By Andre Vermeulen

The Royal International Air Tattoo 2017, or RIAT, once again demonstrated why it is regarded as one of the world's premier airshows. RIAT highlights the collaborations between NATO and non-NATO nations, offering enthusiastic spectators and aviation fans spectacular air displays with both vintage and modern aircraft.

RAF Fairford, located in the picturesque Gloucestershire countryside, serves as a joint base for the British and United States Air Force (USAF). The base also hosts USA heavy bombers.

On Saturday, 15 July, we traveled to the Air Force Base and were met with typical UK weather—grey skies and rain. We remained hopeful that the weather would improve, but unfortunately, we were hindered by rain, clouds, and a very low cloud ceiling. This led to the cancellation of some displays. However, the British Airshow crowd is known for its dedication and determination. Visitors patiently remained in their viewing spots, waiting for the weather to clear. Due to poor visibility, some of the displays were also limited to flat performances.

Even with the weather conditions, there were still numerous photo opportunities, and occasionally the weather cleared enough to permit some displays to occur.

The day's flying displays featured a variety of aircraft and display teams. In celebration of their 70th anniversary, the USAF arranged for US aircraft stationed across Europe to fly in and deliver some breathtaking performances for the spectators.

The grey, wet weather persisted into Sunday. Fortunately, it cleared up slightly for a few hours, allowing the sun to peek through the clouds and highlight the magnificent flying machines. The combination of clouds and sunshine created incredible photo opportunities. However, safety-related flying limits were still in place for some displays.

An overview of some airshow displays.

The Panavia Tornado A200 from the Italian Air Force's 311 squadron, featuring special livery, delivered a spectacular performance despite the challenging conditions on Saturday and continued to impress on Sunday. The weather occasionally provided remarkable photo opportunities.

The Italian Air Force showcase featured the C27J Spartan and the Leonardo T346A Master.

The Royal Air Force impressed with a diverse array of static aircraft on view and captivating air displays. The Red Arrows Show was breathtaking, featuring red, blue, and white smoke that produced stunning visual effects.

The Eurofighter Typhoon FGR4 from 29 Squadron at RAF Coningsby could only perform on Sunday because the weather on Saturday was not suitable for this specific air display.

The Apache AH1 from the Army Air Corps at Wattisham showcased the aircraft's capabilities and firepower using pyrotechnics, concluding with a wall of fire.

The display teams lived up to expectations; the Royal Jordanian Falcons with their four Extra EA300Ls, the Patrouille Suisse with six Northrop F5E Tiger IIs, and the Midnight Hawks from the Finnish Air Force with their four BAE Hawk Mk51/51As, all demonstrated exemplary close formation take-offs and landings.

The USAF exceeded expectations by showcasing a surprise guest, the B2 Bomber, which made an appearance for the 70th Birthday celebration. The Thunderbirds' performance was, as always, spectacular. Among the aircraft displayed for the 70th Birthday were the Boeing CV-22B Osprey, which showcased its unique capabilities.

The flypast featured aircraft such as the KC-135 Tanker, C-130J, F-15C and E Eagles, and F-16 Falcons.

For more aircraft on display please view the gallery.