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The article analyses the earliest encounters between air travel and city planning in Paris and New York c. 1910. It focuses on the large public air shows, especially those held around 1909. They were spectacular, epoch-defining events that first introduced the aeroplane to the masses and were relayed in the accounts of the illustrated press. Subsequent transformations then took place in city planning debates. By tapping into an imaginary future world as a key actor in transforming the urban landscape alongside other forms of locomotion, the aeroplane inspired new visions of future cities that encapsulated the pressing issues of the day and helped to construct the imagery of this epic narrative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]