Take to the skies

I have the ability, described as endearing by some, to get terribly excited about things that are of no interest at all to me.

Watching the rugby is a prime example of this trait. I would never choose to watch sport. I`d much rather read a book, cook a meal or see a movie. However, take me to a bar where rugby is being played on television, and I find myself sitting on the edge of my seat, making imaginary tackles with my shoulders, gasping in horror as whichever side (I`m not picky) drops the ball and generally behaving like a rabid supporter.

Take me, for the first time, to any new place I`ve never heard of before, and I`m convinced that this is the place that the property boom will next hit, and it is in our best interests to purchase an investment home there immediately.

All of this can be quite exhausting. And now, the latest topic about which I am very enthusiastic is aviation.

It wasn`t prompted by the Leonardo di Caprio film, although I did enjoy it. Instead, my newfound fervour is the result of a recent press trip I went on with SAP.

There is something beautiful about aeroplanes - they`re created in large, light-filled hangars, they are built on a grand scale, there`s none of the pokey, claustrophobic darkness of classic production lines.

Georgina Guedes, Editor, ITWeb Brainstorm

On the first two mornings of the conference in Copenhagen, before a day packed with case studies and SAP strategy discussions, there were keynote addresses by relevant players at SAP. On the third day, however, we were presented with a delightfully quirky soliloquy by G'erard Blanc, executive VP of operations for Airbus.

Apparently Airbus has a long history of partnership with SAP, and will continue to do so into the future, but the presentation was about the complex industry that SAP supports. And the zeal with which Blanc spoke about it was enough to win my heart and mind at the very least.

Before he presented, there was a series of creatures projected onto the screen behind the podium. Their top and bottom halves were mismatched, and were being rotated so that the audience was given the conviction that, at any point, they would resolve into complete creatures, but they never did. The point he was making with his Picasso-esque zoo, Blanc explained, was that the Airbus company is made up of a variety of different players and that over time, it has been a challenge to make them fit.

He went on to explain that Airbus is comprised of partners in many different European companies, and that each country`s "centre of excellence" builds its own part of the aeroplane, so that production is quick and efficient. Somehow, painted with Airbus fervour, this strategy seemed far less sinister than the dehumanisation of the workforce at the hands of the Ford production line.

I think that was the key element of the presentation - the expression of the fact that Airbus is a remarkably human company, and that everyone who works there is passionate about the creation of aircraft. Even if it is only the wings or engine.

There is something beautiful about aeroplanes - they`re created in large, light-filled hangars, they are built on a grand scale, there`s none of the pokey, claustrophobic darkness of classic production lines.

Blanc showed us lots of videos on the production of his aircraft, with particular focus on the A380, the new Airbus model that had flown its maiden voyage the day before. The biggest surprise for me was that before aeroplanes are spraypainted white, they`re bright yellow!

I was left with a deep respect for aviation as an industry and Airbus as a company.

Unfortunately, on both my connecting flights home, the aeroplane in use was a Boeing.