RIAT 2024 wishlist.

[JMC]

Discuss..

I'll start.

Flying:

• B-1B
• Return of Air Combat Command F22/A-10
• Couteau Delta
• If Flying Legends is on a different date, closure of the show with The Balbo of warbirds (I'd love to see a bit more warbird action at RIAT).
• Swedish Historic Flight
• JF-17 Thunder
• Patrouille De France
• Polish T-50
• US Navy F-35C
• French Navy E-2 Hawkeye
• Turkish Stars & Patrouille Suisse
• Saudi F-15

Static:

• C-5 Galaxy
• Indonesian Hercules (there where quite a few Indonesian officials there this year)
• 16 F-16's in a row to mark the 40th anniversary (2x Danish F-16, 2x Belgian F-16, 2x Turkish, 2x Romanian, 2x Portuguese, 2x USAF, 2x Hellenic, 2x Polish, 2x Jordan)
• Jordanian Mi-26
• Japanese E-767
• Indian Air Force Beriev A-50
• Hellenic Buckeye
• Egyptian DHC-5 Buffalo
• Portugese Merlin
• USAF Joint Star E8
• Marine Corps CH-53K
• Latvian An-2

& sunny/fluffy white cloud weather, no wind.

If anything near this happens, I think i'd go back on my word of skipping a year. It's quite delusional but hey ho it's a wishlist!

[Kurnass]

My wishlist: Zambia C-27 and good weather

[Tommy]

Discuss..

For everyone to relax on this sub-forum for a few months, and give us mods a bit of a break.

[spellow3010]

Around the grounds -
Early Bird parking for P&V East. 2022 and 2023 have been a real bun-fight and no need for it.
Simple food for P&V East arrivals.
Headsets for those that want FRIAT commentary in the grandstand.

Flying -
A nice finale set-piece - built around the F-16s maybe?
Blue Impulse
USAF F-35A (really is a fab demo) - get her up first to make the most of the fluff.

Static -
C5 Galaxy
Hellenic Buckeye
As it's likely to be an F-16 fest, let's have a couple of the 64th Aggressors over from Nellis please. And bring merch.
USN F-18 Super Hornet (CAG preferred)
USN/French/Japanese E-2
USN C-2
Wedgetail (Turkey or Australia)
Zambia C-27 (!!)
India Jags (!!)
Qatari Rafales
T7 'Red Tail' trainer.

EDIT - to add that with the Hawk 50th, why not invite USMC T-45 Goshawks to the party...

[capercaillie]

Discuss..

I'll start.
& sunny/fluffy white cloud weather, no wind.

No seriously, you need wind, otherwise it will be stifling and horrid. You really do need a course in weather! Its called a gentle westerly breeze that is desirable at Fairford.

[iainpeden]

Discuss..

For everyone to relax on this sub-forum for a few months, and give us mods a bit of a break.

You know that won’t happen!

Any way, something built by McDonnell Douglas and powered by a pair of J-79s coming from an eastern Mediterranean country (or both) in the flying display.

[capercaillie]

Discuss..

For everyone to relax on this sub-forum for a few months, and give us mods a bit of a break.

You know that won’t happen!

Any way, something powered by a pair of J-79s coming from an eastern Mediterranean country (or both) in the flying display.

Albanian and Cypriot Vigilantes now we're talking!

Yes I did edit your post

[Skylinerworld]

Maybe the Jordanian Hercules fleet could be busy next summer so they send this instead just for one year....

https://www.airliners.net/photo/Jordan- ... ba9y8v7TGl

[bishbashbosh]

The FRIAT grandstand to be open on Wednesday!

For aircraft I really missed something far flung this year: Japan, Korea, Australia, Brazil, New Zealand or any new attendee from those regions would be most welcome!

[Berf]

Something to mark the RCAF 100th anniversary

[boff180]

Really don’t care what’s flying or what’s on static.

What I care about is not getting soaked or shivering on the Friday from getting cold!

[verreli]

What I care about is not getting soaked or shivering on the Friday from getting cold!

Good luck with that one.

Something Russian or Chinese manufactured for me, ideally of this generation.

[Gonzo230]

ShinMaywa US-2. Always wanted to see one.

However, what I’d really love to see, above all else, is a Ukrainian Air Force F-16.

(In the context of the Russians withdrawing to their border and accepting a peace treaty).

What a party it would be.

[HeyfordDave111]

4 Ukrainian Su24's please! Nuff said

[MiG_Eater]

Well if we're getting into fantasy land how about a MiG-31, Tu-160, Tu-95 and an Su-34 from the now friendly Russian Federation?

I mean... I guess it seemed mad to consider it in the mid '80s and yet we all remember those golden years... we can but hope!

