Sustainability Column - Aerotiques

At RIAT, we are dedicated to embedding sustainability into every aspect of our work. That’s why, when it came to creating a striking sculpture for this year’s show, it had to be something that would truly capture the imagination of our guests.  

Aerotiques, a local three-man team based in Gloucestershire, who work with recycled aircraft parts, were tasked with creating the sculpture which ended up being a huge success on the showground this summer.  

Founders Daren Hales and Darren Lewington said the task was a unique one and took plenty of effort before arriving at the finalised design  

“We spent a few weeks kicking around ideas and concepts but it’s fair to say we were given virtually carte blanche to come up with something and quickly decided on the ‘RIAT’ logo frame idea, mounted on top of a shipping container.   

“We began fabricating the letter frames in early April, the container was delivered to our workshop in mid-May.  Selecting, sorting, modifying and sorting the aircraft components was a tricky process and took around a month to complete.  

“A warm, dry June enabled the graffiti artwork by the excellent Andy ‘Dice67’ Davies, to be completed at our yard and we finished the build on 27th June. 

“We were genuinely blown away by the interaction.  It quickly became a focal point and it was fascinating to see people of all ages using it for selfies, group photos and as RIAT had intended.  

“We saw it in thousands of social media posts after the event and it was humbling to see and hear people’s feedback.” 

Aerotiques also help us furnish some of our enclosures, repurposing parts of aircraft and giving them a new lease of life whilst making the most of their aerodynamic and stylish design.  

“We love what we do.  Aircraft components are invariably made with high quality components designed and built to exacting standards with high precision,” added Darren 

“The laws of physics and aerodynamics mean they’re often sleek and attractive to the eye, but reimagining them into artwork, furniture and functional items is what drives us.   

“Increasingly, our clients are recognising the need for sustainability and repurposing aeronautical components to live on beyond their operational lives really does make a difference.”