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Jumpseat: Paris Air Show vs. Oshkosh

** Getting up close and personal with the
airplanes was a challenge — quite different
from AirVenture — with perimeter fences and
disorganized crowd flow.**
Les Abend
Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • En route to the Paris Air Show, the author, a pilot, experienced a rare flight management computer glitch, requiring manual navigation calculations for the first time in 25 years.
  • The author found the Paris Air Show to be a largely negative experience, citing unhelpful staff, strict security, limited public access to displays, poor crowd management, and an unwelcoming atmosphere.
  • He consistently contrasts this with EAA AirVenture at Oshkosh, which he praises for its public-friendly approach, engaging displays, and welcoming environment for aviation enthusiasts and media.
  • The article concludes that the Paris Air Show functions more as a "trade show" offering only a "guarded glimpse" to the public, unlike Oshkosh's focus on broad public engagement in aviation.
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I intended for this month’s column to be a summary of my experience at the world’s most highly acclaimed airshow, but circumstances dictated another perspective. Much to my disappointment, the circumstances weren’t what I anticipated.

After all my Paris layovers, I would finally be in town for the Paris Air Show. Instead of wearing my check airman hat, the month of June had me wearing the hat of a regular line pilot. It was a pleasant change. No instructing. No scrutinizing. No IOE (Initial Operating Experience) trips. Unfortunately, on the leg from Miami I had to pay for the privilege.

Les Abend

Les Abend is a retired, 34-year veteran of American Airlines, attempting to readjust his passion for flying airplanes in the lower flight levels—without the assistance of a copilot.

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