La Ferté-Alais, France

Le Temps des Hélices - un spectacle unique…..

40 Meeting Aerien

Le Temps des Hélices - un spectacle unique….. or in English The golden age of Propellers – a great spectacle. Covered by this slogan the meeting 2011 was held on the 11^th and 12^th of June at the Aerodrome of Cerny near Paris.

Like every year there is always a special theme at the air show. This year we celebrate the one hundred years anniversary of the famous French aircraft manufactory Morane-Saulnier and the seventy years anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack by the Japanese’s.

Avions Morane-Saulnier

In the year of 1911 the two brothers Leon and Robert Moran, together with their partner Raymond Saulnier, they founded the new company Morane-Saulnier Aviation. This was the beginning of long lasting and successful story of great friendship and fantastic aircrafts. Very famous where the Parasol-Constructions of the 1920’s and 1930’s of last century. Many of these aircrafts are still in good conditions and on display at the Amicale Jean-Babtiste Salis collection.

After the second World War Morane-Saulnier changed their name into SOCATA-Aviation. One of their successfully selling aircraft is the MS 880 Ralley, still serving as training aircraft by the French Aéronavale.

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Aéronavale

Like the year before the French Navy attended the meeting by showing a Super Etendard and a Rafale in a breathtaking in-flight display. Both aircrafts are carrier based by the French Navy.

PAF

Not every year the French Patrouille de France will show up at the La Ferte-Alais program. But this year we could watch their flying display over the sky’s of Cerny Aerodrome. Since 1980 the PAF flying the Alpha Jet aircraft, while attending several air show’s around the world. (Photo courtesy Michael E. Fader and Andy Herzog)

Naval Planes

By side of many French aircrafts you will find some very rare foreign Navy airplanes, such as a Douglas Skyraider, a Hawker Seafury, a Grumman Avenger and a well preserved Consolidated Catalina, mostly private owned.

War Birds over the Sky of Essonne

At La Ferte-Alais they showed this year two kinds of war birds: Biplane from WW I like the RAE SE5A build out of a De Havilland Tiger Moth, a Fokker DR3 and a Nieuport 17, supported by several Fokker D7, a SPAD and a few Nieuport 17 and last but not least a beautiful Morane-Saulnier A1.

The second aspect of War Birds came came from Russia, like a Yak-3, a Yak-11 and a very old Po-2.

Pearl Harbor

Meanwhile 70 years past the fatal attack on Pearl Harbor on 7th December 1941. In memory of this historical drama the air show paid some tribute by showing a special fling display, regarding aircrafts participating at this time. As you may understand, many of these aircraft types don’t exist anymore.

A North American Texan prevents to be a Japanes ZERO and the American’s used NAF N3N-3 and two Curtis P-40 Tomahawk in the dog fights over the sky’s auf Cerny.

Junkers

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Amicale Jean-Baptiste Salis

Probably one of the largest and best historical collections of vintage aircrafts in the world! It was again amazing to see one of the two Bleriot XI-2 flying. This filigree aircraft is very delicate to fly and doesn’t allow any mistake by the pilot. On the day of our arriving one of the Bleriot XI-2 crashed, during final approach, caused by strong side winds. The pilot was slightly insured and we hope the aircraft can be restored and will fly again next year.

last update 26. June 2011

Written 26. June 2011

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