Royal International Air Tattoo 2007 Review
With the hint of good weather on Saturday,
Explore Gloucestershire chose to go to the
Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) at Fairford Air Base.
With
the action starting at 10am we set off just before 9am for the 35 min
journey. It took us two and a half hours to get to our destination, as
we hit tailbacks the other side of Cirencester on the Buford Road. All
routes to the site were colour coded on our guide map and we tuned in
to Wings FM the official RIAT radio site for regular
traffic updates. As we neared the site our frustration turned to
excitement as we were able to view the start of the display with
commentary on the radio. So in the end we didn't really miss much. (The
organisers have acknowledged that delays were longer than usual and
quite possibly occurred as the weather forecast for Sunday was RAIN,
(no change there then) hence more people attending on the Saturday. The
organisers will be looking into this for the Royal International Air
Tattoo 2008 no doubt).
Our arrival to the car parks was well
organised and entry was swift despite the additional security measures.
Once through those we were able to purchase a programme at a bit of a
hefty £8. Next was the opportunity to get kids tagged with mobile phone
numbers and instructions on what to do if they got lost (free of
charge). In view of the vast numbers of people this was a sensible
option taken up by most parents.
Once on site we set up our
picnic area and settled down to view what promised to be a spectacular
day. The focus of the show was the 60th Anniversary of the United States Air Force and the RAF theme of ‘Agile & Adaptable’.
For the rest of the day we were treated to a display of the capability
of aircraft and the talents of their crews from around the world.
Enthusiasts were out in their droves and it was evident that the crowds
had their favourites. The 'Thunderbirds' put on an impressive aerobatic display as did the Italian 'Il Frecce Tricolori', but we are a patriotic lot and it was clear that our own 'Red Arrows' were the stars of the day. They were accompanied by a Hawker Hurricane IIc and three Supermarine Spitfire's for a flypast.
Another
favourite of ours were the thunderous Eurofighter Typhoons, for sheer
phenomenal power and noise you can’t beat them (a good idea for
children to wear ear defenders for these!) Another highlight was the
Stealth F-117A Nighthawk, smaller than expected and very futuristic in
appearance. The finale of the show was a tactical demonstration by the
RAF. Whilst the scenario was fictitious, the roles were a dynamic
representation of real-life RAF operations. Among the aircraft taking
part was an E-3D Sentry from 8 Squadron, a Chinook from 27 Squadron,
three Tornado F3's from 25 Squadron, three Tornado GR4's from XIII Sqn,
a C-130 Hercules from 30 Squadron and two Hawks from 100 Squadron.
Visitors enjoyed all the explosive drama as it unfolded on the world’s
biggest ‘stage’.
When all displays had finished, we decided to
venture further and explored the rest of the show - it was immense.
There were aircraft on display everywhere and the crews involved in the
earlier flying, casually enjoyed the spectacle too, conversing with the
general public as they did.
Around the edges of the show ground were plenty of places to eat, drink and shop. There were activities for kids in the 'Dairylea Freestyle Action Arena',
where they could have a go at skateboarding, in-line skating, bmx-ing,
pogo, dance mats and basketball, together with performances by the UK’s
professional extreme sports entertainers 'Team Extreme'.
Today, the Royal International Air Tattoo
is renowned as much for its exciting ground entertainment as it is for
its world-class flying display. The critically acclaimed Tri@RIAT featured
sensational stunt car driving, battling robots, karting, record
breaking bikes, boats and cars, adrenalin-filled flight simulators and
breathtaking action arena.
Also on offer was a magnificent
dislay of legendary US motors from the 1950s to the present day,
including Cadillacs, Corvettes, Pontiacs, Chevrolets, Buicks, Mustangs
and Thunderbirds. Now in its second year, this fascinating display also
featured GT-40s, a 1960s’ Le Mans Spitfire, a Messerschmitt TG500,
Ferraris plus a wide range of Sunbeam Tigers.
To end the day there was the opportunity to relax and enjoy the free 'Sunset Concert' featuring the rousing sounds of the 'Royal Air Force Band', the swinging 'Squadronaires' plus 'Check Six' - the premier jazz band of the United States Air Force in Europe.
We
are sure we didn’t see everything, but we tried hard and were exhausted
when we left at 8pm. The car park looked busy and we braced ourselves
for the long trek home. However it was only really a case of
negotiating the car park and the local road, so we were soon on our
way. The police seemed to have the situation well in hand and opened
more exits as and when required. The traffic situation was also readily
available on Wings FM.
Conclusion
We had a brilliant day out and the whole experience was so much more than expected. Well done RIAT. We will certainly add 'Royal International Air Tattoo 2008' to our diary for next year.
Handy tips:
- Advisable to leave VERY early to miss the traffic jams.
- Bring fold up seats - but don't worry if you forget as they are available at the Tattoo at £6 each
- Tune into WINGS FM on 87.7 MHz, for the latest traffic information and 'Live' commentary.
- Bring Ear Defenders or buy on the day - from £2.95 each
19 July 2007
Explore Gloucestershire
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