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From a well known aeronautical writer !!!!


In more explicit terms, in spite of its imposing size and maximal
take-off mass of up to 560 tonnes, the A380 is a plane like any other.
The long series of tests that ended on the 28th of September proved,
with figures to support them, that the A380 and the 747 are, as far as
slipstream turbulence is concerned, “completely similar” planes. The
only thing left now is to find out how the Civil Aviation Organisation
will regard these achievements.

In Toulouse, their sense of humour hadn’t vanished, in spite of all
this. So, as if it was just by coincidence, we saw the A380 fly in tight
formation with the French airforce Alpha Jet , or again with the Red
Arrow Hawks of the Royal Air Force. These were small jets that obviously
were not untowardly shaken by the big bad wolf. Isn’t that sufficient?
Airbus recently flew four A380s in formation, apparently for an
advertising film.. It was an historical “first” that provided us with
wonderful sights that, lets be frank, would surely have cocked a snook
at those great experts in Montreal.
And so goes the trans-Atlantic rivalry. On certain days there is no
shortage of panache but sometimes, as we note yet once again, it is
frankly pusillanimous.


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