RIAT Dream Job

All you'll ever need to know about the UK's biggest airshow
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F16
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RIAT Dream Job

Post by F16 »

Everyone is quick to make comment in so many ways about The Royal International Air Tattoo so how many of you think you could do this job - have you really any idea of what goes in to it . . . Well . . . here's YOUR chance to prove you have what it takes . . . .
https://www.airtattoo.com/airshow/people-at-the-airshow/job-vacancies/head-of-air-operations

I am truly gutted that the chap doing this job currently is leaving - his HUGE passion for aviation, his knowledge and expertise will be sorely missed at DBH. There are not many true aviation people left like him. Wherever he goes next I wish him all the very best :)

Big Eric
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Re: RIAT Dream Job

Post by Big Eric »

Tom is leaving? Where's he off to then? :sad:

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F16
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Re: RIAT Dream Job

Post by F16 »

No idea - I am sure he will relish the next challenge but enjoy a more peaceful and stressless time and maybe even get time for a summer holiday for once. :lol: :lol: :lol:

Big Eric
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Re: RIAT Dream Job

Post by Big Eric »

He's probably sick to death of all of the negativity regarding RIAT on here.

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F16
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Re: RIAT Dream Job

Post by F16 »

Not only on here :lol: :lol: but we shall have to wait and see

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Brevet Cable
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Re: RIAT Dream Job

Post by Brevet Cable »

Maybe they'll employ someone who can indulge in some 'out of the box blue sky thinking' who'll turn it back into an airshow not an arts-and-crafts fairground...…





:whistle:
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Flare Path
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Re: RIAT Dream Job

Post by Flare Path »

Brevet Cable wrote:Maybe they'll employ someone who can indulge in some 'out of the box blue sky thinking' who'll turn it back into an airshow not an arts-and-crafts fairground...…





:whistle:


Probably not. The UK airshow scene is in permanent decline - the same shows book the same stuff year on year. RIAT or not, it's as boring as I can ever remember.

Airshowhammer

Re: RIAT Dream Job

Post by Airshowhammer »

They'll hire some soft touch left wing hipster from London.

Roll on RIAT becoming one big Glastonbury next year :biggrin:

Its a joke btw, before anyone loses their mind :grin:

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CJS
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Re: RIAT Dream Job

Post by CJS »

Flare Path wrote:
Brevet Cable wrote:Maybe they'll employ someone who can indulge in some 'out of the box blue sky thinking' who'll turn it back into an airshow not an arts-and-crafts fairground...…

:whistle:


Probably not. The UK airshow scene is in permanent decline - the same shows book the same stuff year on year. RIAT or not, it's as boring as I can ever remember.


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MiG_Eater
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Re: RIAT Dream Job

Post by MiG_Eater »

I don't know if I am just easily pleased but I think the current team have done an almost impossibly good job over the last few years.

A lot of people went half crazy last week trying to catch a glimpse of a B-2 somewhere over England - we had a flypast two years running at RIAT.

Not to mention all the other fantastic things we've seen, Fitters, Fulcrums, Flankers, Fishbeds, A-7s and F-4s just to mention a few recent attendees.

After the absolute and utterly unwarranted battering RIAT has had over the last few years, I fear that us enthusiasts are now in the "can't please them, so don't bother" pile. Time will tell!

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harkins
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Re: RIAT Dream Job

Post by harkins »

Personally, I think that way too much is made of how the opinions expressed on this forum and some other online places frequented by enthusiasts effect either the people or event itself.

The basic procedure remains the same, they send out invitations to pretty much everyone but Russia, Iran and North Korea and wait to see who responds and what they offer to send. I struggle to see how a bad review or a random post in here can possibly result in DBH telling Turkey not to send the F-4s they'd offered or conversely insisting that Turkey send the Stars as well because people on a forum said nice things.

The show will be what it will be regardless of what is typed in here.

As regards the vacant position, there must be an extremely small field of potential applicants for this job. I'd be surprised if there isn't already someone in mind but fair procedure must be followed by advertising the position. And surely this role doesn't have anything at all to do with the funfair side of the event and neither does it have absolute individual control on the positioning of the static aircraft?

