The Start of the airshow 2016 was a bit unusual. Five Zlin 526 did a flypast with break. After landing they taxied to the crowd centre where they switched off their engines. The pilots then stood on the wings of their aircraft and the German national anthem played. This was in memoriam of Marc „Léon“ Mathis (68) who died during a test flight on the 14^th of November 2015 in Straßbourg.

Mathis was famous in the whole of Europe for his inimitable demonstration flights. During his displays he showed what is possible to perform with historic aircraft. From Jak-11, P-40 Warhawk to the P-51 Mustang he flew many of the classics. His love however belonged to his Zlin 526 in which he did incredible things. Immediately after take off he went inverted and started his flying program from this position. Having 20’000 flying hours, of which more then 1000 on historic types he was one of the most experienced pilots. Born in Alsace, Marc „Léon“ Mathis had both the French and German citizenships. For this reason after the German, the French Anthem was played. While playing, there appeared a small speck in the distance that rapidly grew into a Dassault Rafale of the Armée de l'Air which quickly drowned everything with the noise of its engines thereby leading into the second part of the flying program.

Zlin 526 (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

Zlin 526 (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

Zlin 526 (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

Zlin 526 (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

Dassault Rafale (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Dassault Rafale (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

Transall C-160  (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Transall C-160  (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Transall C-160  (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Transall C-160 (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

Boeing Stearman with Banner (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

Boeing Stearman with Banner (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

Aeronavale

This year the Aeronavale was represented by the greatest number of aircraft we had seen at La Ferte for many years. The display started with a big formation made up of Breguet Atlantic, four Dassault Rafale, Morane-Saulnier Paris, Fouga Zepyhr und Breguet Alize. In addition there were two Morane-Saulnier Alcyon taking part in this show of strength of the Aeronavale. It was a pity that the Dassault Super Etendard which will this year be retired from Aeronavale service didn’t take part as well.

Aeronavale (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Dassault Rafale (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Dassault Rafale (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Fouga Zephyr & Morane Saulnier Paris (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Breguet Atlantic 2 (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Dassault Rafale (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Breguet Alize (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

Breguet Atlantic 2 (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

Fouga Zephyr (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

Breguet Atlantic 2 (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

Morane-Saulnier Alcyon (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

Morane-Saulnier Alcyon (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

Securite Civile

I don’t know if it becomes a tradition at the La Ferte airshow, but this year for the second time the Securite Civile was present with a Canadair CL-412, Grumman Tracker and an Eurocopter EC-135. They demonstrated their main mission, the fighting of forest fires.
Another helicopter present was a Westland SeaKing of the Belgian air component. Since 2002 do the  Belgians call their Air Force air component because of its small size. The Belgians showed how to place and retrieve personnel while hovering. This was not without some show as they did their abseil head first.

Grumman Tracker (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Canadair CL-414   (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Grumman Tracker  (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Canadair CL-414, Grumman Tracker  (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Westland Seaking Mk.48 of the 40th Sqn. Belgian Air Component (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

Westland Seaking Mk.48 (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

Westland Seaking Mk.48  (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Westland Seaking Mk.48 (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

Westland Seaking Mk.48 (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

1910 - 1940

The evolution of aviation is one of the main themes of the La Ferte airshow which also distinguishes it from other warbird meetings in the rest of the world. From the beginning with the  Bleriot XI to the planes flown in the seconfd world war the development of aircraft is shown in the different distinctive periods. Due to the bad weather in the days before the show, many aircraft from abroad couldn’t participate because of the weather conditions on route. Some aircraft could also not fly because of to strong crosswinds. Altogether the weather was less than ideal with complete cloud cover part of the day. This was also one of the reasons that pilot Paul Misteli couldn’t bring his Dewoitine 26 over frlm Switzerland.

