Meeting Aérien la Ferté Alais 2009

Words and photography Michael van der Mee, video Jan Loedeman

In the weekend of May 30/31 the 37th edition of one of the biggest old-timer airshows in Europe was held again at La Ferté Alais, some 30 miles south of Paris. It provides a home to the famous collections of the Amicale Jean-Baptiste Salis and Les Casques de Cuir. With promissing clear blue skies Jan and Michael went to the show for the second time after being washed out in 2007.

The Amicale Jean-Baptiste Salis (AJBS), named after its founder (1896-1967), rebuilds and puts aircraft on display, either in flight or on the ground, belonging to the world heritage of flying machines. Besides the fact that this is a museum with some venerable flying machines, a large part of the aircraft are maintained to flying conditions and are frequently displayed in airshows all over France during the flying season.

Jean-Baptiste Salis is a 16 years old aviator in 1912 when he takes off from Billon, with a Hanriot Libellule he has built by himself. After being flight instructor during World War One, airshow pilot and founder of some Alpine airfields, he contributes to the genesis of the famous Parisian airfield called Toussus le Noble. He begins to collect and restore some old aircraft in 1937.

He settles down at Cerny-La Ferté Alais, founds the airfield there and this is where his son Jean comes to the world. After World War Two, there is nothing left from the collection and the airfield becomes a renowned center for plainsailing until 1972, when this activity is transfered to the Buno-Bonneveaux airfield where it less interferes the ever growing traffic in- and out Paris-Orly.

After Jean-Baptise passed away in 1967, his son Jean decides to continue the restoration and rebuilding of vintage aircraft and more was added to its personnal collection. AJBS saw the light at La Ferté at the end of the seventies, and later the Forteresse Toujours Volante, flying one of two B-17s in Europe, the Memorial Flight associations and some privately-owned aicraft followed in the nineties.

This is how the largest flying aircraft museum in France was constituted, having as main characteristic the wide diversity of aircraft on display ranging from the Blériot XI from the early 1900s to the Douglas A-4 Skyraider, famous from the Vietnam War. All aircraft are piston engined and fly from the grass runway of La Ferté.

The early years

Words and photography Michael van der Mee

The 1920s and 1930s were an interesting period for aviation. After the First World War a lot of surplus biplane fighters flouded the European and American continents. Aerobatics and so called Wing Walking became immensely popular and airfields (mostly converted farmland) popped up virtually everywhere.

The Brequet XIV is a good example of how the surplus planes were given good use. Being a bomber in the First World War it was converted delivering more piecefull mail. Either in France but the mail also was delivered at longer distances like Tunesia and Marocco by this plane.

The Waco UPF-7 from Foug'Air is an unusual airplane. This is not due to any outstanding technical features but to timing. A relatively obsolete design, it was built in quantity at a time when the open cockpit biplane trainer for civilian use was virtually extinct. Only the Army and Navy were principal customers for biplane trainers in succeeding years. While Waco did not have a share of this market, it was one of the few firms that continued to supply open cockpit biplanes to private owners of the mid-1930s

Another rare plane in the European circuits is the Naval Aircraft Factory N-3N. Delivered with over 900 N3Ns beginning in 1935 the production ended in January 1942, but the type remained in use through the rest WW II. The N3N was the last biplane in US military service, the last were retired in 1961.

Another famous 1930s trainer was the Boeing Stearman of who the AJBS has one in their collection representing the US Navy in 1930s livery. The trainer was used well into the Second World War as lead in trainer before the students moved on to the Harvard.

The 1930s also saw the secret rebuilt of the German Luftwaffe that was using trainers like the Focke Wulf Stieglitz and various Bücker Jungmann trainers in so called civil flying clubs. In this way the fighter and bomber pilots were trained in preparation of Hilter's plans to conquer Europe. Representing this era in the airshow where the FW44 Stieglitz and Bëcker 131 Jungmann both in colors of the so called flying clubs.

