high level. commencement of the war Britain had some 113 aircraft in military When the RFC deployed to France in 1914 it sent four Squadrons (No.s 2,3,4 and 5) with 12 aircraft each, which together with aircraft in depots, gave a total strength of 63 aircraft supported by 900 men. It's a great spot with friendly hosts who keep their own aircraft on the field. Do check the circuit pattern before you arrive since it is a non-standard shape because of noise-sensitive areas. There's no shortage of runway and there's a good little café (Le Coucou de la Fourchette) whose friendly English-speaking proprietors Luc and Edith Dufour are well-known to Britsh flyers and who also sell an excellent range of wines, so it can make a good last stop on the way home. Hi Gents, Anyone know how best to identify precise locations of RFC airfields used during the conflict? It's a bit touristy perhaps, but is still a very pretty spot with lots of places to eat and shop. The St Omer Appeal has raised funds for a memorial to be erected to the memory of the RFC, RNAS, RAF and AFC personnel who served in France during the First World War. The restaurant on the first floor of the terminal at Deauville is a good choice if you don't have time to go into one of the towns. Le Mans which has a large modern airfield right next to the famous Arnage circuit. the Somme offensive. Perpignan is another regional airport which mixes scheduled flights by the likes of Ryanair with GA, though they don't accept microlights. A beautiful small club field in lovely surroundings to the west of the old volcanic peaks of the central Auvergne. You need to take care with the nearby Basle airspace but this isn't a problem as long as you have up-to-date charts. Steve Jackman has visited more recently and found more signs of life than I did! The aircraft were a mixture of BE2’s (No 2 & 4 Sqns), I made a brief pit stop at Ambert in the summer of 2006 on the way from Mulhouse to Aix en Provence so didn't spend much time at the field. The airfield is excellent and uncrowded, has fuel and Customs on request. I made a brief stop here in 2004 to meet up with another pilot who was, as it turned out, actually waiting at Lezignan! It's a popular holiday destination with the French so there are plenty of hotels and restaurants and you can hire cars or bicycles to explore. Landing fee was just 5 euros. The canal runs through the middle and it boasts a fantastic market too, again with an intriguing mixture of French and Spanish influences. But beach is good with bars along the waterfront, great place to watch the sun go down. Having been to a number of them myself, I must admit there's generally not much left apart from farmer's fields however, the view from above St.Eloi is certainly worth the look. Clear customs at Pontoise. The French Aviation Service had 160 aircraft and the German If you're flying to the east of the city then look out for the famous Mont Saint Victoire that he painted so often. Libourne Artigues de Lussac air force 246. New - I have updated the presentation of the data so that all the basic details for an airfield appears in the pop-up when you click on its symbol. The RFC squadrons in France were grouped under the newly established 1st Wing and the 2nd Wing. A little over 30 miles to the south east of Le Touquet is Arras which boasts an excellent grass airfield on the north-eastern edge of the town shared by a nice mixture of light aircraft, gliders and microlights. It's a club field with light aircraft and gliders with a grass runway and is handy to the town. Just a short taxi to beach area with good selection of restaurants. This was a lunch and fuel stop for us one summer, but it turned out to be a memorable experience as we arrived at the start of the lunchtime closure and ended up sharing a simple but superb lunch in the café in the tower with the airfield staff. Is there a definitive map, a table of locations or some such? The first of these First World War airfields which is being opencast is the former RFC/RAF Cramlington which was located near the current Aerodrome Corner, Fisher Lane, in Cramlington. There is a series of at least 5 books by Mike O'Connor on RFC/RNAS airfields in Northern France and Belgium, as part of the Battleground Europe series. The attractive old centre of the town is made up largely of half-timbered buildings. 08/31. The nearby town is small, but offers a hotel or two and a few places to eat. I passed a very pleasant summer evening there watching the world go by from a pavement café having flown up from Spain. There is a flying club there and fuel is available by arrangement, but otherwise it's very quiet. Fuel on airfield if you are lucky enough to find someone who will serve you. Only 10 minutes walk to town which offers plenty of hotels and restaurants. The first step for all newly arrived aircrew was to obtain a billeting allocation from HQ RFC – generally in St Omer itself as the messes around the airfield were invariably full. Total Colonel Hugh Trenchard is promoted to Brigadier General and appointed head of the Royal Flying Corps in France. Flight plans are mandatory because of the sea crossing. You need to look in several places, and even then occasionally you'll be told something different when you contact the destination. The system of choosing which airfields you can land at is confusing. If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. He had scored six victories. Belle Ile is well worth the short sea crossing, both for the island itself and to stock up on some of the local Belle Iloise fish products. There are plenty of places to eat and to stay, but it's a popular place and does fill up, so book ahead if you want to be sure of a room in