The first day of the world's most prestigious and largest airspace show, held once in two years at the Farnborough airfield in the county of Hampshire, began in a festive but working way, report RIA Novosti's correspondents on the spot.
The visitors were greeted by British Trade and Industry Minister Patricia Hewitt. At the same time, many delegates and participants of the show are just setting up their displays and surveying the situation. The busiest days of the show's commercial phase will be Tuesday and Wednesday, while on Saturday and Sunday Farnborough will see an aerobatics show open for the public.
Currently, the airfield is being prepared for the demonstration flights to be performed all along the air show's duration. The airfield also accommodates multicolored race cars, which will compete on the airfield's runways.
A radio station, which will cover all events of the air show, started broadcast on Monday. Its FM-signal can be received several miles away from the airfield.
One of Farnborough's most remarkable installations is a white pavilion flying Russian flag and shared by the Rosoboronexport and the Sukhoi air holding. On Monday, the Sukhoi already held the presentation of its regional aircraft project. The reporters had the opportunity to see a model of the fuselage with five rows of armchairs.
According to a member of the Russian delegation to the air show, "Farnborough is traditionally a business fair as compared to the French Le Bourget show traditionally famous for its brilliant exhibitions". "This is one of the reasons why the Russian companies will not demonstrate any aerobatics, which the Russian airmen are famous for", added the delegate.
The Farnborough International airspace show is the world's most prestigious airspace exhibition and deservedly regarded as the year's main event in the world aircraft industry.
According to the organizing committee, over a thousand of companies and firms from 50 countries, starting from the USA to Japan, plan to participate in the Farnborough International-2004.
