RIAT 2005 - A Naval Perspective
RAF FAIRFORD
16-17 July 2005

Nick Newns Reports for Navies on this annual event......Additional information and pictures from Nigel Sadler..
The weekend of the 16th-17th July saw RAF Fairford, Gloucester host the Royal International Air Tattoo the world’s largest airshow, an  event organised by Royal Air Force Charitable Trust Enterprises and was blessed with glorious weather which helped attract a crowd in the region of 160,000 people over the 2 day event and raise much needed fund for the charity. An event of this size is always going to attract some Naval participation from around the world even if the events themes where not naval related and this year was no exception with aircraft coming from naval forces around the world ranging from Poland to the United States
Stars of The Show...
MMI AV-8B's
MMI AV-8B+ MM7224 with mission marks... © Nigel Sadler MMI AV-8's Wolves seemed to have walked on their rudders © Nigel Sadler. MMI AV-8's in static - © Nick Newns Anchors away..... © Nigel Sadler
814NAS Merlin HM.1 - Tiger......Nick Newns

Surveillance was RIAT's main theme for 2005 and was supported by European and NATO forces with the French Aéronavale providing a Falcon 50M from 24 Flotille and an Atlantique from 23 Flotille while the German Marineflieger sent a Dornier Do 228 from MFG-3. From further a field the Polish Navy sent one of it's M28B-1TD Bryza from 28e.IMW while the largest naval aircraft at RIAT where supplied by the United States in the form of a Coast Guard HC-130J Hercules APO Elizabeth City, Marine Corps KC-130T Hercules from VMGR-452 Cloning!... Copyright Nigel Sadlerand a E-6B Mercury from VQ-4. Also part of the event a NATO Tiger meet where again the French Aéronavale provided aircraft in the form of Super Etendard's from 11 Flotille, along with the subtle tiger striped Royal Navy Merlin HM1 from 814NAS.

Remaining highlights of the static display where a couple of AV-8B Harriers sent from the Italian Marina Militare and a Super Lynx Mk90b from the Danish Navy. While drawing a lot of attention from the crowds was a mock up of the future of naval aviation the F-35 Joint Strike fighter which was presented with a mock up of the revolutionary Pratt & Witney engine for the JSF project.

 

A vast majority of the paying public don't just come to RIAT just to look at the vast array of static aircraft, it's the 8 hour flying display that is the main draw to many who make the annual pilgrimage to RAF Fairford and this years naval element of the flying display was represented by aircraft from the Royal Navy, FRA and FRADU. The "Black Cats" display team flying HMA.8/HAS.3 Lynx flew their award winning routine, while two FRA Falcons and four FRADU Sea Hawks flew some unique and exciting formation passes before performing a role demonstration. With two FRADU Hawks on each wing of a FRA Falcon (which is packed with electronic hardware that would jam warship radars and systems) the two FRADU Hawks dropped from the formation and flew an attack profile representing a missile launch from the FRA Falcon. FN Atlantique No 16.. © Nick Newns

 

With the Royal Navy's Sea Harrier operational carrier in its final year 801NAS have been flying at displays through the UK this summer, and it would be the last time they would appear at RIAT before being retired early next year. The display saw four Sea Harriers FA2's performing several close formation fly-past before flying in to a hover in front of the crowd with the centre two Sea Harriers bowing to the crowd.

 

 FAA Jetstream flypast... Nick Newns
Danish Lynx Mk.90B - © Nick Newns The team works.... © Nick Newns
GN Do.228 - © Nigel Sadler FRA Flyby...© Nick Newns
11F Super Etendard.. © Nick Newns One-two-three....BOW! © Nick Newns
FN Falcon 50..© Nick Newns FRADU Hawk recovery..© Nick Newns
TACAMO... © Nick Newns Black Cats...© Nick Newns Marine Corps C-130... © Nick Newns
Coast Guard herc...Nick Newns Polish participant..Nick Newns
The Future?.. © Nick Newns FAA Jetstream... © Nick Newns

 
On Finals.. © Nick Newns Mirach.. © Nigel Sadler Danish Lynx... © Nigel Sadler GN Do.228 ...© Nick Newns
MMI AV-8.. © Nick Newns A Sight you may never see again!.. © Nigel Sadler
Serial Code Type Unit Arr Callsign Dep Callsign AirArm Country  
S-181   Super Lynx Mk.90B RDN SHT 14/07/2005 DNY 181 18/07/2005 DNY 181 RDAF DENMARK S
                     
