The Farnborough International Airshow is a trade exhibition for the aerospace and defence industries, where civilian and military aircraft are demonstrated to potential customers and investors in Farnborough, Hampshire, England. Since its first show in 1948, Farnborough has seen the debut of many famous aeroplanes, including the Vickers VC10, Concorde, the Eurofighter, the Airbus A380, and the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II. At the 1958 show, Hawker Hunters of the RAF's Black Arrows executed a 22-aircraft formation loop, setting a new world record.
The international trade show runs for five days. Until 2020, the show ran for a full week with the first five days reserved for trade visitors and the general public attending on the weekend.
Status
The Farnborough International Airshow is the second-largest show of its kind after the Paris Air Show.
The event is held in mid-July in even-numbered years at Farnborough International Exhibition & Conference Centre in Hampshire, United Kingdom. Flying occurs on all five days, and there are also static displays of aircraft outside and booths and stands in the indoor exhibition halls. The airshow alternates with the Paris Air Show, which is held in odd-numbered years and has a similar format, and is held in the same years as the Berlin Air Show. It is organised by Farnborough International Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of the ADS Group. In 2012, it attracted 109,000 trade visitors over the first five days, and 100,000 public visitors during the weekend. Orders and commitments for 758 aircraft were announced, worth US$72 billion.
History
The Society of British Aircraft Constructors held its first flying and static display at Hendon Aerodrome in June 1932. An invitation only flying display was held on 27 June 1932 and some of the aircraft were on static display in the "new aircraft park" during the previous weekend when the Royal Air Force pageant was held. the last before the Second World War.<!--
1940s
thumb|upright|Cover of the 1948 Farnborough Airshow programme
The inaugural show took place on the first week of September 1948 and all of the static aircraft and supporting display stands were concentrated in the NE corner of the airfield with 'A-Shed' as the main 'West Exhibition Hall' and the soon-to-be famous 'Black Sheds' housing a smaller 'East Exhibition Hall' and refreshments for guests on trade days and the public at the weekend. Among the many aircraft on display were the Armstrong Whitworth A.W.52 jet-powered flying wing and the prototype Vickers Viscount airliner.<!--
1980s
thumb|upright|[[BAe EAP demonstrator in 1986]]
In 1982, the civil aviation transatlantic rivalry was exemplified by the European Airbus A310 against the American Boeing 767 widebody twinjets, along with its narrowbody sibling, the Boeing 757, while the Rockwell B-1 large swing-wing bomber was the main military interest.<!--
2020s
The 2020 Farnborough Airshow was to take place on 20 to 24 July 2020, but it was cancelled for the first time in its 72-year history because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Accidents
On 6 September 1952, a DH.110 jet fighter disintegrated in flight and
crashed into the airshow audience, killing 29 spectators and its pilot John Derry and navigator Tony Richards. The worst airshow accident in the UK, it led to new safety procedures at British air displays.
On 13 September 1964, a Bristol Bulldog G-ABBB, marked (incorrectly) as K2227 and owned by the Shuttleworth Trust, crashed while performing a loop. The pilot was only slightly hurt.
On 20 September 1968, a French Air Force Breguet Atlantic crashed into the offices of the Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE) while performing a display at the air show. One of the RAE's civilian maintenance staff was killed, as were all five members of the crew.
On 11 September 1970, a Wallis WA-117 autogyro G-AXAR crashed, killing the pilot, J.W.C. Judge.
On 1 September 1974, the Sikorsky S-67 Blackhawk helicopter prototype crashed on the runway after a low roll, killing both crew.