenia C-27J Spartan Reparto Sperimentale Volo Transport Flying
F-2000A Typhoon Reparto Sperimentale Volo Fighter Aircraft Flying

Fantastic support by the Italians

[nick197]

Great update

[Paulo]

What an update!!!

Have they ever supported the show this much before?

[TonyO]

They provided KC-767, F-2000A, Freece Tricolori and the C-27J last year.

[GaryS]

I thought the italian typhoon was rather tame last year.

[luke28]

I said exactly the same thing about the Italian Typhoon last year, It was one of the items I was most looking forward to but was very underwhelming....

Belting update though and well chuffed about the display Tornado