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Text: |
Urs Schnyder |
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Pictures: |
Urs Schnyder & Michael E. Fader |
(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
The Patrouille de France can this year celebrate their 70th birthday. Their Alpha jets are adorned with an appropriate tail marking. They were able to give a full show on both days in a beautiful blue sky. As they are now the sole users of the Alpha Jet in the Armée de l’Air, the question is how long they will be able to still use that aircraft before it is replaced.
(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 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 Michael E. Fader)
(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
Calliope
There was only one pure helicopter display by a EC-120 Calliope. However, there was a short sneak in by an Armée de l’Air Puma that brought the pilots of the Patrouille de France.
Airbus Helicopters H120 Heli Dax, F-HBKD (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Airbus Helicopters H120 Heli Dax, F-HBKD (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Airbus Helicopters H120 Heli Dax, F-HBKD (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
Airbus Helicopters H120 Heli Dax, F-HBKD (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Airbus Helicopters H120 Heli Dax, F-HBKD (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
F-16AM "Green Viper"
This was the first time that there was a display by a combat aircraft of the Belgian Air Force. The Dream Viper F-16 gave a usual “Belgian Display”, that is to say impressive manoevering around all three axes. As usual with Belgian display aircraft, it sported a special paint scheme with the snake theme.
(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 Michael E. Fader)
(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)
Luftwaffe
The Luftwaffe scenario was made up of a Junkers Ju 52, a Fieseler Fi 156 Storch as well as a Pilatus P-2 masquerading as a Messerschmitt 109 and a Nord 1101 as a Messerschmitt 108 albeit in French colours.
The Storch impressed with its slow flying qualities, at times seemingly standing still. The Junkers equally flew rather slow, but this is more due to the build in “airbrakes”, namely the fixed landing gear and the corrugated skin.
The Pilatus P-2 although never flown in German service, nevertheless contains some parts from the Messerschmitt 109.
The Nord actually is the development of the Messerschmitt 108 that was done in occupied France during the war and continued to be produced there afterwards.
(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 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 Urs Schnyder)
(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
Battle of France / Morane / Curtiss
The Battle of France theme showed the most numerous fighter aircraft then in operation by France, the Curtiss P-36 and the Morane 406. While the Curtiss is an original survivor, the Morane was built under license in Switzerland and has some modifications from the original, most obvious is the different radiator and less so a different engine. It is a pity that there are no original French aircraft that have survived, so the plan by Dassault to build a replica Bloch 152 is to be applauded. We hope to see this flying in the near future.
Morane-Saulnier MS-406-C1 HB-RCF (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Morane-Saulnier MS-406-C1 HB-RCF (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
Morane-Saulnier MS-406-C1 HB-RCF (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
Morane-Saulnier MS-406-C1 HB-RCF (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Curtiss H-75A-1 Hawk G-CCVH (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Curtiss H-75A-1 Hawk G-CCVH (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
Curtiss H-75A-1 Hawk G-CCVH (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Curtiss H-75A-1 Hawk G-CCVH (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Curtiss H-75A-1 Hawk G-CCVH (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
AMD Flammant
This was the first aircraft built by Dassault after the war and was used for training, communication and transport.
(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Cotton Club
These are the classic 1930 machines Lockheed 12 Electra Junior and Stinson SR-10C Reliant. Mr Coton was a rich Englishman who before the war flew with his Electra all over Europe and especially Germany, taking pictures of German military installations with his specially modified aircraft.
(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)
Baa Baa Black sheep (Corsair)
The Chance-Vought F4U-5NL Corsair did some dogfighting with two Zeros. It is a pity that it is painted in a rather inappropriate US scheme instead of wearing the colours of the Aeronavale that flew the type after the war.
(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)
Red Devils
It was the first time that the Belgian aerobatic team was at La Ferté. They fly the SF-260 M Marchetti in a formation of three. They were however present with four aircraft, a precaution to any incident that might befall one of their now rather old machines.
(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)
(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Vietnam
Like the previous year, a Hercules was part of this set. This time however the aircraft was a Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules from the German Luftwaffe and was one of the aircraft of the binational air transport squadron based at Evreux. This is the first such squadron that is completely mixed, with both German and French personell in the same crew.
After the initial formation flypast of the Hercules, the North American T-28B Trojan and Douglas AD-4N Skyraider the formation split and the Trojan and Skyraider together with the Bronco did their routine of attacking with the normal pyrotechnics. After they had landed, the Hercules came in again to do his own display.
Douglas AD-4N Skyraider (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
North American T-28 Trojan (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
North American T-28 Trojan (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
North American T-28 Trojan (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Lockheed C-130J-30K Super Hercules (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Lockheed C-130J-30K Super Hercules (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Lockheed C-130J-30K Super Hercules (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Lockheed C-130J-30K Super Hercules (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Lockheed C-130J-30K Super Hercules (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
Lockheed C-130J-30K Super Hercules (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
North American OV-10B Bronceo F-AZKM (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
North American OV-10B Bronceo F-AZKM (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
North American OV-10B Bronceo F-AZKM (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
North American OV-10B Bronceo F-AZKM (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
North American OV-10B Bronceo F-AZKM (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Armeé de l'Air
Now in his second year as the Rafale solo pilot, Bertrand “Bubu” Butin again showed the agility and performance of the Rafale to the audience.
(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)
(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Special Forces
Coming in with a Sud-Aviation SA330 Puma and a Sud-Aviation – Gazelle the troops with the help of dogs arrested the suspects that had intruded onto the airfield. The Puma then deployed a kind of solid net onto which everybody stepped. They were then airlifted out by the Puma.
(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
It was another great airshow, made especially remarkable due to the weather. The stalls selling drinks must have made a fortune.
Our thanks go to Henri Suzeau from AJBS for providing press facilities.
