History of Farnborough

Over 800 guests came to see 45 aircraft from 16 constructors with a further 39 companies in a static exhibition.

More than 1,100 guests attended and saw the flying display in the morning.

The last Show at Hendon. This was not a vintage year as no significant new aircraft or engines had come along.

The Exhibition had grown too large for Hendon and could not expand due to the encroaching built-up areas around the site. This year's event featured the Battle, Blenheim, Hampden, Hurricane, Lysander, Spitfire and Whitley.

This Show was the biggest and best so far and was extended to two days - the first dedicated to viewing the Static Display and the second for the Flying Display. Thirty-nine aircraft types were on view.

The Show was cancelled due to the worsening political situation. There was no SBAC Display for nine years.

This was the first post-war show and took place at Handley Page aerodrome in Radlett. Although the success of this Show indicated how healthy and prosperous the Industry was, the location was not quite right. The site was the wrong...

Radlett. The Display was again held in September, where it has remained for 51 years, and was extended to three days with a fourth non-flying day for technicians. A new location had not been found as satisfying the criteria did not...

Farnborough (Royal Aircraft Establishment Airfield). This was a Show of firsts: the first at Farnborough Aerodrome; the first that lasted a week; and the first that admitted the public. The Show had 187 exhibiting companies with 70...

The De Havilland Comet 1 (the world’s first jet airliner) makes its debut.

The Bristol Brabazon I flew.

Hawker P.1067 gave the fastest speed demonstration then seen in public.

First appearance of the Avro Vulcan B.1.

The Exhibition Marquee expanded up to 110,000. The dramatic closure to the show was an Avro Delta formation it involved 2 white Vulcans, 4 707 research and training aircraft. A sight not to be forgotten by all those that saw it.

This was the Fifteenth SBAC Farnborough Show was a little bigger than the previous show. Poor weather meant not all plain could fly every day of the show but a good time was had by all.

This show saw the presentation of the truly super sonic English Electric P.1. This was the forerunner of the Lightning. Another first was the Fairey F.D.2 which was a supersonic delta design that was to later retake the World Absolute...

The then world airspeed record holder, the Fairey F.D.2 returned to Farnborough and flew. The main exhibition hall at 113,00 square feet was now officially the largest single tented structure in the world.

The exhibition area was enlarged to 125,400 square feet and the trade enclosures were now in 4 neat rows of identical chalets.

Aerobatic display by the Black Arrows.

New and exciting airliners appeared at this show.

The twenty-first show

The 1961 SBAC Show marked a low point for the British Aircraft industry as it had not yet expanded into Aeospace.

The last of the annual Shows. From now on the Show was biennial.

This was the first of the biennial Shows. The Yellowjacks – the forerunners of the Red Arrows displayed.

The first year of European aircraft participation, and first year of the Red Arrows.

20-aircraft fly-past to form a 50 to celebrate the RAF’s 50th anniversary.

Concorde made its triumphant debut during the flying display.

The Show became European.

The Show became fully international with 31 foreign aircraft. Arrival of USAF Lockheed SR-71A Blackbird which broke the New York to London speed record en route to Farnborough. Farnborough International was born.

“The Macchi Twins” – (Aermacchi Test Pilots Franco Bonnazi and Ricardo Durione) received a standing ovation at the morning briefing for their synchronised display in the MB.326K and the new MB.339 (a type of Lamborgini-Hawk)....

Due to the lack of American participation, the British dominated the flying display with 20 aircraft, half of them appearing under the new name of British Aerospace. A specially built ski-jump enabled Harrier T.52 to launch itself to...

The twin turbo-prop Mitsubishi Marquise and Solitaire exhibited, the first appearance of a Japanese aircraft since 1968. Most of Europe’s next generation of front-line aircraft was on view this year. The Boeing E-3A Sentry flew in...

With 480 exhibitors, the 1982 show was the biggest and best so far. For the first time ever an airship was on display. The show was opened by the majestic Skyship 500 as interest in the airship was reviving and there were 4 entirely...

Cabair offered helicopter charters into Farnborough on the public days for the first time. At a cost of £25 including entrance ticket it was a novel way to arrive at the show. The Airship Industries Skyship 500 was joined by its larger...

The Antonov An-124 Fuslan, then the heaviest aircraft in the world exhibited in the Static Park this year and although not flying dominated the display. Of particular note is the first public appearance of the world’s first fly-by-wire...

The performance of the MiG-29 equalled that of the best that the western fighters were doing and without fly-by-wire.  The craft was an amazing mixture of high technology and outdated practices with old-fashioned instrumentation and...

Designed and produced by Westland Helicopters and Augusta through EH Industries, the multi-role EH101 helicopter was shown in naval anti-submarine and ‘airliner’ forms. Other debuts at Farnborough this year included Aerospatiale’s...

British Aerospace Defence Ltd featured its extensive inventory of products and equipment – the most comprehensive of its kind in the world. Designed entirely by computer the newest Airbus A340 took time out from its test-flight programme...

The aircraft static display was one of the largest ever seen at Farnborough with 144 aircraft stretched over an area, which extended well beyond usual boundaries. A mass fly-by of 14 Hawks each with its tail painted in the colours of...

New clearspan structures, erected by De Boers were used for the first year replacing the previous hall and chalet buildings. Boeing had planned on launching the new 747 generation, but in the event launched a 757 stretch dubbed the...

At the 50th anniversary show, the Supermarine Swift WK198 returned to Farnborough 45 years after first appearing there. The aircraft, one of only 5 left in the world broke the World Air Speed record in 1953. Lang Kidby (who flew to...

The first show to be held in July with a record number of contracts (US$52 billion / UK£35 billion) and exhibiting craft on the trade and public days. 148 craft exhibited on the trade days constituting 105 civil and 43 military. Public...

Over 1,200 companies from 32 countries exhibited with $9 billion of sales and contracts announced. The 290,000 visitors had a combined multi-billion pound spending power. The global aerospace industry has been hit hard in the last few...

First ever landing at Farnborough of 747s and display by South African and Cathay Pacific 747s. Airline orders and defence spending announcements dominated Farnborough International 2004, with $20 billion of business done in the trade...

This was the first show to be run by subsidiary company of SBAC, Farnborough International Limited and one of the biggest in recent memory with 1480 exhibitors from 35 countries taking part. Trade show attendance figures during the...

New orders worth approximately $88.7bn (£44.35bn) for some 480 aircraft and equipment systems were announced during the 60th anniversary Farnborough Airshow 2008, which concluded on July 20. This figure doubled the previous 2006 record...

At the 2010 event, the show broke into new boundaries by highlighting sector areas with a Space Zone and a UAS Zone. Also, for the first time ever, The Farnborough International Airshow saw the importance and growth of providing more...