Farnborough International 2004
FARNBOROUGH INTERNATIONAL AIRSHOW 2004
The small town of Farnborough sits on the Hampshire/Surrey border in southern England. Home to an Airfield which saw service during both World Wars, the town is possibly the most historic site in the country for aviation.
The first powered flight in England took place on what became Farnborough Airfield when Samuel Cody, who was at that time a civilian Kite Instructor with the Balloon Factory, made his famous first powered flight there on the 16th of October 1908. The RAF was formed in a building that now houses a museum just outside the boundary of the modern-day site.
Every two years, the Airfield is host to an International Airshow – one of the biggest, if not the biggest, shows of its kind in the world.
{default}Taking place over a period of a week, the Airshow is essentially a massive trade fair where members of the industry along with Government representatives from all over the world conduct their business, place orders or generally discuss the trends in the market. The Airshow is important to civilian and military contractors alike and rarely does a day go by without substantial orders worth billions of US Dollars or British Pounds being announced.
Business is usually restricted to the working days of the week – however once the weekend arrives, the Airfield and the displays are opened to the public and that’s when the fun really starts.
Here’s a picture of your fearless reporter with his favourite magazine at the Airshow just as the flying displays were about to commence.
This report covers the following aspects of the show:
1) Exhibition Halls.
2) Other Attractions.
3) Static Displays.
4) Flying Displays.
You’ll find the following link of interest. Although this year’s Airshow is over, keep an eye on it for details of future events!
The following pictures were taken using a Sony DSC-P12 Cyber-Shot digital camera, with most of the flying pictures taken using a Sony DCR-PC101E PAL Camcorder. Clicking on the thumbnail pictures will display a larger version.
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