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 and Bell Helicopter will race neck and neck over the next 10 years for the world's commercial helicopter crown, but the U.S. manufacturer will likely win in revenues and Eurocopter in the number of deliveries. That's the scenario spelled out in detail by Forecast International/DMS of New-town, Conn., in its latest forecast of the ``World Commercial Rotorcraft Market Through 2010.''
How many business aircraft shows does the world need? Well, the United States is spoken for with the N in NBAA standing for National, leaving others, especially in Europe, to duke it out. EBACE? Well, that's European, and ILA -- that's German, according to SBAC, the organizers of the Farnborough Air Show. But I say, old chap, isn't that the British show? No, insists SBAC Chief Executive David Marshall -- Farnborough is a global shop window.
Commercial engine shipments will likely decline 20-25 percent at GE Aircraft Engines (GEAE) this year as the aerospace industry struggles with the downturn in the wake of September 11. "We expect at least another 20 percent decline in '03, and we've pretty much dialed in those adjustments to our schedules," GEAE president&CEO Dave Calhoun said. However, this year's shipments might be down closer to 20 percent than 25 percent, as shipments of the CF34 small commercial engines have held up pretty well, he said.
