Most people, first hearing of the Paris Air Show, think of it as a bigger version of those in which the Air Force Thunderbirds do stunts for crowds. It is much more than that. At Paris the real business takes place in the chalets and exhibit areas but the flying and the static displays still get most of the media attention. That was certainly true this year as the show marked the public debut of the Airbus A380. The plane's visual display was quite impressive. Big engines, huge wings, massive fuselage, 22 wheels, an 80-ft tail; that's the usual signature of this superjumbo which first flew on April 27th this year. Although the A380 is huge, it is a docile, majestic, elegant flyer. Of course, there were no Chuck Yeager maneuvers with it over France. Indeed, that would be contrary to what manufacturers want to show off nowadays. It is the total opposite of Tex Johnston's barrel roll of the Boeing 707 prototype for airline execs 50 years ago that led to that plane's first sales. (In fact, Tex might have gone to jail today for a stunt like that.)
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