The V-22 Osprey isn't at Le Bourget, but its civilian cousin, the Bell Agusta 609 Tiltrotor is. The BA 609 is being marketed to that executive who already has everything else and just can't stand having to take a helicopter to his private jet, and why not...Here you can see the tiltrotor coming in for a vertical landing.

The Bell Agusta 609 Tiltrotor, a civilian derivative of Boeing's V-22 Osprey, comes in for a landing.

All anybody at this show talks about is the MiG-29OVT, but there's something to be said for the grace and elegance of the F-16. I've been a huge fan of this plane since I was a kid, and as far as commercial success, nothing else really comes close. The F-16 serves in some 24 air forces around the world and more than 4,000 have been produced in five different countries. It may not put on quite the same acrobatic display as the MiG, but there's no other aircraft at the show that looks as good.

A U.S. Air Force F-16B (Lockheed) makes a pass over the runway.

The Super Hornet, on the other hand, looks like a real pig on the ground. It's a lot bigger than the F-16, and it has two engines to the F-16's one, but once that thing gets up in the air, it appears highly maneuverable--a real pleasure to watch from the ground.

The belly of a U.S. Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet (Boeing).

The F-35 II is the future of American military aviation, with plans for a purchase of nearly 2,500 of the stealthy plans in three variations--450 short take-off, vertical land (STOVL) copies for the Marine Corps, 260 of a more durable variant capable of carrier landings for the Navy, and 1,783 of a standard model for the U.S. Air Force. Those numbers might fall, but the Joint Strike Fighter, as it is otherwise known, is certain to play a major role in American air operations once production begins in earnest a few years from now. It's also a beautiful aircraft in its own right. The aircraft will be produced and financed by a coalition of American allies, the flags of which are painted below the cockpit.

The F-35 Lightning II (Lockheed) sits just across from the Lockheed Martin chalet.

And finally, a scene from right outside the press chalet that had photographers from around the world scrambling their own jets.

From Russia with love.
Journalists camped out at the press chalet fall for some old fashioned marketing from the East Bloc.