One of the biggest public demonstrations of RAF air and ground capability will be on display at this summer’s Royal International Air Tattoo as part of international celebrations marking the Royal Air Force centenary.
Fast jets, transports, surveillance and training aircraft will be joined by warbirds from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight as the airshow showcases the Royal Air Force’s past, present and future.
Among more than 300 aircraft due to take part in the Air Tattoo will be in excess of 40 aircraft from RAF stations across the UK. These include some of the biggest, newest and most rarely-seen – such as the Phenom trainer, the RAF’s multi-engine aircrew training aircraft; the Voyager, an air-to-air refuelling and strategic air transport and the RC-135W Rivet Joint, the RAF’s electronic surveillance aircraft. And, of course, adding a splash of colour to the centenary celebrations will be the world’s greatest aerobatic display team – the RAF Red Arrows.
Also helping bring the RAF’s history to life will be a number of civilian-operated historic aircraft including the Hawker Hunter, Gloster Meteor, de Havilland Vampire and de Havilland Tiger Moth.
This summer’s global salute, which takes place at RAF Fairford on July 13-15, will also feature exciting aircraft from a number of Coalition Partners as well as the UK’s European, Commonwealth and Middle Eastern allies such as France, Ukraine, Italy, Canada, Germany, the US and Romania.
Whilst each of the three days will feature more than seven hours’ flying, on the Friday only, visitors will be treated to a special RAF Flypast, a Royal Review of Aircraft and a parade by service personnel from the Queen’s Colour Squadron. Over the weekend there are plans to stage other special RAF formations, details of which will be confirmed soon.
Throughout the year, RAF100 is seeking to Commemorate, Celebrate and Inspire the nation and there will be ample opportunity to do all three at the Air Tattoo where a large area of the Showground has been dedicated to the centenary. Visitors will have the opportunity to view RAF aircraft up close, meet today’s Service personnel and learn the roles they perform in the ‘RAF Experience’. They will also be invited to step back in time in the Vintage Village, where there will be the opportunity to meet RAF veterans.
Among the other showground attractions is the critically-acclaimed Techno Zone, offering exciting hands-on activities and entertainment that is designed to stimulate and inspire young minds by bringing the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) curriculum to life.
The Air Tattoo is staged in support of the RAF Charitable Trust and is free to all accompanied under-18s. For more information about the airshow and the various ticket and enclosure options, please visit www.airtattoo.com
