Forum: General F-22A Raptor forum

On monday a couple of F-22s arrived at RAF Lakenheath in the UK.
Some nice shots can be found in the UKAR forums.

http://forums.airshows.co.uk/viewtopic. ... mp;t=25045
http://forums.airshows.co.uk/viewtopic. ... mp;t=25056

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Got some pics myself, unfortunately they're only from my camera phone. That's what happens when they tell you the day of while you're already at work.

I went to Fairford, but won't be going again due to traffic idiocy. The F-22 was very good as was the SH and the Typhoon. Static display was boring, largely made up of rows and rows of the same thing, eg F-15's and 16's. Not much variety.

Overall i'd give it a 3/10 for RIAT. Pretty much a waste of money or at least seriously over priced and over hyped, unless of course sitting in traffic for 2 and a half hours to cover 6 miles is your idea of a good fun day out...

Oh and which dumbf**ks idea was it to put the F-22 on right near the end of the day (4:00) forcing us to endure several hours of of sh**ty aircraft before getting to see something decent. Bright move *******.

shep1978 were you coming from Suffolk by any chance?

The RIAT organisers make a whole load of effort to get in the aircraft & crews. They have no control on who will come & except there invite and the ones who drop out to other commitments, breakages or deployments. I

think 3/10 was bad score. I'd give it a solid 7, but then I'm a regular and have seen the very good times and the bad!

2.5 hours for 6 miles is nasty. Wasn't there a programme out there where to look up before?

i thought they would send a jet painted 'OG' LMAO

I came from Dorset, not far and so the journey should have taken just hour and a half or so and I was right on time up until 6 miles or so from there. Instead it was 4 hours in all. It was the blue car park area I ended up in.

I would have given the show an 7.5/10 or perhaps 8/10 otherwise but it really hacked me off badly and like I say i'm not up for enduring the same thing again.

I totally loved RIAT this year and made a point of getting there a bit earlier to avoid the traffic - (I did the 2 hours wait last year) if you arrive in the area after 10:30 its going to be a long wait while everything is filtered through the country lanes.
After that though the parking is superb and there was a lot to see - as for the comment above there was more F-16s than anything else (which was good for me Smile

) - did you miss the Polish SU-22 Fitter, F-4F, AMX, Messy 108 and 109, Gripen NG then? the Harriers/Tornados, E-3, Hawker Hunter??

The highlights for me:

The F-22A - complete with US commentator Smile

The Typhoon F.2 and Spitfire LF.9c duel display
The AH-64 and F-16 RNLAF duel display
The Swiss display team in F-5Es - with their Scoring a goal formation - in tribute to beating Spain in the WC Smile

The Vulcan
The Airbus A400M

By the sounds of it (as I didn't make it, nor wasn't in country), I'd have to give Asif's score of a 7/10 (if I had).

Anyone going to an airshow of this magnitude with a m8 or bringing family members has to go with a positive mood, good cheer and chilled out expectations to begin with... accepting the good and bad (as should be expected), or don't go at all. It's only an airshow afterall.

Geo, wishing I'd have been there and hell, gone with Shep for a helluva good time. Cheers.

I think the program still had plenty to offer:

B. Bolsøy
Oslo

That's a fair sentiment to have, i.e., the F-22's Program having more to offer and one with which I personally agree, B. Bolsøy, thanks.

And your final photo listed in the above shoot is especially stunning I think and worth credit, I have to say. Excellent works.

Woah - stunning photos there!

Really nice takeoff clip at RIAT:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16ti9GwnlVs

It was amazin' how fast that thing accelerated once the gear was stowed! Shocked

And the bunt over at the top is always fun. Smile

Wonder how many negative G that is?

LinkF16SimDude wrote:

And the bunt over at the top is always fun. Smile

Wonder how many negative G that is?

Link,

I could be wrong but I don't think Zeke is experiencing a lot of negative Gs when he bunts over like that as the airspeed which he does it at is relatively low and not a prolonged maneuver.

Forum: General F-22A Raptor forum

Raptors in the UK