RAF Gets Ready For RIAT

RAF display teams have launched the start of the Royal International Air Tattoo Diamond Jubilee celebrations. The Queen’s anniversary will be the main theme for this year’s event, the world’s largest military air show, from 6th to 8thJuly at RAF Fairford, Gloucestershire.

Flight Lieutenant Phil Bird was born in Fairford 32 years ago and now flies in the skies over his home town as the 2012 Hawk Display Pilot.

“It’s the start of busy season with 82 displays and the launch of RIAT is one of our very first events

It’s awesome to take part in the air show during the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations and the Hawks will once again be displaying the special EIIR formation that we presented to Her Majesty during the Armed Forces Muster Parade and fly past on 19 May. It’s a privilege to be the display pilot in this special year, and to represent the professionalism and role of the RAF in front of the thousands of visitors who will come to see us at the show.”

Flying into RIAT in the Hawk’s back seat was Blue Peter presenter Barney Harwood.

“It was incredible, I have just fulfilled a life long ambition of flying in an RAF fast jet! When I was 8 years old I had my first Air Fix kit of a Red Arrow – I wanted to be an RAF pilot but I was too short sighted. It’s a bit surreal that I’ve just flown in the Hawk. I didn’t sleep at all last night, it was like Christmas Eve. I knew it would be a beautiful and responsive aircraft to fly in. They say don’t meet your heroes – in this case I flew in my hero aircraft.”

“For me the Hawk T1 is like an E type Jaguar – it’s an icon, with an important role to play, training pilots to then fly the Typhoon and serve on Operations. It’s also the aircraft of the Red Arrows, and you don’t get better than them!”

Sergeant Gary Nicholson from the RAF Falcons Parachute Display Team dropped into Fairford with the Diamond Jubilee flag, which was designed by a Blue Peter competition winner.

“I let the flag fly from my legs as I jumped, and then presented it to Barney when we landed. We haven’t displayed at RIAT for several years, so we hope the crowds will enjoy what they see in July. If the weather is fine we’ll go as high as 12,000 and give the public a 4 minute show. Each of us has an earpiece so the coach tells us which turns to take and we’ll make patterns with the smoke as we fall through the air. As we stack on top of one another we have to keep within 15 feet of the man below, trying to stay as close as we can to make it look good for the public.”

The fanfare team from the Band of the RAF Regiment played the Blue Peter theme tune as Barney raised the flag to mark the official start of the Air Tattoo’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations.

RAF press release