Farnborough

To me Farnborough is synonymous with the biennial air show. Although it is partly a trade show it opens to the public on several days when the flying display is seen as a big spectacle. It used to be held annually and was a show case of the British air industry. Now Britain’s role is more a contributor of parts to the globalised aero industry it is held alternately to the Paris Air Show so every two years.

Farnborough is one the most historic sites in British aviation. It is also the home of a prestigious government owned aviation research centre. It is now the only such site which combines with an airfield in Britain.

The show is now held in July ( 21-26 this year, trade earlier ) although traditionally it was in September. I went to the show on a trip organised by a school friends parents in 1957. At that time the British aero industry was large with many companies. Through government led mergers there is now a much smaller single company which makes aircraft in the UK. This was known as British Aerospace but now suppresses its nationality as BAE. As a company BAE specialises in defence equipment of all kinds and aircraft are a small part of its activities.

I was a great enthusiast for all things aviation related. By 1957 I had given up on my earlier ambition to become a pilot because I realised my eyesight wasn’t good enough. I had buried myself in the technicalities of the industry subscribing to Flight magazine every week. My intention was to make a career in the technical side of aviation; in fact I seriously thought of an apprenticeship with Armstrong-Whitworth at Coventry just after GCE “O” levels- the GCSE of the time. In the event I went into the sixth form at school and never looked back.

I never seriously contemplated aero engineering at University which was regarded as very mathematical as this was a weaker point with me. I was content to do better than scraping a pass at GCE “A” level maths and do a degree in chemistry. Looking back I lacked confidence in maths and ironically the superior teaching at university helped my ability and self confidence a lot which was valuable in later life..

I’m getting ahead of myself because the 1957 trip was something of a pilgrimage as far as I was concerned. I had read about various aviation technologies and it was these as much as the flying display which interested me. There were some very ingenious examples. One such was the Napier Nomad engine. Essentially this combined a piston engine with a turbine engine in the exhaust flow. This could be considered a giant turbocharger with the turbine linked to the propeller.. Sadly never taken up this promised much better economy that the thirsty jets of the time. This was a period when piston engines were much in use in commercial aviation with turboprops seen as very “avant garde” while jet airliners were flying as developments but not yet in service. Sadly the de Haviland “Comet” disasters had meant that the first jet airliner had been withdrawn.

I knew my interest would have bored my schoolfriends so I contrived to lose them before I wandered around the trade show. I suppose the exhibitors thought the boy walking around was probably lost. The weather was atrocious with continuous rain and low cloud. This meant that I was kept fairly dry in the trade tents but the flying display was curtailed. Obviously this was a big disappointment to those whom the flying display was all important. On getting back to the coach one of the adults asked if the organiser was taking names for next years trip. Amid laughter he said “well cross mine off”.

I was quietly satisfied with my visit. I have never been since. Although I’m still interested in aviation affairs I can’t face the crowds and congestion.