• When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

Royal International Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford

Officer Dibley

Well-Known Member
I bet Aero’s forearms and cuffs aren’t only meant to fit Sid Little though Ken !!

I agree, Aeros M/C and D-1 beat ‘em all.

Though i wasn’t thinking of a who’s is best but more of a simple comparison.
 

Wholenineyards

Well-Known Member
I filed a couple of noise complaints with the RIAT directorate of flying operations. Jets were continuously noisy and disturbing. And seeing a C-27 perform aerobatics one knows that they’re the ones who should be wearing scarves... just saying...
 

Officer Dibley

Well-Known Member
I filed a couple of noise complaints with the RIAT directorate of flying operations. Jets were continuously noisy and disturbing. And seeing a C-27 perform aerobatics one knows that they’re the ones who should be wearing scarves... just saying...
I’m sure this is a spoof post Couchy. Everyone around Fairford knows to go away for the weekend if they don’t like noise ;)
And how could any flight jacket enthusiast not love the sound of warplanes in the morning !
 

Wholenineyards

Well-Known Member
I’m sure this is a spoof post Couchy. Everyone around Fairford knows to go away for the weekend if they don’t like noise ;)
And how could any flight jacket enthusiast not love the sound of warplanes in the morning !
Actually the only “warplane” there in the display was the British Army Apache, which I loved. They made an appearance with a boom. The RAF Chinook was superb, as was the above mentioned C-27. But if you stand there all day long at your static display aircraft and try to talk Aviation with the interested world, those F-type things coming by every 10 seconds are a bloody nuisance... obviously that doesn’t apply for the Reds/ Patrouille de France and any piston engined BBMF representative... I by the way paid my homage to the Battle of Britain Memorial at Capel-le-Ferne. Not quite sure but it might have been the first aircraft with an Iron Cross on it that has consciously flown by that site... I really wanted to throw down some poppies... by the way I have not seen many flight jackets except for the ill fitting “new American A-2” with insets and hand warmer pockets. My Swiss friends who had come with their lovely, lovely Beech 18 (which George Clooney’s production company paid to be painted Army green vice it’s awesome silvery color scheme) had their re-enactment garb on. A-2s and all. But I did counsel them on ELC/ ALC/ GW and more and that really constituted a splendid conversation. To sum up, I had a great time at Fairford, had a great transit there and back. Got an exclusive tour at Wattisham Station Heritage Museum. Couldn’t be happier... except it is 37 degees C and I can only wear flight jackets in the refrigerator... cheers to all in the circuit...
22196

By the way that Beech 18 was in CATCH-22.
22197
 
Last edited:

Wholenineyards

Well-Known Member
I think there were more warplanes there than just the Apache..... The F-15 things have also deployed many times. Even the F-35 Lightnings have deployed. RIAT is all about military birds.

I’ve never before heard of someone going to an airshow and complaining of the noise . Regulars take ear defenders ;)
I think there were more warplanes there than just the Apache..... The F-15 things have also deployed many times. Even the F-35 Lightnings have deployed. RIAT is all about military birds.

I’ve never before heard of someone going to an airshow and complaining of the noise . Regulars take ear defenders ;)
I was ordered to RIAT. Regulars, as in visitors, choose to go. For me it was all about the way there and back. First stop De Kooy to see friends and have the traditional Blauwe Hap on Wednesdays in Dutch Navy messes. On to Wattisham Air Station to see friends and have Indian food. On into the low flying routes through London into RAF Northolt to see friends and wait to best make our slot time 1356 into RAF Fairford. BTW my friends are rebuilding the original Northolt Ops room back from scratch. It is here that Hugh Dowding established the integrated air defense. It was soon moved as Northolt was a prime target for the Luftwaffe. On the way back I wanted to see the Needles but south of Bournemouth all was low cloud and fogged in (@ Fairford I bought Philip West’s print “Spitfires over the Needles”). IFR to RAF Odiham. VFR to Eastbourne and the Memorial, up north through Southend into Wattisham for pub food and a grand tour of the Wattisham Station Museum courtesy of Russ (74/ 56 Sqn Phantom and Roger Topp’s Black Arrows Hunter of 22 aircraft loop fame ( http://www.wattishamstationheritage.org). Back via De Kooy. The next airshow I’ll choose to go to will be Duxford. Not many jets, no noise complaints. Easy. My ear defenders are cumbersome. Cheers to all in the circuit. To all, sorry but I deleted the cockpit picture through London as it was not taken by me.
 
Last edited:

Micawber

Well-Known Member
You can just see the house where my grandmother lived just above the hanger roofline on the right and where I spent much of my youth, my schools were on the flightpath and engine tests and run ups where the background sound of my younger days. Bliss.
Handley Page Park St end.jpg

Victors at Handley Page.jpg


The company provided employment for thousands in the area, it was a terrible blow to the community when it closed in the late '60's. There were other aviation related factories in the area [De Havilland, Rolls Royce etc] who are now all gone but nobody complained about the noise as that meant employment and jobs ....and helped deliver a kick up Hitler's backside just a few years before. Now that area is London commuter belt and most of the population are incomers who often object to the noise of the civilian air traffic into and out of airports not far away - airports that whisk them and their families away on business and holiday flights.

Apologies for the thread drift.
 
Top