RAF Cosford Airshow 2022

The RAF Cosford Airshow gave a lot of spectacle to the large audience who also flocked from abroad to watch the stunts of the various assets present and visit the numerous prepared air force stands to show the public the resources they offer for their country. The show started at around 11 (doors open at 9) and lasted until late afternoon around 17, 6 hours of performances to celebrate in particular the Platinum Jubilee of the 70 years of the Queen of England Reign.

AF Typhoon Display

Present some of the most important European Solo Displays: Rafale Solo Display of the French Armee de l'Air, the new Dream Viper of the Belgian Air Force, the Augusta A109 Display of the Belgian Air Force and of course the Typhoon Display Team and the Chinook Display RAF team. Alongside these guests, the presence of the British aerobatic team could not be missing: the famous Red Arrows, which this year, due to commitments with the air forces of two of their pilots, will perform in the displays with only 7 aircraft while for the flyovers they will fly 9 aircraft with the addition of two RAF pilots.

To open the show the parade of the Airport Emergency Services and RAF Regt Paramotors Fly-in, followed by the paratroopers of the RAF Falcons Parachute Display Team who this year instead of jumping from their Dornier 228 parachuted from the cargo tailgate of the RAF Chinook Display Team. Without interruption, we have witnessed all the performances of the civilian and military aircraft featured in the busy program of the event, with splendid stunts that the Cosford public has missed so much in the last two years.

Among the various crews, even the beloved aircraft of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, which only performed with two Spitfires due to a technical problem that left the Avro Lancaster PA474 on the ground. The two aircraft were the Supermarine Spitfire P7350 (G-AWIJ) Mk. IIa KL-B No. LIV Squadron (54 ° Sqn) RAF Waddington, aircraft flown by Air Commodore Alan Christopher Deere, fighter ace with the Royal Air Force (RAF) , from 10 July 1940 until 31 August 1940 and the Spitfire Mk LF IXe MK356 (a 78 years "young" Supermarine Spitfire) painted in desert camouflage, representing a Spitfire Mk IX of 92 ° Squadron in Tunisia in 1943.

RAF BBMF

RAF Typhoon and RAFBBMF Spitfire Synchro Pair

Sally B

The Spitfires, cheered on their arrival as always happens for the BBMF planes, first presented their display and then one of them, the P7350 (G-AWIJ) Mk.IIa KL-B, performed some passes together with Anarchy 1, the British Typhoon Display Team in “Blackjack” livery piloted by Flight Lieutenant Adam “Puddy” O'Hare. The Belgian Air Force F-16 Solo Display “Dream Viper” was awarded the prestigious "Bill Hartree Trophy" for 'Most Entertaining Flying Display' at the show. Among the civilian aircraft we were able to admire the evolutions of the splendid Canadian Vickers PBY-5A Catalina, Team Raven with its 5 Van's RV8s, the North American P51D Mustang and Rich Goodwin's Muscle Pitts.

Rich Goodwin brought Cosford a reborn Pitts S2S, of which he actually retains only the fuselage, suitably modified to increase the aerobatic and low-speed flight capabilities of this particular aircraft. Numerous themed exhibitions in the Cosford hangars told the story of the countless successes of the 70 years of the reign of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the first British monarch to celebrate 70 years of service. Also worth mentioning are the various practical experiences for all ages in the STEM interactive hangar and in the RAF Zone where you could also meet RAF pilots, visit aircraft mockups and learn about the current status of the Royal Air Force.

Rafale Display Armee de l'Air

Belgian Dream Viper

RAF Chinook Display

The Coronation Village (Vintage Village) this year commemorated the Queen's jubilee while also maintaining its style with various opportunities to enjoy good traditional British food and drinks, numerous live entertainments to delight the audience and with many areas where you could admire historical moments of British aviation and engineering from the past 70 years, with historical characters and reenactors in the airplanes and vintage vehicles.

In the hangars it was possible to see the behind the scenes of RAF Cosford with all the information for training to become qualified technicians and engineers of the RAF and of life in the Royal Air Force. There were also numerous exhibits from the Defense School of Aeronautical Engineering, the No.1 School of Radio, the Defense Photography School, the RAF School of Physical Education and many more.

Tempest Mockup

Not least the rich static display of the many historic, current and future Royal Air Force aircraft, which hosted the rescue service helicopters including the Westland Sea King HAR.3 XZ597, Westland Whirlwind XJ729 and Westland Wessex HC.2 XR498. Unmissable, the mockup of the future airplane of the Royal Air Force, and probably of many other European air forces: the BAE Tempest.

At the conclusion of the flight program of the Raf Cosford Airshow, the Flypast of RAF aircraft with at the end the exhibition of an RAF Lockheed Martin F35B, for the first time at RAF Cosford. A pleasant, full and satisfying program for all spectators who flocked to the Shropshire military airport, a worthy commemoration of the jubilee of the reign of the most beloved queen by the British. RAF Cosford Airshow has made its return with a "sold out" and a show in the air and on the ground worthy of the best European airshows, a perfect organization of the RAF for an event that we will certainly not miss next year. From RAF Cosford (UK): Daniele Maiolo www.bestshotaircraft.com

RAF F35B

RAF Chinook Display

Belgian A109 Display