The ILA is synonymous with tradition and innovation. It is the longest-standing and most firmly established air show in the world. Nowadays, it is one of the leading trade fairs on the world calendar of aerospace events. The history of the ILA began with the International Airship Exhibition, which took place from 10 July to 17 October in Frankfurt/Main. Over a period of 100 days 500 exhibitors displayed airships, aeroplanes and balloons, which fascinated the 1.5 million visitors. On 25 July 1909 the Frenchman Louis Blériot became the first person to cross the English Channel by aeroplane. The event was news everywhere and heralded a new age of technical progress, with the conquest of a new frontier. People became fascinated with this third dimension, with travelling by air.

Following its successful debut in 1909, in 1912 and 1928 the ILA was held in Berlin. After 1945, when the Allied Control Council banned Germany from developing and producing aircraft, ten years elapsed before the country was able to regain control of its own airspace. On 1 April 1955, following the company’s relaunch, Lufthansa took to the skies again. The foundations had now been laid for the civil and military aviation industry to be rebuilt. On 5 May 1955 the German armed forces (Bundeswehr) came into being. It was at this time that the era of space travel began. In the mid-fifties, parallel with these industrial developments, the ILA experienced a revival. It was subsequently held for more than 30 years at Langenhagen Airport in Hannover.

In 1992, 64 years after it last took place in Berlin, the ILA Aerospace Exhibition returned to its original venue. Since then it has been held bi-annually in Berlin/Brandenburg. 2012 witnessed the inauguration of Berlin ExpoCenter Airport, the new state-of-the-art venue adjacent to BER, the capital’s future airport. This is where, 25 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, the ILA will be taking place from 20 to 25 May 2014.

Merkel opens ILA

As part of the official ceremonies Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel opened ILA 2014 on Tuesday. She cut the blue ILA ribbon this morning in the company of the Turkish Minister of Transport, Lütfi Elvan, and the President of the German Aerospace Industries Association (BDLI), Bernhard Gerwert.

A350 WXB

In the course of its flight trials the fourth prototype of the Airbus A350 visited ILA 2014 on Tuesday, making this the first air show in Europe where it has been seen on the ground. The ultimate objective of the programme of test flights is to obtain type certification in the third quarter of this year, followed by initial delivery to Qatar Airways in the fourth quarter. Everything is going according to schedule.

A380

Emirates will be exhibiting its new Airbus A380 at ILA 2014. On Monday, immediately after taking delivery of the plane, Captain Alex Scerri and his co-pilot Angelika Barufke from Duderstadt in Lower Saxony flew in to Berlin from Hamburg-Finkenwerder. This is the 48th mega-airliner of this kind to be owned by Emirates. Based in Dubai, this carrier owns the largest fleet of A380s in the world. The airline is currently working on a design for an ‘airborne bedroom’, which will be just as well appointed as that of a luxury hotel.

Solo Türk –, from this year’s partner country of the ILA, Turkey, is making its German debut with a spectacular display by a single F-16. The Turkish Air Force has sent two of its best pilots to Berlin, Captain Yusuf Kurt and First Lieutenant Gunar Erhan, and they will be flying on alternate days. Their aircraft has an unusual design in black, silver and gold, with the eagle which appears on the Turkish coat of arms, on the tail. The eagle’s wings are continued on the horizontal tail surface. Only when the jet is airborne can the half moon and star of the Turkish flag be seen on the underside. The display incorporates the use of coloured smoke and light effects, takes place at speeds of between 180 and 1,200 kms/hour, and involves 20 different manoeuvres. These begin immediately after take off, at a height of around ten metres, when the F-16 turns upside down before climbing vertically. Anyone aspiring to become a pilot with Solo Türk has to have completed more than 1,000 hours of flying time on the F-16, be a flight instructor for the aircraft, and then has to undergo six months of special training.

Full programme during the public days at the ILA

With the start of the weekend, when this year’s ILA will be open to the public, the flying displays have been extended to up to seven hours daily. Two aerobatic teams (Breitling Jet-Team, Patrouille Suisse), the ‘Willfire’ display of the Bundeswehr’s capabilities, three demonstrations by individual combat aircraft (incl. Eurofighter, F-16, MiG 29, Gripen), powered aerobatics, gliders and aircraft from all eras of aviation history can be seen in the skies over Schönefeld. A total of 300 aircraft will also be on display on the ground, and they will include some giants of the air such as the A380 operated by Emirates as well as the Antonov An124, both of which can all be inspected by members of the public. For the first time Hall 1 will include a KidsCorner and a GamesCorner with plenty of entertainment for the entire family. Visitors can talk to the pilots and, in a feature unique to the ILA, they can also sit in the cockpit and hold the joystick. On Friday and Saturday the ILA CareerCenter (Hall 5) presents a whole range of attractive careers in the high-tech aerospace sector. One of the main highlights can be found in the Space Hall (Hall 4), which offers unique insights into the depths of space and the benefits to mankind that space flight provides. The humanoid robot Toro is on hand to welcome visitors in person.

Source: ILA
Pictures Rob Vogelaar ZAPP