Le Bourget 2011 – Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose

Le Bourget 2011 – Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose, or for those that don’t speak French: The more things change, the more they stay the same. It sums up the 2011 edition of the prestigious Paris Air Salon quite wel. The public days for the Paris Air Show 2011 was almost exactly like the 2009… right down to the visiting airplanes.

If you where at the 2009 edition, but missed this year, don´t worry… the only thing you missed where a Beriev 200 (static only), a mock-up of the COMAC C919 cockpit and a very nice 727 at the biz jet apron… but of course that does not count since it’s not part of the show. The rest was the same old same old. Yeah, they got the A380 fixed and it did a few slow passes, yeah there was a F-16 and of course the C-27 and C-130 did their routine as well.

The Rafale did a stunning display and was the best flight display on the show. But once again the Patrouille de France managed to miss a great opportunity. Right at the start of their display an Air France A380 passed in the distance on approach to CDG. Dear organisors, is it really that hard to let it fly an additional 15 KM to get what would have been the best photo opportunity of the show: the A380 with an escort of the Patrouille de Farce, the publicity for Air France alone would make it worthwhile.

When I booked the bus ticket I said to myself: this show will be great if I can get photos of a Antonot 158, Sukhoi Superjet, Beriev 200, A400, A380, B787 and at least one B747-8. Preferrably flying. Then I heard the whole Boeing lot would not be at the public days, and both A380 and A400 where broken. I’ll be honest, the only reason I did not cancel my bus ticket right then was because the weather forecast was gret.
Anyway, the A380 was repaired… and the only one on my list that actually flew. The Beriev and A400 stayed on the ground, the Superjet and Antonov had already left.

Almost half the airshow was with small planes. I don’t mean 737 small, I mean Cessna small. Dear air show organisors: if I’d wanted to see them, I would have gone to Teuge, not to the air show that calls itself the premier airshow of the year!

Hell, even the weather did not live up to expectations! The forecast was for sun all day long, we barely got 4 hours. In fairness, most of the flying program was in the sun.

Anyway, next show in two years. But since my best catch this year was a 30+ year old 727 parked at the executive ramp, I think I’ll pass the 50th edition of le premier air salon du monde. I’ve been going for 4 editions on a row and seen it get worse and worse by the year… I’ve had enough.

And if you managed to get yourself through that rant… at least there’s still the photos. Enjoy:

Cockpit model of the COMAC C919, shot through glass door. Not really level, but I had to hurry as the next load of people where pushing.

Planes where parked together very close, making nice photos is hard. Next time bring a fisheye, cause a 18mm wide lense is not sufficient.

Public show or not, people where all around the airplanes which is not really nice for the public that had come to watch airplanes but where forced to stay behind the barriers.

Some clutter was at time unavoidable.

Previous years the area between the planes and the building was open to the public. Not so this year. Therefor no images of a BAe Hawk, the CN295 “mini AWACS” and a few Bombardier bizjets.

ATR detail shot.

ATR overview shot, with just a few people in front as most had gone to the flying area by now.

I like this photo best, together with the Beriev shots.

Another increasingly rare type.

A few more at my website.