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capercaillie
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Re: RIAT Dream Job

Post by capercaillie »

Maybe it will become the world's biggest airshow again? :dunno:
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MiG_Eater
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Re: RIAT Dream Job

Post by MiG_Eater »

Is there a bigger military airshow?

As for the idea that RIAT sends out the invitations and waits for the responses: if it were that easy, every show in Europe would be as good as RIAT.

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harkins
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Re: RIAT Dream Job

Post by harkins »

MiG_Eater wrote:As for the idea that RIAT sends out the invitations and waits for the responses: if it were that easy, every show in Europe would be as good as RIAT.

Well, that's how I understood it worked. From the RIAT website:
We work with the RAF to produce the list of countries we will invite to the event and then extend that invitation to the respective nations' Chief of Air Staff. We follow up those formal invitations with a series of visits to their embassies in London, meeting with each nation's Military and Defence Attachés to discuss plans for the forthcoming show.

Over the following months we receive official correspondence detailing whether nations are able to participate, if they will bring aircraft and whether those aircraft will be taking part in the flying display or whether they will be available for closer inspection within the RIAT static display. A range of national considerations dictate whether aircraft are made available for flying or static display at RIAT, the former driven by availability of a worked up and approved display for that particular aircraft type.

So that sounds pretty much like they send out invites and then wait and see who responds and what they offer.

Also, I don't think it's a case of every air show in Europe would do the same as there aren't really any other airshows I can think of that have week long access to such a large and empty airfield that is maintained by the worlds largest military each year. It's simply not feasible for any other show to invite such numbers of participants. However, while well behind in numbers, plenty of shows in Europe have managed to get brilliant participation from air arms and types that haven't been at Fairford that particular year though. I assumed it is largely down to fate, luck and timing.

Anyway, back closer to the topic, I hope Tom hasn't quit such an amazing job purely because of a few posts on a forum and that it's more to do with a fresh challenge or more money. And more so, despite publicly defending the show as you would expect from any employee, I certainly hope (and don't really expect ) that he has decided to move on because hand on heart he doesn't feel personally that the 'event' is what it should be any more. But that is certainly as plausible as him quitting because some people posted "Meh" on UKAR.

Georgeconna
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Re: RIAT Dream Job

Post by Georgeconna »

Big Eric wrote:Tom is leaving? Where's he off to then? :sad:


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BossMann
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Re: RIAT Dream Job

Post by BossMann »

Could PeterR become operations manager for both RAF Cosford and RIAT?

cg_341
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Re: RIAT Dream Job

Post by cg_341 »

Well I'm sure whomever gets the job will be more than happy to engage with the enthusiast community to understand their needs...right up until they read this forum and start to wonder if there's any point.

Christ, folks, what a way to present enthusiasts to the people that matter.

MiG_Eater
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Re: RIAT Dream Job

Post by MiG_Eater »

cg_341 wrote:Well I'm sure whomever gets the job will be more than happy to engage with the enthusiast community to understand their needs...right up until they read this forum and start to wonder if there's any point.

Christ, folks, what a way to present enthusiasts to the people that matter.


My point exactly.

An utterly thankless task. A real shame.

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Brevet Cable
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Re: RIAT Dream Job

Post by Brevet Cable »

If they're that much of a sensitive flower, maybe they shouldn't be applying for the job...... :handbag:
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verreli
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Re: RIAT Dream Job

Post by verreli »

Can't imagine there's many people qualified to do the job in the country, let alone on this forum. Best wishes to the next incumbent. It won't be an easy job but no doubt, it will be rewarding.

Airshowhammer

Re: RIAT Dream Job

Post by Airshowhammer »

I'm not having a dig or anything.

But sometimes Mig, your RIAT tinted glasses posts are just as bad as some of the negatives.

If you can't see how poor how some parts of the show were this year, then that adds to the problem.

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Tommy
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Re: RIAT Dream Job

Post by Tommy »

MiG_Eater wrote:I don't know if I am just easily pleased but I think the current team have done an almost impossibly good job over the last few years.

A lot of people went half crazy last week trying to catch a glimpse of a B-2 somewhere over England - we had a flypast two years running at RIAT.

