A British airshow singles out Spanish Harrier II as “a firm crowd favourite”

The original Harrier was born as a creation of the British company Hawker Siddeley, later converted into British Aerospace.

A Spanish Harrier II wins a RAFCTE trophy in England and flies with a small giraffe
The passion for the Spanish Harrier II at the great British airshow RIAT 2024

The Harrier, the Sea Harrier and finally the Harrier II were highly valued aircraft in the United Kingdom, both in the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Royal Navy. The last operational aircraft in the RAF were withdrawn from service in December 2010. Today, the only Harrier IIs usually seen in active service in the United Kingdom are those of the Spanish Navy, which attend year after year The Royal International Air Tattoo, at RAF Fairford (England), one of the largest aeronautical events in the world.

As I mentioned in July, at the RIAT the Spanish Harrier II arouses passions, as the British public looks with nostalgia at these fighter planes, skillfully handled by the pilots of the 9th Squadron of the Aircraft Flotilla. At last summer's edition, a Spanish Harrier II won the trophy for the best foreign demonstration, known as RAFCTE. It was awarded to Lieutenant Commander Andrés Medina González del Tánago, pilot of the VA.1B-38, for "an evocative display of a classic aircraft type, unique for its time and bringing noise, presence and nostalgia to its subline performance."

Yesterday, the official RIAT channel on Youtube posted a video of the Spanish Harrier II display at RAF Fairford last summer, stating: "A firm crowd favourite again this year, there's just something special about the Harrier." An excellent video to remember a great performance:

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Images: The Royal International Air Tattoo.