RIAT 2017 (Discussion & Participation Thread)

[Wes_Howes]

I'd love the Turkish Stars to return but only if they bring the excitable commentator they has the last time they came to RIAT

[Ryan.]

Provisionally, the Swedish Air Force Historic Flight are down to attend RIAT.

http://www.swafhf.se/flygprogram.html

[lancey2k32]

Its just an enquiry, they have Riat on the list every year and they are never booked. Cant see any of them coming.

[john001]

Provisionally, the Swedish Air Force Historic Flight are down to attend RIAT.

http://www.swafhf.se/flygprogram.html

Here we go again... the fact that the event is on the listing means that the flight has has any enquiry about its availability to attend the event. That does not even mean RIAT has asked - as a major sponsor Saab could have asked if the flight is available to support anything it may be thinking of sending. It will only be coming if it says JA at the end of the listing and RIAT confirm it.

[Wissam24]

Same sheet, different year

[Chris G]

More to the point i think there are problems with the pilots DA's which is why they never flew in mainland UK last year.

[capercaillie]

Same sheet, different year

Yep, same old sheet!

[CJS]

Same sheet, different year

Yep, same old sheet!

Why do they even bother putting RIAT on there? Silly!

[john001]

For the reason I put above - to inform their members of an enquiry

[Brevet Cable]

I may be wrong ( probably am ) but when they self-confirmed last year didn't 'RIAT Air Ops' post that they hadn't even been invited ?

[Wissam24]

The Swiss Air Force makes a welcome return with the popular Patrouille Suisse display team flying the F-5E Tiger II.

Swiss Air Force
F-5E Tiger II Patrouille Suisse (f)

[Elliott Marsh]

Well that makes up for missing them at VL. Good arrows indeed.

[CJS]

Good to see it confirmed by DBH

[G-CVIX]

I'd hoped for the hornet as well. Still, nice to see F-5s again before they're gone.

[ted633]

Someone's already posted on the Official RIAT Facebook page that the SwAFHF are coming, only to be shot down 5 minutes later by RIAT saying they've not been invited or even had any discussion. Same story every year...

[Wissam24]

[Brevet Cable]

Yep....unequivocal, that.

[G-CVIX]

Really strange that they do this every year. Surely it's not endearing to the organisers of RIAT? I think that response has a bit of "I'm sick of this" to it.

[Tangoringo]

At the risk of stoking the fires, and I do appreciate there's plenty of timber there, I was rather hoping that this being a non FAB year SAAB may dip in to their pockets to sponsor aforementioned team/flight.
For whatever reason though the planners have rather pi??ed on that bonfire somewhat ( see what I did there? ) and its a pretty unequivocal reply to the proposal and at least may put to bed the perennial 'will they, wont they' discussion!! Still, plenty more fish in the sea/ twigs in the fire* ( * pick a metaphor that floats your boat )

[jasonT1981]

Really not too bothered by the Viggen. Saw her at Bray, Ireland last summer and it may as well have been displaying over Wales it was that far away. Really was not a great display. Nice aircraft to see, but the display was not great.

Never seen the Swiss, so looking forward to that.

[Skyflash]

Really not too bothered by the Viggen. Saw her at Bray, Ireland last summer and it may as well have been displaying over Wales it was that far away. Really was not a great display. Nice aircraft to see, but the display was not great.

Never seen the Swiss, so looking forward to that.

It was the same story when the Draken displayed at Ayr/Prestwick a couple of years ago, although you're not really comparing like for like. At a seaside venue, solo jet acts always lose some of their 'oomph'.

Fairford, on the other hand, is absolutely the perfect venue for a Viggen or Draken display.

Anyway it's clearly not happening so purely academic now.

[RIAT Air Ops]

Hey folks, don't lose sight of the fact that any display undertaken by any classic jet in the current climate is subject to limitations irrespective of whether the event is CAA or MAA regulated.

Here's the link to the CAA Safety Notice http://publicapps.caa.co.uk/modalapplication.aspx?appid=11&mode=detail&id=6885

Extracts:

Until further notice, the CAA is restricting the operation of vintage jet aircraft at flying displays to flypast and associated positioning manoeuvres only. The associated positioning manoeuvres are restricted to low energy reversals.

This restriction applies to all overland displays in the UK. Flying displays over the sea remain unaffected provided that the Flying Display Director assesses and mitigates the risks associated with any third parties, including any vessels moored or transiting in the vicinity of the display line, before permitting high energy manoeuvres by vintage jet aircraft.

Cheers, Tom

[Wes_Howes]

And yet, the Viggen and Draken put on superb displays at Zeltweg

[RIAT Air Ops]

And yet, the Viggen and Draken put on superb displays at Zeltweg

I believe so. However Austria aren't dealing with the aftermath of Shoreham and the repercussions that we are all aware of.

[CJS]

And yet, the Viggen and Draken put on superb displays at Zeltweg

Which, the last time I checked, wasn't in the UK. So yes, they may have done but if people want to see dynamic, high energy classic jet displays, they will (for now) need to leave the UK, or buy a large pair of bins and watch them at a seaside show.

We may not like it, but that's how it is at the moment.

What I think is interesting (to a point anyway) is that these regs are clearly on the pilots, not the aircraft. The Drakken wasn't retired from service with the Austrians until 2005, so it overlaps with the Typhoon and even (nearly) the Raptor. So it's not as if these aircraft are intrinsically more hazardous (assuming they weren't dangerous to fly when in service that is). I wonder how the CAA would react therefore if a current serving military pilot was to fly one of these jets? Or is it more to do with the specific airframes not necessarily having the same maintenance as a current military jet?

More for the Shorehan thread perhaps, but I just felt like a bit of a ramble...

Good start DBH, with this and last week's updates.