Recently in Airshows Category

I'm not exactly clear how this happened, but Airbus appears to have pulled off quite a PR coup in China by getting its aircraft on the country' stamps.

When I wrote on 18 August 2006 that "I've got my own doubts about how much money can be justified to keep large jets flying" I may have inadvertently given the impression that I had doubts about how much money could be justified to keep large jets flying.

Having spent a gloriously unproductive ten minutes at Farnborough this afternoon watching an Avro Vulcan fly (see pic below) I would like to assure readers that I think the amount of money appropriate for keeping Vulcans flying is, basically, whatever it takes.

I apologise for any confusion that may have been caused. Readers are encouraged to attend the Farnborough public days this weekend for further clarification.

Cruel, but you know what I mean. Great pix by Ppruner sunshine band of the RAF practising for tomorrow's Queen's birthday flypast of 49 aircraft over London. More pix here. Details of flypast here.
 

I didn't get to the Dubai Airshow, but the Flight team has been returning in slightly scorched dribs and drabs over the past couple of days and it seems it was quite something. There is much excitable talk elsewhere (which I'm not sure I buy) about it now being more or less as important as Paris and Farnborough. But what is for sure is that it is even more political than either of them. The Arab aviation community is in the driving seat for now at least and making absolutely certain that everyone knows it.

I'd love to know about all the string-pulling, schmoozing, diplomatic notes, and backhanders that went into creating this final image of the show.

That's nine Franco-British engines, two pretty much British engines, nine British fighters and one very large American aircraft. Possibly more importantly, it's 18 Union Jacks! Slightly incredibly, it seems that Airbus got outmanoeuvred for once.