Originally Posted by
Seloco
I
Time was, ever since I was 7, that the Farnborough Show was where one went to see all the latest advances in aviation, be it military, commercial, GA or experimental; where one could experience the future, just a few noisy feet away, and be inspired as a child to want to become part of it. No longer, it seems. In a world where a significant part of that future will be electric, it was sad for instance that not one single electric powered aircraft could be shown flying. Instead, for me at least, the real highlights of what passed for a 'flying display' were those outstanding but familiar performances by a 41 yr old Chinook helicopter and a 77 year old Spitfire.
So, is it the end for the 'Farnborough Air Show', or have we just experienced an abnormal post-pandemic glitch and will see a glorious return to the days of yore in July 2024?
And coverage on the BBC from Raymond Baxter! Those were the days. Of course back then the UK had an aircraft manufacturing industry, and if I recall correctly until the 1980s, perhaps later, the SBAC show was largely the preserve of UK manufacturers. It's becoming difficult to see the point, from a financial perspective for the exhibitors of taking part since almost all the so-called "deals" made at Farnborough and other shows globally are actually press releases of agreements made weeks, perhaps months before. I doubt airline CEOs rock up at Airbus' chalet, pen in hand to sign contracts having had a quick chat with the sales team and watched the chosen product demonstrated!