Not to mention all the other fantastic things we've seen, Fitters, Fulcrums, Flankers, Fishbeds, A-7s and F-4s just to mention a few recent attendees.

After the absolute and utterly unwarranted battering RIAT has had over the last few years, I fear that us enthusiasts are now in the "can't please them, so don't bother" pile. Time will tell!


I mean, I speak only personally, taking the last couple of years - I thought 2015, ‘16, and very much 2017 were exceptional shows, 2018 could(should) have been better than it was given the occasion but still not bad, and I thought 2019 was very sub-par. A varied bag of viewpoints, but still a thee to two ratio of great shows.

Your ongoing consistent happy-clapping is just as bad as those idiots who also relentlessly criticise.

The criticism wasn’t absolute, unwarranted, and it’s not been “over recent years”.

The show took (rightly) some stick this year due to basic failures which should not have happened.

UKAR were pretty brutal in their reviews in 2011 and 2013, too. Both times petty moaning-at-the-moaners comments happened then and all. And yet in the years after such reviews, RIAT pulled off very successful and well thought shows. They were big enough to realise areas that needed improvement.

It’s really tiring to see the constant cheap moaning-at-the-moaners commentary.

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Re: RIAT Dream Job

Post by MiG_Eater »

I wasn't actually criticising the UKAR reviews which, despite being contrary to my own views, are fair.

My persistent happy clapping exists because I love RIAT. I like going to airshows and enjoy aviation events - but nothing has ever compared to the spectacle and grandeur of an airshow at Fairford. I guess I am persistent because I know at least some of the guys who run the show read this forum and it's important to me that they know it's not all doom and gloom.

I know a lot of people like RIAT and only complain in order to try and make things better, but having spoken to a lot of the volunteers at RIAT year on year, I know the show-bashing from the enthusiast community takes a toll, and ultimately there will come a time when it does damage the show. This isn't me moaner-moaning - this is me just expressing the view that if you like it, make sure you put that out there.

I'm the last person to try and silence anyone, and the negative views belong here. All I will say is, I enjoy RIAT now almost as much as I did back in the '90s... it's a state of mind guys - you should try it :hypno:



p.s. Tommy: just a mention on this year's show and 2011 - it really is a matter of taste. As a lover of all flavours of Soviet aviation 2011 was made extraordinarily sweet by the re-appearance of the Flanker (remember that departure), not to mention the Vulcan. As for this year's show - I literally cannot get my head around the criticism. I won't repeat the tired old Fishbed, Flanker, Harrier, Hornet, BUFF (etc...etc...) statements because it's pointless. All I can say is RIAT was just about perfect for me this year - i'm only sorry you guys didn't enjoy it as much as me!

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Tommy
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Re: RIAT Dream Job

Post by Tommy »

MiG_Eater wrote: ... if you like it, make sure you put that out there. !


We do. With our wallets. Which also gives us license air our views, complimentary or not, about the show.

Why does nobody who moans at moaners never praise the forum when something good is announced and there are two whole pages of “ :rock: :yahoo: :clap: “ comments?

MiG_Eater wrote:p.s. Tommy: just a mention on this year's show and 2011 - it really is a matter of taste. As a lover of all flavours of Soviet aviation 2011 was made extraordinarily sweet by the re-appearance of the Flanker (remember that departure), not to mention the Vulcan.


Heh, who can forget that bastion of soviet aviation, the Vulcan. :grin:

MiG_Eater wrote: As for this year's show - I literally cannot get my head around the criticism.
I’m not going to lay out the points again, but with respect, I’m not sure you’ve tied. Little of it was to do with the actual participation. It was the dense grey fug surrounding it, where most of the problems lay.

MiG_Eater
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Re: RIAT Dream Job

Post by MiG_Eater »

Eh. Fair enough.

I suppose you're right - I haven't tried to find fault with RIAT - but then, I don't really take that attitude when I go to an airshow. I'm there to have fun after all. Having said that - there are plenty of times where I have had my enjoyment of other events scuppered by stupid organisational decisions... Duxford and Farnborough being the main culprits there.

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