As a former Conservative MP for Aldershot and Shadow Defence Minister with responsibility for defence procurement and the Royal Air Force, as well as having served as a defence minister from 2010-12, Sir Gerald Howarth has a long connection with the Farnborough International Airshow. He sat down with FINN’s aerospace editor Hazel King to talk about his memories and what he hopes to see at the airshow in the future
Tell us about your history with the airshow
I was born in a village a couple of miles east of Farnborough and my parents – both wartime members of the RAF and WAAF – told me that I did in fact attend the first Farnborough Air Show in 1948. Unsurprisingly, I do not remember that but, as a pilot from the age of 17, for me Farnborough was always the Mecca. It was THE showcase for the best of British aviation as well as being a venue to which overseas companies were made very welcome, so anyone who was anyone was there.
I was elected to Parliament for the Staffordshire seat of Cannock & Burntwood in 1983 and became Secretary of the Conservative Parliamentary Aviation Committee. This resulted in lots of invitations to the airshows of those years. Visiting the British Aerospace and Roll-Royce stands, being briefed on the very latest equipment, was just so exciting as one felt at the cutting edge of aviation development. Add to that the thrill of meeting people like the inventor of the jet engine, Sir Frank Whittle, great test pilots like John Farley who developed the Harrier, or industry giants like Sir Ralph Robins of Rolls-Royce, and Farnborough was the place to be. And the whole thing was enveloped in the excitement of the air display itself.
A major change took place for me in 1993 when, after losing my Staffordshire seat the previous year, I was selected as the Conservative candidate for Aldershot which included Farnborough. The Government had already removed the Empire Test Pilots School to Boscombe Down, the RAE had morphed into the Defence Research & Evaluation Agency on a brand-new site and the airfield was up for sale.
I was determined to do all I could to keep Farnborough as an operational airfield, not least to preserve the airshow. I persuaded the then Secretary of State for the Environment, Michael Heseltine, to require bidders to agree to maintain the airshow. Thus, when the choice of bidder had to be made by the incoming Labour Government it was with great relief that I read the letter of 9 October 1997 from defence minister, John Spellar MP, in which he said ‘I am writing to inform you that we have now chosen a preferred purchaser for the site which will enable both the biennial Society of British Aerospace Companies (SBAC) Airshow and General Business Aviation to continue at Farnborough’. What a joy! And TAG duly kept their word.
Thus, for 20 years, I was the Parliamentary host of the world’s greatest airshow. One of the most important things for me, when I was a member of parliament, was to get the Prime Minister David Cameron to come and open the airshow. Given the pressures on the Prime Ministerial diary, that was quite a challenge, but I told him it was the premier airshow in the world and his counterparts in Paris and Germany had always opened their airshows, so it was important to support our own.
In the week before the show, I used to stand up in the House of Commons during prime minister’s question time (PMQs) and ask if the PM was going to the Farnborough Airshow. In 2016, I got bored of asking and not getting any answers. The week before PMQ I had forgotten to raise the matter, until another MP stood up and asked about defence exports. Horrified that I had forgotten, I caught the speaker John Bercow’s eye, and he immediately called me. I stood up and said, ‘As my right honourable friend knows, the greatest airshow in the world takes place in my constituency next week, and I very much hope the prime minister will come and open it’, expecting him to say his diary was too rammed. But he stood up and said ‘Yes, I’ll be opening the show’, which was news to all of us and especially the airshow organisers!
What are some highlights from specific shows?
A highlight for me was in 1994. I was working for the Sukhoi Design Bureau – the Russian aircraft manufacturer – and they wanted to come and have their own chalet at the airshow as they were keen to work with British Aerospace on the next generation of combat aircraft. So, I was responsible for the first Russian chalet at the Farnborough International Airshow. The SU-27 ‘Flanker’ gave an amazing performance at the airshow which no one had ever seen before – it was such a showstopper. It performed the Cobra manoeuvre whereby it flew straight and low level and then went through 120 degrees on its back and then forwards. I remember standing there next to some Americans who were absolutely gobsmacked.
As well as meeting so many amazing characters at the airshow, I’ve also been a trustee of the restored-to-flight Vulcan XH558 since 2005 and seeing it come here between 2008 and 2014 was just absolutely stunning.
What makes Farnborough International Airshow so important?
Farnborough International Airshow is unusual for two reasons. Firstly, the layout – Farnborough enjoys the geographical good fortune that it is the only tiered amphitheatre airshow in the world where everyone gets a grandstand view, unlike, for example, Paris, where unless you are in the front row you don’t get a good view.
Secondly, it is a showcase for British aviation. Britain has been at the forefront of aviation since the dawn of aviation and, 120 years on, we remain there. Showcasing our capability is important. And of course, the airshow is a major meeting place for business. In 2018, almost $200bn worth of business was signed at the Farnborough Airshow.
What would you like to see at future airshows?
I want to see the revival of a proper flying display. I am President of the British Air Display Association and we know that airshows are a major source of inspiration to young people to pursue a career in aviation – in all its forms. But shows need to be exciting. The Red Arrows have displayed here for decades, and it is not a problem with Heathrow – the airspace can be cleared up to 10,000ft – so there is no reason why they should not display here.
The people who live around the airfield were especially pleased because they could sit in their front garden and watch the airshow for free. In return for which and they were prepared to put up with the traffic disruption if they got the air display. I hope we can recreate the tangible excitement and passion for all things aeronautical generated by the great Farnborough International Airshow and maintain that tradition begun 75 years ago.
This interview was conducted as part of the 75th anniversary celebrations for Farnborough International Airshow. FINN is owned by Farnborough International, the organisers of the airshow.
