  We discuss the flow between concentric rotating cylinders in the limit of
large radii where the system approaches plane Couette flow. We discuss how in
this limit the linear instability that leads to the formation of Taylor
vortices is lost and how the character of the transition approaches that of
planar shear flows. In particular, a parameter regime is identified where
fractal distributions of life times and spatiotemporal intermittency occur.
Experiments in this regime should allow to study the characteristics of shear
flow turbulence in a closed flow geometry.
