The Dassault Rafale performs June 16 at the Paris Air Show. ( PIERRE VERDY / AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE)
The aviation sector is second to none in its competitive drive but a catastrophe such as the loss the 228 lives onboard Air France flight 447 tends to bring out a sense of community that underlies an industry bound together by a passion for all things that fly.
"We could have hoped for more favorable circumstances to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the air show, which is still the foremost and finest showcase of the world's aerospace industry," said Charles Edelstenne, chief executive of Dassault Aviation.
So, despite the economic crisis and the fatalities of flight 447, the air show must go on, with vendors and official delegations gathering at Le Bourget airport, where Charles Lindberg landed the Spirit of Louis in 1927.
As the air show organizers acidly point out, Lindberg did not choose to land at Farnborough.
"Everybody will be at the air show," EADS chief executive Louis Gallois said at an international media seminar a couple of days before the air show opening. Given the global nature of the industry, the event underscored the importance of personal contact, he said.
The show also holds a place in international diplomacy.
"It is in the national security interest of the United States to participate in this event," the Department of Defense said in a public statement. "Participation highlights the strength of the U.S. commitment to the security of Europe and demonstrates that U.S. industry is producing equipment that will be critical to the success of current and future military operations."
The F-22, pinnacle of U.S. efforts to field the best fighter in the world, was withdrawn from its air show debut, not counting last year's Farnborough mini demo, where it was expected to be the star draw of the 70 or so American aircraft to be deployed at the show.
The U.S. Air Force cited "air expeditionary deployments and operational requirements," for the decision, which disappointed the show organizers.
It is also a year of anniversaries.
* The French Air Force also proudly marks its 75th anniversary, following the July 2, 1943, law that founded the service. The French Air Force's Patrouille de France aerobatic team is due to perform at the show for the first time since 1975.
* It is also the 100th anniversary of that daring flight across the English Channel by French pioneer, Louis Blériot. The show organizers have planned a flight of the Blériot XI aircraft along with the SEAa, Fokker Triplane, and Morane H on the public days, June 19, 20 and 21.
* The 40th anniversary of the first manned Moon landing.
* The 40th anniversary of the first Airbus A300
The industry has shown resilience in the past and an ability to weather economic and industrial storms.
Amid the downturn, United Airlines is looking to buy 150 new airliners. And perceptions of threat and regional jealousies in Asia and the Middle East fuel demand for military equipment.
The aerospace industry is reinventing itself as a Green environmentally friendly business, and seeking to draw on engineering talent from around the globe.
The Ecole Centrale engineering school developed a 3-D model of the Blériot XI using Dassault Systèmes' Catia software, working with a French high school and sites in Brazil and India.
EADS ran a competition with universities around the world for innovative flight designs. Chinese students sent in the highest number of serious projects, Gallois said.
So although the quotient of air show razzamatazz may be lower this time round, the aerospace industry.continues forward on a path it began more than a century ago.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
DTN News: In Tough Times, Grandeur Endures At Air Show
DTN News: In Tough Times, Grandeur Endures At Air Show
*Sources: Int'l Media / By Pierre Tran
(NSI News Source Info) PARIS, France - June 18, 2009: A battered aerospace industry must draw on reserves of stoical determination as the Paris Air Show opens today, marking its centenary against a backdrop of commercial downturn and mortality. The Dassault Rafale performs June 16 at the Paris Air Show. ( PIERRE VERDY / AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE)
The aviation sector is second to none in its competitive drive but a catastrophe such as the loss the 228 lives onboard Air France flight 447 tends to bring out a sense of community that underlies an industry bound together by a passion for all things that fly.
"We could have hoped for more favorable circumstances to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the air show, which is still the foremost and finest showcase of the world's aerospace industry," said Charles Edelstenne, chief executive of Dassault Aviation.
So, despite the economic crisis and the fatalities of flight 447, the air show must go on, with vendors and official delegations gathering at Le Bourget airport, where Charles Lindberg landed the Spirit of Louis in 1927.
As the air show organizers acidly point out, Lindberg did not choose to land at Farnborough.
"Everybody will be at the air show," EADS chief executive Louis Gallois said at an international media seminar a couple of days before the air show opening. Given the global nature of the industry, the event underscored the importance of personal contact, he said.
The show also holds a place in international diplomacy.
"It is in the national security interest of the United States to participate in this event," the Department of Defense said in a public statement. "Participation highlights the strength of the U.S. commitment to the security of Europe and demonstrates that U.S. industry is producing equipment that will be critical to the success of current and future military operations."
