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Le Bourget: A producer's eye-view

By CNN's Paula Sailes

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PARIS, France (CNN) -- CNN's Paula Sailes has traveled to Paris to cover the air show at Le Bourget. This is her first time at the world's biggest international aerospace event, and she is writing a blog to give you a first-hand account of life behind the scenes at Le Bourget.

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Thursday June 21, 2007: "Oh, here am I sitting in a tin can."

No, it's not a description of today's edit facilities, but CNN cameraman Neil Bennett singing the next line to Bowie's "Space Oddity." We've had the song in our heads since we came back from filming the new space tourism machine at EADS Astrium.

We're in high spirits (in fact we're probably about to be told off by the France 24 team who are trying to track next door) after meeting astronaut Buzz Aldrin. He's an amazing guy. We all think it's something of a shame that he is always remembered as the second guy to set foot on the moon.

One of the coolest things about Buzz is that he wants to make space travel available to everyone. Like a real life Willy Wonka he's started his own lottery to win tickets on sub-orbital flights. One day, he tells Jim, he hopes his Share Space Foundation will send people even further than that.

The EADS vehicle is the space fantasy of laid back Aussie designer Marc Newson. He says the seats don't need seat belts because the G-force will hold you in on take-off. But I'm betting they'll probably put some in for peace of mind.

People are starting to leave Le Bourget now. We'll probably wait an hour or two -- it'll be easier to get a taxi. Anyway there's still plenty to do here. Neil is editing the story on his laptop and Jim is blogging on his Blackberry. Me? I'm off to get a round of coffees and three tickets for the space lottery.

Wednesday June 20, 2007: Before the Paris air show I wouldn't have described myself as a plane geek. I've sniggered at one or two of my CNN colleagues for being plane-spotters. So it's with a degree of surprise that I find myself pointing up at the sky saying '"Ooh is that the new EADS multirole tanker?" And I really am.

To those who think producers have an easy time at these events I say this: Try communicating anything over the phone or in person with a MiG-29OVT soaring over your head. The only thing louder than the MiG is the roomful of journalists trying to make themselves heard above it.

I'm not complaining though. The Paris air show makes me want to jump in a plane and learn to fly. It makes me wish that the A380 will always fly the way it does here -- banking and swooping to the high and low notes of a classical score.

After the visitors and exhibitors leave, the air show takes on a new guise.

As the media center packs up its cables, lights and cameras, groups of behind-the-scenes staff congregate in quiet cubby holes for a well-deserved after work drink. Glossy pure-bred German shepherds and their well-built minders make sure the future of air travel is well guarded, while we set about the task of finding the last taxi back to the Champs Elysees.

One last thought while I have this rare opportunity to broadcast to the world. Will the people loitering aimlessly outside hall 2B please get out of my way. I'm hot and sweaty and I have my scary producer face on.

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