Day 7 – Sunday 8th September
down to a minimum at a very high alpha, so what price cobras now? Showing that, owing to the dispersed conditions the Swedish Air Force would operate under in wartime, manoeuvrability on the ground is as important as manoeuvrability in the air, Kim performed a 360 degree turn on the runway after landing, to much applause from a delighted crowd.The Kamov Ka-50 pushed out all the stops in a display of rugged manoeuvrability which included loops, stall turns, upward spirals and flying backwards at a terrific clip, courtesy of the built in rear view mirrors. Recent trials have shown this aircraft to be a true fighter helicopter, effective against air and ground targets alike.
Civil displays from Warwick Brady and Paul Bonhomme in the Sukhoi Duo, the Crunchie Team, the Shuttleworth Collection’s Tiger and Gipsy Moths and Avro 504K and the Utterly Butterly An-2 made for an interesting set of contrasts with the military jets and airliners. This makes Farnborough one of the most unique Air Shows in the UK, as there really is something for everybody. Second on the programme today, Brian Lecomber brought the three new Extras of Firebird Aerobatics – the Rover Group Aerobatic Team’s two Extra 300s and the new Microlease sponsored 300L – in for a combination display, which brought forth an enormous round of spontaneous applause from the discerning 100,000+ crowd. Although we at Delta have seen the team on a number of occasions, we have never seen them so tight and so close. Incredible precision!
British Airways included Concorde in the static display at the weekend, and surprised the crowd, who were just begining to leave, by departing at the very end of the show. Airborne halfway down the runway, bursting out of a beautiful sunset, the airliner showed fighterlike performance in a fast and furious take-off. The crew treated everybody to one fly- by, before heading home to Heathrow.
Turning to the trade side of the show, SBAC reported that there had been a record number of exhibitors this year, and that these companies had generated a record amount of business. Over 8 billion worth of deals had been struck, $8.5 billion worth from Airbus Industrie alone, who had sold 48 aircraft at the show.
All in all, this Farnborough was a stunning success, for the exhibitors in terms of trade, for the visitors, particularly in terms of value for money from a huge and varied show, and for SBAC, who once again proved that Farnborough is not just the cradle of British aviation, but it is a meeting place and trading post for the world.
[ Friday 6 | Saturday 7 | Sunday 8 ]