summer. aircraft wastage : 198, of which - Airfield: A field with the same facilities as an ALG, although with improved dispersal facilities. Two former First World War airfields in the Northumberland area are to be lost to opencast mining, reports Dave Brown. There's an active club and a campsite directly across the road from the airfield entrance. You can ring the phone number on the clubhouse and the fuel man will arrive in due course. A very large plot of land (2.4 hectares = 5 acres = 24000 square metres) in a very secluded part of a private airfield called the Aerodrome de Gajoubert (LF8753) situated about half-way between Limoges and Poitiers.The road leading to the land is tree-lined and is only used by the owners as it is a cul-de-sac and it serves only our property. The place was deserted when I was there so I can't comment on the club or the facilities, but the field itself was well-kept and offered a good runway and plenty of parking space. The airfield is about 20 minutes walk from the town itself, and on a nice day it's a pleasant stroll past all the expensive holiday homes. When the RFC deployed to France in 1914 it comprised some four Squadrons (No.s 2,3,4 and 5) with 12 aircraft each, which together with aircraft in depots, gave … (LFAO). Saint-Omer, France 1914–1918 (Headquarters) - now Saint-Omer Wizernes Airport and site of British Air Services Memorial; Candas No 2 Aircraft Depot (2AD) formed 13.12.15 - Spring 1918; Fienvillers No 2 Aeroplane Supply Depot (2ASD) formed 1.11.17; Rang-du-Fliers 2AD moved after German Spring Offensive; St Andre aux Bois/Verton 2ASD moved after German Spring Offensive Clermont Ferrand Auvergne Check with Le Mans web site for race days as hotels all over the area get booked up solid. All Rights Reserved. This WW1 history blog is based on Greg's log book and war diary German aircraft strength Not far inland from Deauville is Bernay (LFPD) which is a charming and friendly grass field with an excellent restaurant at the airfield entrance. I have stayed in the main town of Le Palais which is dominated by the huge 16th Century Citadelle Vauban which guards the harbour, and in the very pretty fishing village of Sauzon. (LFRW). He writes - "This must be GA heaven. Lt. Town is very old and quite picturesque. 1916 (LFMW). It's close to some attractive small towns, and to some of the boatyards that serve the eastern part of the Canal du Midi. Good for touring the local vineyards. Dinard offers miles of runway and acts as a gateway to the attractive fishing town of St. Malo. This section records Capt. Pontoise Cormeilles en Vexin If there is nobody around then you need to go and knock on the door of the house at the end of the runway! Cherbourg can be a good point of entry or departure if you're flying in the western part of France. RFC lost 1,000 aircraft in four weeks. Assuming you can overcome that hurdle the museum is excellent and is within walking distance. These listings started off as an article in Today's Pilot in 2005 giving thumbnail sketches of French airfields that I'd visited. If you want to fly over the Airbus Plant then file a flight plan for Auch or somewhere west and Toulouse Blagnac should allow you to overfly. And indeed, some aircraft from the Central Flying School at NETHERAVON were allocated to fly to France. Slightly broken up paved runway but still useable. Saumur airfield is a 10 minute taxi ride from the centre of this beautiful town on the wide stretch of the Loire with a large château overlooking the river. The airfield has Customs and there's a restaurant in the terminal as well with a terrace from which to watch the aircraft while you eat. The airfield was next to the town with a good hard runway and plenty of club activity, but is now closed following the opening of a new airfield 13km to the south at Brive Souillac (LFSL). If you don't have time to leave the airfield you can still get a fine meal at L'Escale restaurant next to the terminal, but otherwise go into town for a very wide choice of places to eat and perhaps a stroll along the beach. Dinard Pleurtuit St Malo aircraft driven down 205 The people at the field couldn't have been more friendly or helpful and Castelnaudary itself is a very pretty town. Check Navigeo for the contact details and call before you go. It has fuel as long as you have cash. Slightly old-fashioned off the normal tourist route. Bagnères de Luchon is a beautifully situated airfield serving the eponymous spa town 2,000ft up in a steep-sided but broad valley. As a town, Gaillac is well worth a visit. On top of a ridge with trees along one side, this can be a bit exiting with a cross wind. Copyright © 2010 Alasdair Arthur's Site In August, 847 aircraft were lost and on one day alone (8 Targets The strip is grass and has quite a steep slope. A lovely little private airfield belonging to the Château where you can stay. (LFEY), Le Touquet Paris plage (LFID). The airfield is very friendly and has fuel which you can now (2011) pay for with cards and not just cash. My first visit was by Cirrus, but on my return by CT I was turned away on account of having no transponder, so if you don't have one call to check first. Beware of the atomic power station to the south - it is well marked on charts. Not far to the south is the Dordogne river which you can follow down towards the coast. It's a firm favourite with cross-Channel microlight pilots because of its friendly informality, but note that it does require prior notice for Customs. The classic cross-Channel destination for British pilots. The First World War airfields were joined by a few municipal airports and, during the Expansion Period, new military airfields were built at Bramcote and Ansty in Warwickshire. Don't be put off by the uninspiring lower town, but make your way up the hill (there is a funicular railway) and you will not be disappointed. Very friendly place, excellent restaurant, paved runway. Map of European aerodromes for general aviation pilots. (LFRD). The airfield itself is quite large with good facilities. I dropped in there when I found Albi closed for lunch. Town is a bit industrial. Biarritz Bayonne Anglet The facilities are good and it's well-placed for exploring the surrounding area. France. 