Royal Air Force Charitable Trust

22/05/2026

We’re very sorry to let you know RIAT will not be taking place this year.

We know how much the event means to so many of you—our visitors, volunteers, partners, and the wider RIAT community. We fully recognise how disappointing this news will be.

The whole team at Douglas Bader House, and across the wider organisation, has worked tirelessly over the past 10 months to bring this year’s show to life. We have had to take this difficult decision following extensive discussions with the Royal Air Force and the United States Air Force regarding uncertainty over access to RAF Fairford, given the ongoing situation in the Middle East.

We’ll be in touch again by the end of May with details regarding your RIAT26 tickets. At that point you will be offered three options:

· Roll over your tickets to RIAT27
· Request a full refund
· Donate the value of your ticket to the RAF Charitable Trust

In the meantime, you can find further information and updates on our website and FAQs page: https://www.airtattoo.com/

Thank you for your loyalty and ongoing support as a member of the RIAT community. It genuinely means a great deal to us.

We look forward to welcoming everyone back in 2027.

11/05/2026

We were delighted to be out supporting the MEI - Mathematics in Education and Industry FE Maths Challenge National Final recently 📊

In our first year backing this fantastic event, it was brilliant to see the passion, teamwork and enthusiasm from everyone involved! A real celebration of problem-solving, perseverance and talent 👏

A huge congratulations to all those who made it to the final, and we can’t wait to welcome the winners to The Royal International Air Tattoo this July!✈️

08/05/2026

07/05/2026

Introducing Race to RIAT!

This year, we’re proud to launch an exciting new programme designed to inspire the next generation of pilots and engineers. Delivered in partnership with the British Esports Federation and DXC Technology, Race to RIAT is an adrenaline-fuelled eDrone racing time trial.

🏁 Six tracks
📅 May 11 – June 21
⚡ New map released each week

The fastest 16 racers will earn their place in the live Grand Final at The Royal International Air Tattoo this July! Open to 14–16 year olds in schools, colleges and Royal Air Force Air Cadets units across the UK.

Think you’ve got what it takes? Find out more on our website: https://loom.ly/s_RvipQ

27/04/2026

An exciting day at RAF College Cranwell! ✈️

Last week, judges from Royal Air Force STEM, the RAF Charitable Trust, and The Smallpeice Trust reviewed and assessed over 200 entries from this year’s Road to RIAT sustainable aircraft competition.

The standard? Higher than ever! Huge congratulations to every school that took part, your creativity and innovation made for some incredibly tough decisions.

Our regional and national winners have now been selected and will go on to a fast-paced final at The Royal International Air Tattoo this summer.

Keep your eyes peeled… the public vote for the ‘Imagination Award’ opens soon 👀

22/04/2026

20/04/2026

Race to RIAT is taking off! ✈️

The Royal Air Force Charitable Trust is excited to launch a new eDrone racing competition designed to inspire the next generation of pilots. Delivered in partnership with British Esports and DXC Technology, Race to RIAT brings together school pupils and Royal Air Force Air Cadets aged 14-16 for six weeks of high-speed virtual racing using Velocidrone software.

Competitors will battle across six tracks between April and June, with the 16 fastest racers earning their place in the grand final at The Royal International Air Tattoo this summer, racing for podium glory!

More than just a competition, the initiative is helping young people develop vital STEM, cyber and digital skills while opening doors to future careers in aviation, engineering and technology.

Read more about our new competition on our website: https://loom.ly/llEIBRE

17/04/2026

A huge thank you to the cadets from Queen Mary’s Grammar School CCF 👏

After months of dedication, training and teamwork, their Regional Air Squadron Trophy team achieved an incredible 1st place finish at RAF Cosford, which is their first win in 25 years! An outstanding accomplishment built on perseverance, skill and teamwork.

To mark the victory, the team has gone one step further raising funds for the Royal Air Force Charitable Trust, giving back to a charity that helps inspire the next generation through aviation and STEM.

We’re incredibly grateful for your support and proud to see such determination and generosity in action ✈️

Royal Air Force Air Cadets Wales & West Air Cadets

https://loom.ly/-MZtOkY

On 1st February, my Regional Air Squadron Trophy team and I depart… Ayrik Jahedi needs your support for Regionals to Nationals - QMGS Air Squadron Trophy team

02/04/2026

A milestone moment in history… and you can still be part of it! 👩‍🚀🌕

Yesterday's launch from NASA’s Artemis program marks a huge step forward in human space exploration, bringing us closer than ever to returning astronauts to the Moon and inspiring the next generation of explorers.

Missed it live? Don’t worry — you can watch the launch and follow the mission here: https://loom.ly/TtwTixY

NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration has also created loads of brilliant resources for you to explore at home: https://loom.ly/Ctnt3Cs

We're also working on a launch of our own with an exciting new rocket competition. More coming on this soon 👀🚀

25/03/2026

RAFCT Director Dr Kevin P. Stenson and Trustee Mandy Hickson recently travelled to London for the The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) Future Talent Awards, where they had the privilege of meeting four of the five Undergraduate Scholars the Trust is supporting in the 2025/26 academic year.

With over 550 applications and just 120 scholarships awarded, the programme is highly competitive — and we’re incredibly proud to fund five of these talented individuals through the IET Boost Scholarship scheme.

We look forward to welcoming our scholars to The Royal International Air Tattoo in July as we continue our mission to inspire the next generation to fulfil their potential in air, space and technology 🚀✈️