Flight Line

摘要

The aviation industry has developed the art of staging events to unveil its new products to ever greater heights of sophistication and showmanship. The old, simple ritual of 'open the hangar doors and wheel out the prototype' has been replaced by indoor ceremonies involving subdued lighting, dry ice clouds, strobe lights, loud music and the inevitable PR hype. Yes, I've been to a few — but I've also enjoyed several lower-key events completely devoid of razzmatazz, particularly when they mark the end of an era rather than the beginning.