SBAC, the show organizers, say Farnborough is getting bigger, but, in one sense, the exact opposite is happening. Two months ago, the Ministry of Defence sold 180 acres of the historic Farnborough site to property developing company Slough Estates as part of its plans to obtain an extra £1 billion per year for the defense budget by disposing of assets.

Slough will spend £250 million on providing 1.6 million square feet of office space on what is regarded as the largest available industrial site along the M3 motorway corridor.

Included in the development area are several buildings listed as being of special historical interest, including one of the UK's first wind tunnels.

Taking a keen interest in the fate of these significant buildings on the north side of the aerodrome (by the control tower) is FAST, the Farnborough Air Sciences Trust. Supported by local councils, the Ministry of Defence and several aerospace companies, FAST is progressing towards the founding of an educational and tourist center on the site of the former Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE).

The Trust is in negotiation with the developers and the local authority in order to preserve priceless historic features in this cradle of British aviation, and to ensure permanent public access. Details of its plans will be found on the FAST stand (E12, in the outdoor exhibition, beside Hall 1), where a special welcome will be given to those interested in joining the supporting FAST Association.

Other changes at this historic site include the "rescue" of that hallowed relic, Cody's Tree. Now outside the entrance to Cody Building, the new headquarters of DERA (the successor to RAE) on the west side of the airfield, the tree was used as a tether for engine running by Samuel F. Cody, the American who made the first airplane flight in the UK at Farnborough on 16 October 1908.

Since 1959, the "tree" has been an aluminum replica, but that does not diminish its role as a vivid reminder of Farnborough's unique, 90-year association with fixed-wing flying.

By Paul Jackson