Day three at RIAT 2017. Unfortunately there were to be no blue skies, with low cloud & rain forcing early display acts to a taxi along the runway and the Midnight Hawks to disappear into the murk. However the cloud lifted sufficiently for later acts including the Thunderbirds and Ukranian Su-27 Flanker.
Day two: The main theme for RIAT 2017 was the 70th anniversary of the formation of the United States Air Force. Therefore there was a stronger USAF presence than in previous years with a welcome return after 10 years of the The Thunderbirds, the F-22A Raptor, and Osprey displays and flypasts from F-15’s, F-16’s and C-130. The Friday display included a unique flypast of the Red Arrows with the Thunderbirds.
Day one: Arrivals and practice at RIAT 2017, the largest military airshow.
This year marked the 70th anniversary of the United States Air Force and hence a stronger appearance by the USAF was most welcome, with the Thunderbirds, F-22 Raptor, F-15, B-1B Lancer and B-52 Stratofortress all making a welcome return.