|
The Paris Air Show is the world’s leading air and space show and this June, now in its 47th edition, it promises to be bigger and better than ever.
The Paris Air Show is a biennial event. In 2005, there were 480,000 visitors, including 223,000 trade visitors and exhibitors, and 206 official delegations from 88 countries. I missed the last one in 2005 but I did visit several before. In fact, in one I did more than just visit—I participated, in mock aerial combat over France. But more about that later.
The show runs from Friday, the 22nd of June until Sunday, the 24th of June, from 9:30 AM to 6 PM and is open to the general public. The Paris Air Show has to be one of the most exciting events to be seen anywhere. It’s not only the flying circus that draws the crowds but it’s the displays as well. Royal Orchid Holidays offers an excellent programme to Paris for those interested in seeing the air show.
Some of the equipment and materials that will be featured at the show include: Aircraft construction and assembly; space, spacecraft, satellite telecommunications; aircraft engines, aerospace power plants and related equipment; weapon systems; pilot & navaids; airborne equipment and systems; cabin interiors; airport equipment and services.
The Paris Air Show is only one of many such events around the world. Before the Second World War, air shows were associated with long distance air races, often lasting many days and covering thousands of miles. The most famous, that is still active, is the Reno Air Races and it continues to keep this tradition alive. Most air shows today primarily feature a series of aerial demos of short duration.
Some smaller air shows may display only general aviation aircraft, some aerobatic aircraft, and a warbird or two. However, most air shows will feature warbirds, aerobatic aircraft and demonstrations of modern military aircraft. Many air shows offer a variety of other aeronautical attractions as well, such as wing-walking, radio-controlled aircraft, water/slurry drops from firefighting aircraft, and simulated helicopter rescues, to name a few.
Some air shows, called "Static" air shows, primarily feature aircraft on the ground with the occasional fly-by. But it’s the aerial displays that are the most appealing. And who wouldn’t be excited when maneuvers include aileron rolls, barrel rolls, hesitation rolls, Cuban-8s, tight turns, high-alpha flight, a high-speed pass, double Immelmans, and touch-and-gos.
Tactical demos may include simulated bomb drops, sometimes with pyrotechnics on the ground for effect. Aircraft with special characteristics that give them unique capabilities will often display those in their demos
At some shows jet demo teams perform many of the same maneuvers seen during solo military jet demos, but they perform these maneuvers in large synchronized groups while in close formation or during opposing passes. These maneuvers are performed simultaneously by a group of two to nine aircraft while they fly together, often less than two meters apart, or by two or four aircraft simultaneously as the aircraft fly at each other (seemingly on a collision course) from opposite directions. The demo teams usually split up for most of their routine, with a larger formation performing gentle loops and rolls, and a smaller group of aircraft performing opposing passes and higher-speed/higher-g maneuvers.
Teams include the Blue Angels and Thunderbirds of the USA, the Snowbirds of Canada, and the European teams such as the Red Arrows, Patrulla Aguila, Frecce Tricolori, Patrouille Suisse, or Patrouille de France, Surya Kiran of the Indian Air Force. These are usually the highlight of an air show.
Warbird demos allow audiences to experience the sights and sounds of the aviation of times gone by. These may include limited aerobatics or mock dogfights, but more often consist of a series of straight-line passes made by World War 2-era aircraft. Some demos will feature large formations of warbirds, as would have been seen during World War 2. Sometimes the old aircraft will fly along with new aircraft in what is known as a “Heritage Flight” (US Air Force) or a “Legacy Flight” (US Navy).
Helicopter demos usually focus on search-and-rescue operations - such as lowering a rescuer via a cable, attaching the rescued person to the harness and then returning them both to the helicopter. Military helicopters may drop soldiers or vehicles, and fire off weapons, during these rescue operations. Fire-fighting water-drops may be included. Helicopter demos may show off the agility and maneuverability of the helicopter - these are usually performed with light two-seat helicopters.
