Shall We Fly? Planes for Private Customers

They'll be celebrating in Le Bourget from June 15 to 21 as the "Salon du Bourget" reaches its centenary. The Paris Air Show is one of the most important aviation industry trade fairs. Besides big names like Boeing, Airbus and Eurocopter, there are also niche products such as parachutes and light aircraft. Production of life-style planes has undergone a rapid increase in recent years in Germany. These small light planes allow more and more people to fulfil their dream of flying and treat themselves to an expensive pleasure. The aircraft generally cost some 100,000 euros and are increasingly popular since they offer an attractive alternative to gas-guzzling Cessna private jets. Almost all of these small planes are made more cheaply in Eastern Europe. MiG reporter Grit Hofmann visited the only manufacturer to return to Germany: Remos in Pasewalk, in Mecklenburg. The company makes top-flight light aircraft from carbon fiber with a built-in parachute for the whole plane. Remos enjoy an international reputation and the German firm is the top-seller in the US for light planes.

DW-World | June 16, 2009

Tags:. .flying. .fly. .guzzling. .popular. .undergone