Today I’m on my way to meet the professional aircraft photographer Mark Lynham at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire for the first Royal International Air Tattoo since 2019.
The world’s largest display of military aircraft, it attracts around 150,000 people over the course of the weekend. Arriving at the airbase around 11am, I am permitted entry after a quick frisk by some military personnel.
The first thing that hits me is the incredible noise level – I’ve never been this close to a fast jet fighter before, and the power from the engines as a Typhoon flies by is quite something to behold. After camping here the night before, Mark is already on site and comes across to meet me just inside the gates.
We speak for a short period – it’s