A nice Dutch tint was in the show with a very rare PT-22 Ryan. Wearing the orange triangle, the Royal Netherlands Air Force colors in 1939 and 1940.

World War Two, the European theatre

Words and photographs Michael van der Mee

The European and Mediteranian theatres had a couple of interesting firsts planned. From the German Messerschmitt Stiftung a Me163B Komet was flown.  The prototype was a glider and in this bright red livery the Me163 from the foundation was towed behind a Do-27 to height and to start it's demo.

Not much known to the general public, but the Me163 was the first jet ever to reach the magic speed of 1.000 km/h, almost the speed of sound. As the jet was powered by a rocketengine that gave it a maximal time in the air of about 2 minutes, as it has to glide back home. The high explosive fuel "C-Stoff", burned with the oxygen-rich exhaust from the "T-Stoff" for added thrust. It proved a very dangerous combination and let to many accidents during refeuling.

During take off a takeoff "dolly" mounted under the landing skid in the form of two big weels that would be jettisoned as soon the Me163 got airborne. This also was a risk, many Me163s got damaged while the wheels bounced bak in the jet during take-off. When all fuel was consumed on it's intercept mission it would glide back to it's base, using the retractable skid under the fuselage.

Another first was the Focke Wulf FW190-A8N, the newly build replica owned by Christophe Jacquard. This famous fighter just had it's first flight weeks before the show and unfortunately had some electrical problems preventing it to peform its first flight during an airshow appearance.

Supermarine Spitfire PR Mk XIX PS890, also from Christophe Jacquard, had a new engine installed last winter and lost it's counter rotating double props. Together with this it also got a new look, changing the known blue for a sand camouflage with a big black panther on the fuselage. The colors are inspired by the 152 Squadron RAF in the Far East.

Also the MS 406 was showing it's new paintjob representing 138/N458, as it was flown during May 1940 by Commander Marcel Coadou, Second in command of the EC 1/2 Cigognes. 

The AJBS Mitchell pefrormed an inspiring demo and together with one of the two flying B-17 Flying Fortesses in Europe made tribute to the bombercrews of the 2nd World War.

World War Two, the Pacific

Words and photographs Michael van der Mee

The Pacific theatre was represented by a section of North American AT-6 Harvards representing a Japanese fighter sweep over Pearl Harbour. A modified AT-6 "Zero" acted as fighter cover resulting in a dogfight with one of the American defenders who lost the fight and went down leaving a smoke trail.

On it's turn the Zero was intercepted by a Curtiss P-40 Kitty Hawk that was scrambled from a heavily striked base. The P-40 hit the Zero forcing it to make an emercency landing at it's homebase La Ferté.

The AT-6 "Zero" was very impressive for me. With a heavily modified fuselage it is at first hard to distingish from a real Zero. The detailed livery of the fighter even went on in the cockpit where Japanese symbols where painted on the dashbord. The whole was completed with two "kill" symbols aft of the canopy.

The various AT-6 variants where painted in various schemes from the pre-war U.S. Army Air Force T-6G from "Les Casques de Cuir" ("the leather flight helmets"), till the after war AT-6D from Aero Retro.

A bit of an outsider is the NA68. This was an unsuccesfull fighter derative of the T-6 Harvard. The design was developed from the model NA-16 experimental basic training aircraft of 1935.

The NA-16 evolved into a series of aircraft that would become the most successful advanced and basic training aircraft produced by any country; the Harvard. It differs from the T-6 only by the presence of a gear-box allowing to put a three blade propeller instead of the usual noisy two-blade propeller, a single seat arrangement and some minor structural differences in the fuselage.

The NA68 of the AJBS is a T-6 modified to play the role of a F-6F Hellcat of the French Aeronavale in the film "Dien Bien Phu" directed by Pierre Schoendoerffer. Of the NA68, it keeps the trhee-blade propeller and fuselage modifications, but it is still a two-seater.