The F-22, pinnacle of U.S. efforts to field the best fighter in the world, was withdrawn from its air show debut, not counting last year's Farnborough mini demo, where it was expected to be the star draw of the 70 or so American aircraft to be deployed at the show.
The U.S. Air Force cited "air expeditionary deployments and operational requirements," for the decision, which disappointed the show organizers.
It is also a year of anniversaries.
* The French Air Force also proudly marks its 75th anniversary, following the July 2, 1943, law that founded the service. The French Air Force's Patrouille de France aerobatic team is due to perform at the show for the first time since 1975.
* It is also the 100th anniversary of that daring flight across the English Channel by French pioneer, Louis Blériot. The show organizers have planned a flight of the Blériot XI aircraft along with the SEAa, Fokker Triplane, and Morane H on the public days, June 19, 20 and 21.
* The 40th anniversary of the first manned Moon landing.
* The 40th anniversary of the first Airbus A300
The industry has shown resilience in the past and an ability to weather economic and industrial storms.
Amid the downturn, United Airlines is looking to buy 150 new airliners. And perceptions of threat and regional jealousies in Asia and the Middle East fuel demand for military equipment.
The aerospace industry is reinventing itself as a Green environmentally friendly business, and seeking to draw on engineering talent from around the globe.
The Ecole Centrale engineering school developed a 3-D model of the Blériot XI using Dassault Systèmes' Catia software, working with a French high school and sites in Brazil and India.
EADS ran a competition with universities around the world for innovative flight designs. Chinese students sent in the highest number of serious projects, Gallois said.
So although the quotient of air show razzamatazz may be lower this time round, the aerospace industry.continues forward on a path it began more than a century ago.
The Dassault Rafale performs June 16 at the Paris Air Show. ( PIERRE VERDY / AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE)
The aviation sector is second to none in its competitive drive but a catastrophe such as the loss the 228 lives onboard Air France flight 447 tends to bring out a sense of community that underlies an industry bound together by a passion for all things that fly.
"We could have hoped for more favorable circumstances to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the air show, which is still the foremost and finest showcase of the world's aerospace industry," said Charles Edelstenne, chief executive of Dassault Aviation.
So, despite the economic crisis and the fatalities of flight 447, the air show must go on, with vendors and official delegations gathering at Le Bourget airport, where Charles Lindberg landed the Spirit of Louis in 1927.
As the air show organizers acidly point out, Lindberg did not choose to land at Farnborough.
"Everybody will be at the air show," EADS chief executive Louis Gallois said at an international media seminar a couple of days before the air show opening. Given the global nature of the industry, the event underscored the importance of personal contact, he said.
The show also holds a place in international diplomacy.
"It is in the national security interest of the United States to participate in this event," the Department of Defense said in a public statement. "Participation highlights the strength of the U.S. commitment to the security of Europe and demonstrates that U.S. industry is producing equipment that will be critical to the success of current and future military operations."
The F-22, pinnacle of U.S. efforts to field the best fighter in the world, was withdrawn from its air show debut, not counting last year's Farnborough mini demo, where it was expected to be the star draw of the 70 or so American aircraft to be deployed at the show.
The U.S. Air Force cited "air expeditionary deployments and operational requirements," for the decision, which disappointed the show organizers.
It is also a year of anniversaries.
* The French Air Force also proudly marks its 75th anniversary, following the July 2, 1943, law that founded the service. The French Air Force's Patrouille de France aerobatic team is due to perform at the show for the first time since 1975.
* It is also the 100th anniversary of that daring flight across the English Channel by French pioneer, Louis Blériot. The show organizers have planned a flight of the Blériot XI aircraft along with the SEAa, Fokker Triplane, and Morane H on the public days, June 19, 20 and 21.
* The 40th anniversary of the first manned Moon landing.
* The 40th anniversary of the first Airbus A300
The industry has shown resilience in the past and an ability to weather economic and industrial storms.
Amid the downturn, United Airlines is looking to buy 150 new airliners. And perceptions of threat and regional jealousies in Asia and the Middle East fuel demand for military equipment.
The aerospace industry is reinventing itself as a Green environmentally friendly business, and seeking to draw on engineering talent from around the globe.
The Ecole Centrale engineering school developed a 3-D model of the Blériot XI using Dassault Systèmes' Catia software, working with a French high school and sites in Brazil and India.
EADS ran a competition with universities around the world for innovative flight designs. Chinese students sent in the highest number of serious projects, Gallois said.
So although the quotient of air show razzamatazz may be lower this time round, the aerospace industry.continues forward on a path it began more than a century ago.
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