YEOVILTON AIR DAY: Exhilarating fighter jet aircraft (From This is The West Country)

YEOVILTON AIR DAY: Exhilarating fighter jet aircraft

10:00am Friday 10th July 2009

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THE skies over RNAS Yeovilton will light up when a selection of the world’s most hi-tech and visually exhilarating fighter jet aircraft perform during Air Day 2009’s six-hour flying display tomorrow.

One of these aircraft – the French Air Force’s ultra hi-tech Rafale - has never displayed at a British airshow before – a real coup for Air Day.

The Rafale was the result of France’s decision to produce its own indigenous combat type after pulling out of the European Fighter Aircraft programme in the early 1980s.

After a long period of development, production versions began to enter service with the French Navy seven years ago, and the Air Force, five years ago.

Manufactured by Dassault, the Rafale is the latest in a long line of beautifully sleek and angular jet fighters. Highly aerodynamically efficient, it is agile and fast – capable of reaching Mach 2.0.

While Dassault Rafale demonstrators have flown at UK airshows on several previous occasions, in-service examples have not.

Historically, French Air Force fighter displays have gained a Europe-wide reputation for being sharp, fluid and full of dynamism – a legacy that the highly impressive Rafale will very likely add to.

The Lockheed Martin F-16 remains one of the military world’s most enduring and widely-used designs – 35 years after the prototype first flew.

Air Day’s Flying Display will feature a pair of world-class F-16 performances provided by the Belgian Air Component and, with its stunningly coloured aircraft, the Royal Netherlands Air Force.

Both routines will showcase the aircraft’s exceptional manoeuvrability and agility. While the Dutch F-16 has not been seen at Air Day for the past seven years and the Belgian F-16 was absent in 2008, the RAF Typhoon, by way of contrast, has been a consistent Flying Display highlight since 2006.

The multi-role Typhoon has now been in RAF service for approaching six years and, during that time, been tasked with an ever-increasing role in protecting and defending UK airspace.

The Typhoon’s airshow performances have become more exceptional with every new season – a strong indication that the 2009 routine to be seen at Air Day will be the most impressive yet.

The current list of participating aircraft can be viewed by clicking on the link in our "related articles" section. Tickets are available online or via the ticketline on 08445 781 781.

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