15 hours ago
Photos show RIAT's first year at RAF Fairford 40 years ago
The Royal International Air Tattoo marks 40 years at RAF Fairford this year - here's what it was like at the very first event.
Known in 1985 as the International Air Tattoo, the weekend of aerial displays and moved to a new home in Oxfordshire.
Photographer Jeremy Flack highlighted the histories of certain aircraft on display, such as the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantoms.
The prototype first flew in 1958 and by the time production had ended 5,195 had been built. An extremely versatile aircraft- it has been operated as a fighter, attack, bomber, reconnaissance and flown from carriers as well as airfield.
It has achieved numerous word records and is still operated by a number of air forces. Turkish and Greek examples are expected to be displayed it the 2025 RIAT.
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Also on display was the RAF Handley Page Victor K.2.
Various modifications were made resulting in sub-variants until a re-role saw the fleet gradually taking on the role of an aerial tanker.
The Victor tankers were heavily used during the Falkand and Gulf wars and were retired in 1993.
More details of each aircraft can be found in the picture captions.
