Mirage 2000-5, a rare sight outside Greece. The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight closed Sunday’ s flying with the Lancaster, Spitfire and Hurricane— an evocative nod to the heritage underpinning all modern airpower. contingent— two JF-17C Thunders, an Il-78 Midas tanker and a stunningly painted C-130E Hercules. The Hercules, decorated with an eagle motif and“ Eyes in the Sky” artwork, won the Concours d’ Élégance award for best livery, while Pakistan also received the Spirit of the Meet trophy for professionalism and camaraderie. Other international highlights included the Royal Canadian Air Force CP-140M Aurora, nearing retirement; the Italian Air Force’ s Frecce Tricolori, celebrating their 65th anniversary with sweeping, tricolour smoke trails; and the Hellenic Air Force
Technology and Tomorrow While much of RIAT celebrates legacy and spectacle, the show’ s deeper message this year was about innovation and sustainability. The Wedgetail’ s data-fusion systems, the Red Arrows’ renewable fuels, and the steady integration of unmanned
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