Flying nearly axed at first Farnborough
Farnborough International, which organizes this world-famous airshow for parent company the Society of British Aerospace Companies (SBAC), may have felt cu

Farnborough International, which organizes this world-famous airshow for parent company the Society of British Aerospace Companies (SBAC), may have felt cursed when a freak British heat wave in July 2006 triggered serious power failures as air conditioners struggled to keep temperatures under control. But 60 years ago in 1948, the first Farnborough airshow had even worse luck with the elements when bad weather grounded all but one aircraft.

That first “Farnborough” was actually the ninth SBAC Flying Display and Exhibition–with eight such events having been staged elsewhere before World War II–but it was the first open to public attendance. The format of air and ground displays on “trade” days augmented by additional acts on subsequent “public” days was established immediately, with two hangars providing 60,000 sq ft of space for almost 200 exhibitors.