RAF Cosford Air Show 2024

[Adam]

The penultimate Friday update:
Christophe Simon CAP-10C (Last year's Bill Hartree Trophy winner for the most entertaining display)
Rich Goodwin Pitts S2S

[n33d4sp33d_85]

Rafale C solo display cancelled.

We would like to inform you that due to circumstances beyond our control we will not be able to participate in RAF Cosford Air Show (Official) this weekend .
We are sorry for the people who were waiting for us .

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/Tkeih4nNZcoyYsHQ/?

[Adam]

Static display is taking shape!
https://x.com/RAF_Cosford/status/179900 ... 82/photo/1

[Adam]

The final Friday update adds the following to the flying display:
Jet Provost T.3 (Mark Hooton)
Hawk T.2 (RAF)
Atlas C.1 (RAF)

Interestingly the Chinook Role Demo will use a Chinook HC.5 rather than the usual HC.6A. I think this may be the flying display debut of an HC.5?

[Adam]

For the sake of completeness:

Cancelled:
Lynx AH.7

Added:
Hurricane Mk.1
Gnat T.1
Safety Jogger AT-6D

Swapped:
Christophe Simon CAP-10C changed for CAP-10BK
Chinook HC.6A swapped for Chinook HC.5

Here's a clip of the really very enjoyable debut of the new F-35B role demonstration. More to follow...

[CultOfTheWyvern]

Here's a clip of the really very enjoyable debut of the new F-35B role demonstration.

The control surfaces are wagging like puppy dogs' tails during the high alpha! The magic of fly-by-wire...

Watched a livestream of the second half of the show today, starting with the Jet Provost T3. For all the flak Cosford gets from certain sectors of the enthusiast community, I thought it looked like a swell show.

[Adam]

Here's a clip of the really very enjoyable debut of the new F-35B role demonstration.

The control surfaces are wagging like puppy dogs' tails during the high alpha! The magic of fly-by-wire...

Watched a livestream of the second half of the show today, starting with the Jet Provost T3. For all the flak Cosford gets from certain sectors of the enthusiast community, I thought it looked like a swell show.

I agree. It had a big lift during and after RAF100, followed by a difficult few years following the pandemic, nobody shies away from that - but this was a return to the show's normal, solid, pre-RAF100 form.

Cosford presented probably the most varied flying display to be found anywhere in the UK nowadays, and that is always what they have been so good at.

[Adam]

Cosford Airshow 2024 highlights!



For what it's worth, I thought this was a fairly strong Cosford Air Show, and it did exactly what Cosford has become known for over the last couple of decades: presented a really varied display with good RAF representation, high-quality civilian acts and a little bit of everything.

The civilian line up was strong, and my personal highlights included the Navy Wings Wasp/Swordfish, Folland Gnat and the Gazelle Squadron.

The French contributions were obviously major draws, but both slightly toned down compared to previous iterations of the same displays (in the EVAA's case, because it was their newest pilot. In Couteau Delta's case, well, that's just how AAE tactical displays seem to have been in the past couple of seasons. Still very good, though, don't get me wrong).

The RAF's flying display contingent was one of the biggest that they've sent to a single show in at least the past five years. The Air Mobility Force got a particularly strong showing, with the special scheme Vespina Voyager KC.2 performing a flypast, a lovely two-ship flyby from a pair of Atlas C.1s, and the Falcons jumping from an Atlas for the very first time (which also performed a solo flypast of its own). The Chinook Role Demo made for a nice change from the usual solo display, and the rare opportunity to see an HC.5 model was also much appreciated.

Cosford was my first chance to see this year's Typhoon display, which had some interesting moments, albeit some of the newest and most eye-catching elements, such as a high-alpha roll entry into a high-alpha pass, where performed a very long way from the spectators indeed. But my RAF highlight was the new F-35B Lightning Role Demonstration, performing an assured and assertive display sequence which felt by a considerable margin like the closest fast jet display of the day.

Special mention, too, to the static display, which - although small - was thoughtfully configured. The Jaguar 'Catwalk' was a particularly nice touch. See below.

GPqaowzWwAAZebB.jpg (145.77 KiB) Viewed 240 times

[Adam]