May 2010 covers_Covers.qxd - World Airnews

Despite the earthquake,
FIDAE COMES
OUT TOPS
Yuri Laskin
reports from Santiago de Chile
DESPITE THE massive earthquake
which rocked Chile in February
causing mayhem throughout
much of the country, the international air
show – FIDAE – which followed a few
weeks later, echoed the resilience of this
South American state to return to normal
as quickly as possible.
Planning for the show was thrown into
turmoil when the national mobile and internet
network collapsed for 24 hours resulting
in hundreds of foreign exhibitors
and delegates hesitating about attending.
But with typical Chilean determination,
the organisers of the Feria Internacional
del Aire y del Espacio (International Air
and Space Fair) changed its name from
FIDAE-2010 to FIDAE de la Solidaridad
(Exhibition of Solidarity) and went ahead
making sure everything was ready for the
opening on March 23.
Their efforts were assisted by the fact
that the Santiago International Airport
was fully operational by March 6 seeing
not only normal traffic operating, but the
steady stream of aircraft bringing relief
supplies from all over the world.
This airlift prompted the country’s
newly-elected president, Sebastain
Pinbiero, in his opening address at the
exhibition, to personally thank the main
donors of the national relief fund
(“Esperanzsa”) for their contributions –
donors such as Airbus, Boeing, Bell
Helicopters and other world aerospace
giants.
The net result was that only five
companies which had originally planned
to attend the show, failed to arrive, but
this did not prevent an impressive record
of 428 exhibitors, 120 aircraft from 39
countries, coupled with an estimated
100 000 foreign visitors adding to the tens
of thousands of locals which all went to
make this one of the biggest regional
aerospace exhibitions in the world.
Small wonder, then, that the exhibition
has earned the description of the
“Doorstep to the Latin American market”.
If one were to try and pinpoint the
Above: The Russian Be-300 amphibian fire-bomber demonstrates its capabilities during the
show. Below: This Boeing BBJ converted to uplift freight was not actually part of the show
but was one of a constant stream of aircraft involved in the airlift of aid to
earthquake-ravaged Chile. It is seen here being offloaded at the
Santiago airport near where FIDAE was taking place.
highlights of the show, the choice would
be split fairly evenly between the United
States Air Force’s presentation of a pair of
fifth-generation F/A-22 Raptor fighters
which gave impressive daily flying
displays, and the Russian giant Be-300
amphibian aircraft which made its debut
in its water bomber format.
The Raptors certainly attracted the attention
of the military delegations, especially
that of Chile, in view of the role they play in
the United States’ regional strategy.
The Be-300’s arrival at FIDAE followed
an impressive transEurasian, transAmerica
flight as part of a Latin America sales
campaign.
The aircraft can scoop up to 12 tons of
water in 18 seconds and then drop its load
on any forest or industrial fire.
Although both European and Russian
helicopter manufacturers came away with
smiles on their faces and swollen order
books, this was not the case for their
fixed-wing counterparts, the lack of major
contracts being characterised by the current
world economic slump.
But still, there was a mood of quiet
optimism which was underlined by the
fact that at least 80 percent of this year’s
exhibitors had made their preliminary
bookings for the 2012 event by the time
the gates had closed. Q
WORLD AIRNEWS, MAY 2010. 33