Airbus Industries, the site.

Big, very big, everything in sight is larger than life.  The buildings are enormous, the pavement, acres of it, covers all the land between the numerous buildings.  Planes of huge size are parked neatly alongside each other along the 2 plus miles of runway, of which there are 2 plus all the taxiways thrown in for amusement.  It is...big! 

Our tickets were dispensed by a very pretty staff person in the reception center, filled with few exhibits including a model A380 made out of toy building blocks and a souvenir shop which we caroused.  It began to rain, whole buckets of rain, the roar of it hitting the roof sounded like jet noise.  Then a bus pulled up and we were called to board it, however it was some 150 feet away and the pouring rain was now creating lakes and runoff making the run to the bus a very wet experience.  That could have been thought out better that's for sure, hope it's a sunny day when you go.

The bus lumbered it's way a short distance to a huge building that appeared to be 4-in-oneas the outline of one section of the building was duplicated three more times.  It was fully 1/4 mile in width!

And contained 4 A380's!  Wings had been mounted, tail assemblies were in place but the nose cones were not as of yet, installed. 

Now the sad part, we were told (and most respected the request) that we were not to photograph ANYTHING we saw!  So, I was thwarted and disappointed.  To actually witness the size and massiveness of the machinery as well of the buildings and planes and NOT take pictures?!  Blasphemy! Nonetheless, we had a great time, the crowd was small and polite as could be and came from many nations, demonstrated by the many  languages spoken.  

A380 Taxi and Takeoff

The Making of the A380