16   Atlantique 23 F 13/07/2005 FNY 5626 18/07/2005 FNY 5626 FN FRANCE S
30   Falcon 50M 24 F 14/07/2005 FNY 5017 18/07/2005 FNY 5017 FN FRANCE S
4   Super Etendard 11 F 14/07/2005 FNY 5181 18/07/2005 FNY 5181 FN FRANCE S
47   Super Etendard 11 F 14/07/2005 FNY 5181 18/07/2005 FNY 5181 FN FRANCE S
                     
57+02   Do.228 MFG.3 13/07/2005 GN 4796 18/07/2005 GN 4796 GN GERMANY S
                     
MM7224 1-19 AV-8B+ 1 GRUPAER 14/07/2005 I 5033 18/07/2005 Wolf 01 MMI ITALY S
MM55033 1-02 TAV-8B 1 GRUPAER 14/07/2005 I 5033 18/07/2005 Wolf 01 MMI ITALY S
                     
1114   M-28B-1R 28.elMW 13/07/2005 PNY 585 18/07/2005 PNY 582 PN POLAND S
                     
ZD990 721 Harrier T.8 801 Sqdn (899 mks) 15/07/2005 Venom 4 18/07/2005 Venom 4 FAA UK S
XX170   Hawk T.1 FRADU 14/07/2005 Seahawk 1-4 18/07/2005 Black Seahawks FAA UK F
XX173   Hawk T.1 FRADU 14/07/2005 Seahawk 1-4 18/07/2005 Black Seahawks FAA UK F
XX238   Hawk T.1 FRADU 14/07/2005 Seahawk 1-4 18/07/2005 Black Seahawks FAA UK F
XX178   Hawk T.1W FRADU 14/07/2005 Seahawk 1-4 18/07/2005 Black Seahawks FAA UK F
XX478 CU-564 Jetstream T.2   14/07/2005 Mercury 18/07/2005 Mercury FAA UK F
XX484 CU-566 Jetstream T.2   14/07/2005 Mercury 18/07/2005 Mercury FAA UK F
XX487 CU-568 Jetstream T.2 750 Sqdn 14/07/2005 Mercury 18/07/2005 Mercury 5 FAA UK S
XX488 CU-562 Jetstream T.2   14/07/2005 Mercury 18/07/2005 Mercury FAA UK F
ZA110 CU-563 Jetstream T.2 750 Sqdn 14/07/2005 Mercury 18/07/2005 Mercury FAA UK F
ZD250 630 Lynx HAS.3S 702 Sqdn 15/07/2005 Blacks 18/07/2005 Blacks FAA UK F
ZD565 307 Lynx HMA.8 815 Sqdn 14/07/2005 NVY 444 18/07/2005 ? FAA UK S
XZ729 417 Lynx HMA.8DSP 815 Sqdn 15/07/2005 Blacks 18/07/2005 Blacks FAA UK F
ZH860 269 Merlin HM.1 814 Sqdn 13/07/2005 NVY Tiger 1 18/07/2005 NVY Tiger 1 FAA UK S
ZJ722   Mirach 100/5 792 Sqdn   By Road     FAA UK S
ZE690 L-003 Sea Harrier F/A.2 801 Sqdn 15/07/2005 Venom 6 18/07/2005 Venom 6 FAA UK S
ZH796 L-001 Sea Harrier F/A.2 801 Sqdn 15/07/2005 Venom 1 18/07/2005 Venom 1 FAA UK F
ZH798 L-002 Sea Harrier F/A.2 801 Sqdn 15/07/2005 Vemon 5 18/07/2005 Venom 2 FAA UK F
ZH804 L-007 Sea Harrier F/A.2 801 Sqdn 15/07/2005 Venom 3 20/07/2005 Spider 01 FAA UK F
ZH813 L-006 Sea Harrier F/A.2 801 Sqdn 15/07/2005 Venom 2 18/07/2005 Venom 3 FAA UK F
XV707 184 Sea King ASaC.7 849 Sqdn 14/07/2005 NVY 180 18/07/2005 Cyclops 84 FAA UK S
ZF123 WW Sea King HC.4 848 Sqdn 14/07/2005 NVY WW 18/07/2005 NVY WW FAA UK S
                     
G-FRAF   Falcon 20 FRA         Civil UK F
G-FFRA   Falcon 20 FRA         Civil UK F
                   
2005   HC-130J USCG Elizabeth City 13/07/2005 CG 2005 18/07/2005 CG 2005 USCG USA S
                     
164597 NY KC-130T VMGR-452 13/07/2005 Yanky 97 18/07/2005 Yanky 97 USMC USA S
                     
164406   E-6B VQ-4 13/07/2005 Shado 01 18/07/2005 Shado 01 USN USA S

Thanks to Michelle Eccles and the rest of the RIAT Media Team

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