Bleriot XI (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder

Gaudron G-3 (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

Bleriot XI (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

Gaudron G-3 (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

SPAD 13 (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder

SPAD 13 (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

Fokker Dreidecker (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder

Fokker Dreidecker (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

SE-5A (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

SPAD 13 (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Sopwith 1/2 Strutter (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

SPAD 13 (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

DeHavilland Dargon in the colors of the Air Lingus (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder

DeHavailland Tiger Moth (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

Naval Factory N3N-3 (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

Bücker Jungmann (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Bücker Jungmann (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Boeing Stearman (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Boeing Stearman (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

The organisers of the airshow always manage to bring in rare aircraft to La Ferte. This year it was a Laird LC-B200 Commercial (NC4442) which was built in 1931 in the US. There were only three or four machines of this type buildt but it seems that two still survive. The machine looks like a fighter plane of that period but was really thought for the civilian market.

Laird LC-B200 Commercial  (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

Laird LC-B200 Commercial (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Laird LC-B200 Commercial (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Laird LC-B200 Commercial  (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

Beech 18 Expeditor (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

Beech 18 Expeditor (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Beech 18 Expeditor and Lockheed Electra (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Lockheed Electra (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Consolidated PBY Catalina (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

Consolidated PBY Catalina (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Curtiss Hawk (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

Curtiss Hawk (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Tora Tora Tora

It seems to be great fun to dive bomb the airfield of Cerny at least twice a year. In the Tora Tora Tora act, the japanese attack on Pearl Harbour is the chance to do exactly that. This is a tradition at La Ferte and as always very spectacular. The Harvards pose as the Japanese attackers. It is impressive when they peel off from their formation for the bomb run. One of the Harvards has been converted into a Zero and was actually flying in the film "Tora Tora Tora" by Richard Fleischer that was filmend in 1970.

A Supermarine Spitfire Mk V and a North American Mustang gave an impressive display and showed what can be done by a Merlin engined fighter plane
Not to be missed are the Russian fraction of Jaks which hold a special place in France because of its association with the Normandie-Niemen Fighter squadron. The unit was formed as a result of an agreement between the Soviet government and the Free French under the leadership of General Charles de Gaulle from the personnel of the 1942 in Syria created Normandie squadron. The squadron was first flying the Jak-1 and later the more modern Jak-3 and Jak-9. On the 28th of November 1944 after the heavy fighting near the Njemen river the squadron was presented with the honorable title of  "Normandie-Njemen". Up to the time of the German surrender on the 9th of May 1945 the unit flew 5062 missions and in 869 combats destroyed 273 enemy aircraft.

North American P-51D Mustang (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

Wingwalkers and Manahtten Dolls

The Wingwalkers and the Manhattan Dolls were not taking part for the first time at La Ferte. The show of the English girls is impressive. To not just be standing on the upper wing of the Aircraft, but also climbing there and back while in the air really needs courage.
The Dolls remind one of the Andrew Sisters when they perform in the Hangar in front of the B-17 Pink Lady.

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Vietnam

This was another opportunity to support the aerial display with pyrotechnics. This year the Skyraiders didn’t take part due to the weather that let them arrive too late. So the North American Fennec and the North American Bronco had the arena for themselves. And it was impressive how agile the Bronco really is. On Saturday the Bronco pilot retracted the undercarriage rather early and it looked as if the left gear had failed. However, this was not the case and it quickly took off and into the display.

Kunstflugteams

The Patrouille de France displayed on Saturday with the Dassault Alpha-Jet, an aircraft they fly since the 16th of September 1980. Before that the PAF flew the Fouga Magister from 1964 to 1980.
The Patrouille Tranchant that showed on Sunday are today flying with four Fouga Magister. The Patrouille Tranchant was formed in 2006 by Jack Krine, Hugues Duval and Benjamin Tranchant. Jack Krine who was leader of the Patrouille de France from 1976 to 1978 while flying the Fouga Magister, also choose that aircraft for the Patrouille Tranchant. Jack Krine also belongs to the oldtimers of the Ls Ferte airshow, often displaying with his Jodel BeBe.
The pilots of the Patrouille Tranchant are Hugues Duval: Leader, Jack Krine: Solo, Pierre Fages: left, Claude Espinet: right

Patrouille Tranchant (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Patrouille Tranchant (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

last update 29. May 2016

Written 28. May 2016

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