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  Le temps de Helice 2023, 50th Anniversary
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Text:

Urs Schnyder

Pictures:

Urs Schnyder & Michael E. Fader


 

 

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

   

The 50th anniversary of "Le temps des Hélices" promised to be another great event at La Ferté Alais. For a change, the weather also decided to help celebrate with blue skies on both days. I can’t remember when this was the case last time. Not a single raincloud to be seen anywhere so nobody especially the jet displays had to restrict themselves.The weather attracted a big audience. According to the organisers, 40’000 people attended the two days.


 
   

Static

   

As always the participating aircraft could be viewed before the airshow

   

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

   

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

   

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

   

Opening

   

The first to take off was the Bronco which was a surprise as the Vietnam set up was only expected later on.

With the Bronco out of the way, the Piper J3 and the Morane Saulnier MS.317 took off to mark the beginning of the airshow. After a few circuits they landed again and then high up the Bronco appeared, dropping four parachutists of the Armee de l’air. This was somehow unexpected and a first as far as we know. The parachutists must have been quite cramped in that small space and happy to get out. As they descended, they were carrying large banners with the 50th anniversary theme.

   

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

   

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

Morane-Saulnier.317 F-BCNL (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

Morane-Saulnier.317 F-BCNL (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

Piper J3 (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Piper J3 (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

   

Pioneers

   

Due to the windy conditions only the Deperdussin Type T took to the air. The Bleriot did taxi along the crowdline but didn’t fly. The wind was presumably too strong for aircraft controlled by wing warping. The Caudron G.3 made an appearance later towards the evening after the wind had died down.

   

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

   

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

   

The first combats

   

The moto of this piece was “March 1917 the time of the aces”. Two Fokker Dr.I and two Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5 took to the air. To fill the background, a Stampe and Vertongen SV-4 and three STAMPE SV4 RS Replicas represented the Allied side while three Bücker Bü 133C Jungmeister and one Casa 1.131 Jungman the Germans. These two formations of four kept circling in the background, while the Fokkers and SE5 did some dogfighting.

   

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

   

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

   

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

   

Bücker

   

The three Bücker Jungmeister went directly into their routine of display flying after the others had landed. Later in the morning three Jungmeisters and two Jungmans did a missing man formation in rememberance of the late speaker of the airshow, Bernard Chabbert who had died in 2022.

   

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

   

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

   

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

   

Armeé de l'Air - Extra 300

   

This time there was only one Extra 330 of the Equipe de Voltige de l’Armée de l’Air who gave a display.

   

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

   

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

   

Motorglider   

   

Under the name Alternative Duo, two Fournier RF 4D Motor Gliders gave a synchronized display in slow motion. This was a real contrast compared to the fast and noisy jets that would come later.

   

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

   

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

   

 Turbulent Display Team Tiger Club) Low powered fun

   

The Turbulent Display Team showed that you can have fun without big engines. Their  four open cockpit Druine D.31 Turbulent powered by 30 HP Volkswagen engines were used to burst balloons with their propellers, drop flourbags onto ground targets and fly trough a simulated gate. Druine D.31 Turbulent G-ARMZ, G-ARBZ. G-ASSY, G-APVZ 

   

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

   

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

   

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

   

Marine Nationale

   

The Aéronavale was present with three Rafales who started the display with a simulated refuelling. This was then followed by a display of two of them. Both were wearing 65 years anniversary schemes.  

   

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

   

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

   

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

   

Tora Tora Tora (Hollywood)

   

This is of course the famous Tora Tora Tora act that imitates the film rather than the real thing. This time there where 12 T-6 “Zero” attacking the field, with a lonely Curtiss P-40 defending it.

   

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

   

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

   

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

   

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

   

D-Day (1944)

   

Two Spitfires, a PR.XIX and a FR.XIVe flew first in formation with a Douglas C-47 B Skytrain before they split up, the C-47 displaying alone while the Spitfires flew in close formation.

   

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

   

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)


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last update 11. June 2023

Written 11. June 2023

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