Weekly travel agenda: air shows galore

(AFP PHOTO/Leon Neal)

The end of July sees a flurry of airshows in the UK and the US, beginning with the Royal International Air Tattoo this weekend. Next week, both aviation enthusiasts and trade visitors from around the world will flock to the Farnborough International Air Show, one of the biggest dates in the calendar, ahead of the EAA AirVenture OshKosh, the largest event of the year for aviation-lovers in the US.

Royal International Air Tattoo
July 17-18
RAF Fairford, Gloucestershire, United Kingdom

The Royal International Air Tattoo is the world's largest military air show and is held in Gloucestershire in the UK. Over 170,000 visitors are expected to attend to see displays from over 300 military aircraft from armed forces around the world.
http://www.airtattoo.com

Farnborough International Air Show
July 19-25
Farnborough Airfield, Hampshire, United Kingdom

The Farnborough Air Show is a biennial exhibition of all things aviation, where major deals are often announced by the industry. For members of the public, the exhibition is also set to include some spectacular air shows on July 24-25.
http://www.farnborough.com

EAA AirVenture Oshkosh
July 26 - August 1
Oshkosh, WI, USA

The AirVenture Oshkosh is America's largest air enthusiast event. Attendance is estimated at over 700,000, with 10,000 - 15,000 aircraft on display for keen enthusiasts and curious visitors alike. This makes the control tower the busiest in the world during the event - controllers are drafted in from across the US to safely marshall some 8,000 landings.
http://www.airventure.org

Alaska Twilight Cruise and Convention
August 8 - 15
Seattle, WA, USA

The Alaska Twilight Cruise and Convention will take hundreds of Twilight fans on the "ultimate celebration of the Twilight saga" on the high seas. Passengers will join stars of the films' Jodelle Ferland, Alex Merez and Michael Welch on a four-day cruise to Alaska, complete with movie viewings, interviews with the stars, costume balls and competitions.
http://www.twilightfanscruise.com/

Abbotsford International Airshow
August 13 - 15
Abbotsford, BC, Canada

Canada's National Airshow is expected to attract over 125,000 people over its three-day run, for a dazzling display of aviation both in the sky and on the ground. This year will see a special performance to mark the 100th anniversay of the Canadian Navy.
http://www.abbotsfordairshow.com/

W New York Downtown Opens
August 16
New York, US

The first luxury hotel and residential tower to be built in Lower Manhattan, the 57-storey W New York Downtown is also the first new project not part of the WTC complex to begin construction since 9/11.
http://123washingtonstreet.com/

Tankosh 2010
August 27 - 29
Tannheim, Germany

Tankosh, as the name suggests, is the European incarnation of the OshKosh aviation festival, and over 1,000 aircraft are expected to fly in if the weather is good. The festival offers everything for aviation enthusiasts, including vintage airplanes, sports planes, fireworks and a lively social scene.
http://www.tannkosh.de