Other attractions: Air shows can also feature air races skydiving/paragliding demos, skywriting, wingwalking demos, glider demos, aviation record attempts, hovercraft, replicas of some of the earliest aircraft, new-technology demonstrator prototypes, cargo-transport or even airdrop demos, battlefield simulations (including soldiers, ground vehicles, helicopters, airplanes, and pyrotechnics), fire-fighting aircraft (which drop water or slurry), and remote-controlled aircraft. Interesting ground vehicles, such as vintage cars, racecars, modern muscle cars, military vehicles, and even the occasional jet-powered car or truck, may be seen. Sometimes a "race" is staged between a ground vehicle (typically a muscle car or a jet-powered vehicle) and an aircraft (typically a warbird or an aerobatic airplane).
I have listed here a few of the international air shows coming up this summer.
While the Paris Air Show is the most popular, the world's largest military air show is the Royal International Air Tattoo (RAF Fairford, Gloucestershire, England, United Kingdom), held annually in July. Called the Red Bull Air Race Heat the aircraft fly singly, and have to pass between pairs of pylons. Airplanes used in aerobatic demos have powerful piston engines, lightweight and big control surfaces, making them capable of very high roll rates and accelerations. A skilled pilot will be able to climb vertically, perform very tight turns, tumble his aircraft end-over-end and perform maneuvers during loops.
The EAA AirVenture Oshkosh (formerly Oshkosh Airshow) is an annual gathering of aviation enthusiasts held each summer at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, USA. The event is presented by the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA), a national/international organization based in Oshkosh. The air show is seven days long and typically begins on the last Monday in July. The airport's control tower is the busiest control tower in the world during the gathering.
The US air shows showing warbirds include the Planes of Fame air show held at Chino, California, each May, and the "Thunder Over Michigan" show at Willow Run each August.
|
Entrance to the Paris Air Show
View of the Air Show grounds from above
Aircraft of every description on display
Commercial as well as military
Photographer Robert Stedman loaded with cameras
Rockets ready for space travel
More designs than imaginable
But will it fly?
From the earliest design to the latest
Brian Jones, left, fist man to glide around the world in a balloon, with the author
Ready to launch
Another super bird
Some weird looking craft at the show
Another airshow, the Flying Circus
The beauty of the Flying circus, you can join in the fun
Photo by Vernon Poole, ready for wing walking
Photo by Vernon Poole, thee planes of the Flying Circus Aerodrome in Bealeton, Virginia, USA
For more on Paris read the authorâ?Ts The Tower & The River
|
|
The Singapore Airshow, slated as Asia's largest air show, is held in February on even years, at the new Changi Exhibition Centre which is purpose-built for aviation and aerospace exhibitions. The world's oldest air show is the Internationale Luft- und Raumfahrtausstellung Berlin (ILA) in Berlin, Germany going back to 1909.
For excitement The Battle Creek's Field of Flight Air Show & Balloon Festival held in Battle Creek, Michigan every July is known as America's largest 4th of July Air show normally displaying Great Stunts, Aerobatic Performances, Military Jets and normally a Jet Team.
But an air show I really find appealing is a small one, The Flying Circus Aerodrome located in Bealeton, Virginia. I have not seen the air show but I intend to do so this summer. What’s the attraction? Founded in 1971, it is one of the few places in the world where customers can actually pay to ride in vintage barnstormer-era biplanes every Sunday. In the backdrop of the Virginia countryside and mountains, World War II era Boeing Stearmans, WACOs, Piper Cubs and Pitts Specials put on a show that includes comedy routines, wing-walking, and stunning aerobatics. It is the home of "The Flying Farmer" Charlie Kulp, who has been performing a comedy routine to audiences all over North America for over three decades and is a member of the Virginia Aviation Hall of Fame. It also hosts an annual hot air balloon festival that takes place on the third weekend of August every year, with air shows on both Saturday and Sunday. The air show runs every Sunday from the beginning of May to the end of October.
Next week I will continue with the Paris Air Show and take readers on an actual World War II dog fight in the skies above Paris. I was fortunate to fly in the dogfight.
|
