Back from Le Bourget , rather gloomy athmosphere this year. despite Airbus claiming that it won more orders than Boeing ( same song every time at every show ) but with Emirates and Koreans just announcing large A380 orders, one expected Champagne to flow at least in the Airbus Chalet... but that was not the case. the A318 air dispaly was dull, but the 340 was verynice.
Boeing was there in big civilian dress( contrary to previous years ) with a 777 on static display and a mediatic coup in announcing the name for its new 7E7 : the dreamliner.. looks like a 767
with a batman-style tail. Boeing had to do something on the 250 seats since it has not sold a 767 since, l a long time leaving the A330 alone on that segment. So no californian Champain imitation in their chalet either...
The USAF / navy boycotted the show (officilally not to show off after wining Iraq war..yeah we believe that.)
No Russian military either ( fear of having their aircrfat impounded by the swiss for bad debts ) so no cobra Mig dispays this year.
But the russians still got the best air display : the 2 russians aerobatic single pistons : the Yak and the Sukhoi ; that was a real impressive demonstration. I think the thrust to weight ratio of those machines are better than a Mig 31 or a F18.
Best static dispay : good old SD , the second AF Concorde . was able to walk under it. felt like
end of an era... ( like me I guess....)
Weather : too hot.