A week after Legends was RIAT, which many members attended, it being the biggest Airshow in Britain this year. Highlights were the Thunderbirds, on a rare visit to Europe.
Along with the thunderbirds, many other foreign air arms took part including Spain, with this Typhoon
And Italy with the outstanding Il Frecci Tricolori
All in all an outstanding day of flying, especially if fast jets are your aircraft of choice
After Riat comes a little known show. Weston Super Mare Helidays is organised by the helicopter museum, and invites foreign air arms and civilians to come and land on the beach lawns at Weston Super Mare. This year the day was blighted by low clouds and heavy rain (at one point stopping my autofocus system
) The Red Arrows came at midday, but the rain was torrential. They tried their best to put on the first few formations, but didn't go in to the dynamic opposing part of the display
Luckily, by the afternoon, the weather had cleared for the German Lynx and Sea king, and the Belgian Sea King to do their displays. The RAF also made another appearance with a Hawk
Penultimately came Dawlish carnival air display. This show is set in the picturesque Dawlish bay, and as a result, a good vantage point could be gained by ascending to the top of the cliffs. There were displays from a pair of Typhoons, the Red Arrows, an RAF seaking (with an RNLI lifeboat), the Blue Eagles and the BBMF, coming with their dakota, spitfire and hurricane.
Finally, at the beginning of September was the RAFA airshow at Shoreham. This fantastic day was marred by the sad loss of Hurricane G-HURR and the death of its pilot, Brian Brown. However the show continued with a strong WW2 theme (it being held on Battle of Britain day). There were also many other more modern and aerobatic displays.
There we go, a quick illustrated round up of my airshow year.....I can't wait for April
.mic