[Flare Path]

How many more times must the Phantoms attend, before they're allowed in the flying display? Same with the F86 last year - it's poor, whatever the reason.

The uninspiring themes continue for next year too. How about a major theme celebrating naval aviation or the like - something different and unexpected. Last year and this year was OK, but it feels a bit predictable when we hear the themes...

Lots of stuff in the flying display that's the same stuff every single year - not good. I don't think Glastonbury or some of the events at Goodwood operate in this way, so why RIAT? (Yes, they're different but they follow the same principle of who they get for their audience) If there's limitations, why can't we get some exciting flypasts or whatever - other events are able to bring in who their audience wants to see - legends, icons etc. We only ever seem to get that stuff on static, usually (not always) and whilst that's great, parts of the FD feel too much the same year on year.

Rarely seen aircraft flying, so we can appreciate there's a willingness to do-so and not bow down to every regulation or naysayer. Work with the people to get it done, plenty of other events do.

Massive improvement in the event required.

[JMC]

Celebrate naval aviation and have the Royal Navy decline the invitation, sounds a blast!

As for the Phantoms, perhaps because no air force has a display routine worked up, I mean it’d be great if we could get a couple of flypasts or one of the operators decide to work up a routine, but if the air force themselves don’t want to send it for a flying display, what can dbh honestly do?

[MiG_Eater]

Personally I think the themes from this year and last have been excellent. I definitely would have liked to see the Phantoms in the air, but who thought we'd get a couple o Tornadoes in the flying display?

I think the NATO theme next year could bear fruit...

[boff180]

How many more times must the Phantoms attend, before they're allowed in the flying display? Same with the F86 last year - it's poor, whatever the reason.

You would think all these participants are begging to be in the flying display and are told - no.

Do people ever stop to think perhaps the participant nations are not willing to spend their budgets on working up a display for one airshow even if asked?

RIAT do not get to pick or choose, they are offered XYZ from a nation for static and if they are lucky in the flying too.

[Bodz156]

Thursday evening this year....a Hellenic Phantom did do a low, fast flypast.

(I'd imagine both would have asked to, had one not gone sick and not turned up...)

Attend arrivals when an F-4 is due to come is the best chance to see a flying one I'd think....

[JMC]

Or in the similar words of Tommy 'If you're so desperate to see an F-4 fly go to Athens Flying week!'

[Tommy]

Or in the similar words of Tommy 'If you're so desperate to see an F-4 fly go to Athens Flying week!'

That’s a bit of a misrepresentation of what I actually said on this forum.

I did expressly point out that there is some nuance, and it’s of course much harder for people to go to a European airshow than simply go to Midlands Air Festival to see the Draken (which didn’t amount to much anyway, all told).

But, if a flying F-4 is all that matters to someone, and nothing else will quench that thirst, and RIAT is a rubbish show without it, then, yes, save the RIAT money and spend it going to Athens.

(Or simply buy a Monday P&V ticket and hope that another comes next year)

[Roger_Over]

Phancon and Anatolian Eagle are also easily accessible and not too different in cost to RIAT if you really need a Phantom fix.

[Tommy]

I have trouble with this sort of narrative of “the flying had nothing I haven’t seen before” seems daft to me.

Edit - more often than not, it’s likely a rubbish statement anyway. The Me262 was a debut. True, one could have seen it at a European show, but then that’s even worse because you’re judging RIAT for not showing you something you haven’t seen at any airshow you’ve ever been to. If you’re on holiday in Japan and go to an airshow, would you really turn your nose up at a Mitsubishi F-2 demo at Fairford because you’ve seen it before?

If you go to airshows long enough, you’re going to see most things eventually. Particularly if you’ve been going to them since the 90s. If RIAT continuously has to show you something that’s not been seen before, they will eventually run out of the world’s aircraft types and operators. Or, the only stuff you’ll be interested in is the latest brand new plasticky stuff, in which case, trade shows are probably more appropriate.

The second thing is that it doesn’t take into account all sorts of variables for even the “standard stuff” - the Belgian F-16 display does stuff that I had not seen from an F-16 before. The Finnish display was jaw-dropping in terms of the high alpha work, doesn’t matter how many times I see it. The French Rafale is always excellent, and has a new scheme this year.

It seems like a self-defeating way to enjoy the hobby, I must confess. You’re setting yourself up for increasing disappointment. I’m glad I enjoy the hobby in a different way.

[Wes_Howes]

If you’re on holiday in Japan and go to an airshow, would you really turn your nose up at a Mitsubishi F-2 demo at Fairford because you’ve seen it before?

Sore point that Tom, given the weather at Iwakuni