All in all an impressive part of the show including big explosions and some nice action in the skies above La Ferté!

State of the art contributions

Words and photographs Michael van der Mee

Next to the contribution of the Aeronavale with their Rafale M, Super Etendards and E-2C Hawkeye, the French Air Force brought their Rafale solo display to the showground as did the Army's RHC 5 with the worlds most advanced combat helicopter; the Eurocopter Tigre HAP.

The French - German Tigre is well underway to become the eyes and ears on the battlefield as well as the most sophisticated anti-tank helicopter currently around. The Tigre is made for 80% out of carbon fiber reinforced polymer and Kevlar, 11% aluminum, and 6% titanium. The rotors are made from fiber-plastic able to withstand combat damage and bird strikes. Being light and powered with powerful engines the helicopter is next to relatively silent also extremely maneuverable. It makes loops and rolls out of a hovering position!

While the Tigre has a conventional configuration of a two man crew sitting in tandem, it is somewhat unusual in that the pilot is in the front seat and the gunner is in the back. The seats are offset to opposite sides of the centerline to improve the foeward view for the weapons operator in the back. Another unique feature, the front-dome cameras, are a twin-set fixed to the front-right and front-left, providing a large angle of coverage, allowing the weapons operator at the back seat to act on the wide and steady video feed he receives.

The Dassault Rafale is the French Air Force newest, highly agile, multi-role fighter built by Dassault Aviation. Although not a true stealth aircraft, the Rafale has reduced radar signature measures like many of its contemporaries such as the Super Hornet and Typhoon.

The Solo Display was flown by a Rafale B in the markings of the recently reformed EC 01.091 "Gascogne" based at St. Dizier. Until 2004 this unit was known as ERS 01.091, the last unit flying the Mirage IVP reconnaissance variant of the type.

The Air Force Rafale replaces the well known Mirage 2000 Air Defense variant in the airshow circuit for the first time this year, being the premier ambassador of the French Armée de L'Air fighter community as well as in France as abroad. The display is equally impressive as it's predicecor and shows the amaziging agility and power this massive fighter has!

The Pioneers of aviation

Words and photographs Michael van der Mee

The show on Sunday brought a nice surprise when  "les Amis" brought out their precious Blériots and Morane Type H again. The previous day the wind prevented the take-off, but now it was all oke and the planes were put diagonal on the runway so a straight nose wind helped them during take-off.

- Blériot XI -

The Blériot XI is most famous for being the first aircraft to cross the Channel back in 1909, and is the favorite aircraft of the Amicale Jean-Baptiste Salis. This particular aircraft is the eldest of the collection. It has been restored in 1955 by Jean-Baptiste Salis. After its restoration Jean-Baptiste Salis repeats Blériot's achievement and crosses the Channel with this aircraft for the 1955 commemoration of the Entente Cordiale.

This excact Blériot XI was the last built by the craftmen of Blériot factory, and was built at their expense to be offered to Louis Blériot in 1921. Since its construction only the fabric covering has been changed!

- Blériot XI-2 -

The Blériot XI-2 was the military two-seat version of the Blériot XI. In 1991 the aircraft has been rebuilt from the original blueprints in the workshops of the Amicale Jean-Baptiste Salis. This Blériot XI-2 wears the color scheme of Adolphe Pegoud. When he bailed out from an Bleriot aircraft to test a parachut, the aircraft continued to fly and was doing loops without its pilot, beofre crashing down. This brought Pegoud the idea to pefrorm it while piloting the plane. He is the first man to peform a looping with a Bleriot XI.

- Morane Type H -

The Morane Type H is the aircraft upon which Roland Garros has crossed the Mediterranean on 23^th September 1913 between Frejus (France) and Bizerte (Tunisia), achieving a 700km flight of which 500 where over sea.

This particular aircraft has been rebuilt in 1990 from the original blueprints in the workshop of the Amicale Jean-Baptiste Salis. It is fitted with a genuine Le Rhône rotary engine.