John was editor of Aviation Week's ShowNews for nearly two decades. He retired in 2020. His background in business journalism before joining Aviation Week includes stints at Reuters, the American Banker daily banking newspaper and as business news editor at the Milwaukee Journal and the Cincinnati Enquirer.
A lifelong aviation enthusiast, John has been a private pilot for 34 years and won an award at EAA Oshkosh for his restoration of a vintage British Auster army spotter aircraft. He is currently building a 1920s Staaken Flitzer biplane from plans. John attended his first Farnborough Air Show in 1952, when just eight months old.
Eurocopter will fly two new commercial models of helicopter this year, probably in the third quarter, according to CEO Lutz Bertling. “We will have two first flights in Europe, and we hope to bring the helicopters to Heli-Expo in 2011,” he said, but declined to provide further details.
The massive earthquake that rocked Chile on Feb. 27 will not inhibit, FIDAE, the country’s major air show from going on as scheduled, organizers announced Wednesday. The show will run March 23-28 at Santiago’s Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport. Unofficial reports from Chile indicated the show’s site escaped damage, even though the airport’s passenger terminal suffered extensive damage. The airport initially closed to all but military relief flights, but has resumed limited commercial service, with LAN using a tent as a temporary terminal.
Deliveries of turbine-powered civil helicopters declined 16 percent in 2009 and should continue to contract through 2011 as weak order intake, high inventories and tight credit conditions keep an industry recovery at bay, according to Honeywell Aerospace’s latest helicopter forecast. When adding in the military market, Rolls-Royce predicted more upside for long-term growth.
