1. Aviation
  2. Air Shows

20150618_Le Bourget

The International Paris Air Show is organised by the SIAE, a subsidiary of GIFAS, the French Aerospace Industries Association.
This event, over a hundred years old, is the largest and longest-running aerospace trade show in the world. Since its launch, the Show has been at the very heart of developments in the global aerospace market, for which it has become the most important meeting place over the years.
Open to professionals and the general public alike, it inspires a large number of vocations.
The 51st show took place at the Le Bourget Parc des Expositions (from 15 to 21 June 2015), and once again brought together all the players in this global industry around the latest technological innovations. The first four days of the Show were reserved for trade visitors, followed by three days open to the general public.
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    Airbus A350-941 (A7-ALD; cn10) from Qatar Airways, in the static at the 2015 Paris Air Show.
    Ariane 5: Typical length: 50.5 m / Typical liftoff mass: 780 tons

As the world's reference for heavy-lift launchers, Ariane 5 carries payloads weighing more than 10 metric tons to geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) and over 20 metric tons into low-Earth orbit (LEO) – with a high degree of accuracy mission after mission. 

This performance ensures that Ariane 5 will be able to loft the heaviest spacecraft in production or on the drawing boards, and enables Arianespace to match up most telecommunications satellites for highly efficient dual launches – a capability that has been proven by the company in Ariane missions since the 1980s.

Arianespace operates two versions of the Ariane 5, ensuring high-quality vehicles that are standardized and repeatable in production, and delivered ready for launch.  

Ariane 5 ECA is the heavy-lift workhorse for missions to GTO, and usually carries two telecommunications satellite payloads.  It is powered during the initial flight phase by a cryogenic core stage and two solid rocket boosters, followed by the use of a cryogenic upper stage for orbital injection of the payload.

The Ariane 5 ES is tailored for low-Earth orbit missions with the Automated Transfer Vehicle – a resupply spacecraft for the International Space Station that weighs more than 19,000 kg. at liftoff.  This Ariane 5 version also is capable of lofting satellites for Europe’s new Galileo space-based navigation system. Its primary difference from the Ariane 5 ECA configuration is the use of a storable propellant upper stage, which can perform multiple burns to deploy payloads into the desired orbit.
    Pilatus had - according to me - one of the best liveries at the 2015 Paris Air Show. This Pilatus PC-12NG (HB-FWA; cn1515) was adorned with a special design from Hans Erni (Celebrating 75 years Pilatus).