31 through The town of Le Mans itself is a taxi ride away, with an old centre that is definitely worth seeing. of the RFC took place against the background of high attrition rates. Click on aerodrome marker to view info and download Visual approach and Aerodrome charts.Zoom to get larger amount of aerodromes in a particular area. When the race is on it is not surprisingly a very busy place, with special procedures in force for visiting pilots, but at other times it can utterly deserted. A little gem of an airstrip we 'discovered' by flying down the Dordogne from Bergerac. 12th December 2020. Very friendly place with good UK links, home of PARIS NORTH aero club, quite a few members speak good English. It's close to Poitiers, but I find it a better stopping place when I'm flying a microlight since you don't need special permission to land one there whereas at the former you do. Mostly deserted. The first step for all newly arrived aircrew was to obtain a billeting allocation from HQ RFC – generally in St Omer itself as the messes around the airfield were invariably full. (LFAL). 16th December 2020. (LFPT). Two former aviators who spent time at RFC Rendcomb were Lt. William Leefe Robinson VC, who in September 1916 was first to shoot down a German Zeppelin, and Keith Park, later to become Air Marshall Park, who commanded 11 Fighter Group during the Battle of … It was totally deserted, but has a good runway and is well-placed for flying along the endless beaches of the west coast. Experiences from previous landing operations in Italy proved that rapid relocation of fighters ashore was essential, allowing for direct … Château de Monhoudou You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. (LFDG). The "Roulement" system was not practiced on airfields. I have made three visits to Mulhouse Habsheim for annual events hosted by the local aero club. La Flèche Thorée les Pins stage of the war, aircraft production was able to keep pace with The terminal also serves as a small shop, selling a mixture of pilots' supplies such as charts, flight guides and aircraft models, and local produce such as Pérard fish soup and a range of Cognac, Calvados and the like. Peysourde is somewhat off the beaten track, being as it is 5,000ft up in the mountains, but if the weather permits it's a stunningly beautiful area to fly in. Flight route planning tool for air tourism. It covers the aircraft, the brave men who fought and died in aerial combat and the airfields in France. There is plenty of parking on the grass and a big plus is that you can walk (in about 20 minutes) to the RER station and travel straight into the heart of the city. I used it as a fuel stop while heading south for Spain so didn't explore beyond the airfield boundaries, but it served my purpose well. Doncaster airfield (also known as RFC Doncaster and RAF Doncaster, ICAO: EGCI) was an airfield 230 kilometers north-northeast of London. International airport, very helpful when we had an engine problem some years ago. Beaune is another lovely old town which is surrounded by some rather uninspiring modern development. RFC airfields contributing significantly to these losses. In high summer it gets busy so make sure you have somewhere to stay before heading out to the island. Recce Suddenly this pretty airstrip set about 1000' above the Dordogne rivet on top of an escarpment came into view and we just had to land there. The 3rd Wing was established on 1 March 1915 and on 15 April the 5th Wing came into existence. News O’Gara: Every game’s nearly a knockout. enemy action. The airfield lies a few miles inland from the small city of Narbonne and boasts a long concrete runway and a friendly flying club. Keep a good lookout out for paragliders in the area too. Chauvigny is a quiet gliding airfield close to the Vienne - a good stopover in mid France. RFC & RAF Tour which traces the history of the RFC until the merger with the Royal Naval Air Service on 1 April 1918 to form the Royal Air Force. Saint Etienne is a regional airport with some scheduled commercial flights. Individual pilots joining the RFC in France reported to the Pilots’ Pool at St Omer pending allocation to a squadron. There is a bus that goes past on the main road (some distance from the GA area) that will take you to the nearest station for travel into the city. The amount of weight you put on in the restaurant will be balanced by the reduction in weight of your wallet, so takeoff performance should be unaffected! (LFLC). The airfield also makes a good starting point for one of my favourite flights; the low-level VFR route that takes you east along the coast over the Camargue delta and on past Marseille towards Nice. Scott Hansen adds: Very busy in high summer (August). illustration of this in a period of steady state operation prior to 222 kilometers north of London. That offers an interesting town to the GAI VOR near-deserted long grass runway basic! Accept microlights unless you have to register before you can overcome that hurdle the museum is excellent and friendly... Aerobatics are sometimes conducted over the field was compiled from informaion available in 1981 ring the number. 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