Old flying machines in Bourgogne
Text and Pictures : Serge Van Heertum - S.B.A.P.
The wonderful Bourgogne a well known French area for it’s prestigeous wines is also a place where old airplanes are stored off based after flying conditions restoration. It’s always a pleasure during a trip to see some of our loved planes.
A particular castle !
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The first step was hold at Savigny Les Beaune castle where the owner, Mister Michel Pont, is well known for his aircraft collection but also for other collections like Abarth sportcars (He was in fact sportcar pilot for this company), Motorcycles, old firetrucks and special tractors especially designed for the wine trees. About 80 aircraft are exposed in the castle park, some are waiting for a needed restoration usually performed by a volunteer association : “Ailes Anciennes de la Côte d’Or”.
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| Abarth cars | Motocycles | Wine trees tractors |
The owner is really proud about some of the exposed aircrafts like airplanes of the prestigious “Patrouille de France” and a large panel of Dassault Aviation productions since the beginning of jet fighters. Some foreign planes are also exposed, the result of different Air Force donations or exchanges with other museums. The collection includes some old Belgian Air Force glories…
So, if you spent a holiday in Bourgogne, a visit to this particular castle should be really interesting and can be concluded by a wine tasting from their own production.
More info : http://reception-aviation.chateau-savigny.com/
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| Aerieal view of the aircrafts collection | The castel and one of the "guardian" |
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| Potez CM-170 Fouga Magister Patrouille de France | Dassault Mystère IVA Patrouille de France |
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| Dassault Ouragan Patrouille de France | Republic F-84G Thunderjet Patrouille de France |
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| Marcel Dassault MD450 Ouragan | Marcel Dassault MD452 Mystère II C |
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| Marcel Dassault MD454 Mystère IV A | Marcel Dassault MD454 Mystère IV A |
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| Marcel Dassault Super Mystère B.2 | Dassault Aviation Mirage III A |
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| Dassault Aviation Mirage III B | Dassault Mirage III E loaded on a truck, departing for a German museum |
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| SNCASO SO-4050 Vautour II A | SNCASO SO-4050 Vautour II N equiped for radar test (CEV) |
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| Sikorsky H-19 D3 (S-55) | Sikorsky H-34 (S-58) |
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| Bréguet Br1050 Alizé n°04 | The last arrived in the collection : Sepecat Jaguar E 339-WF |
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| BAC Lightning F-1A Royal Air Force | Canadair CL-13B Sabre 6 Luftwaffe |
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| WSK Lim 2 (Mig 15 UTI) Polish Air Force | WSK Lim 6 bis (Mig 17 F) Polish Air Force |
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| Canadair CF-104 Starfighter Royal Canadian Air Force | Vought F 8 Crusader |
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| Lockheed F-104G Starfighter Belgian Air Force | Lockheed TF-104G Starfighter Belgian Air Force |
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| Republic RF-84F Thunderflash Belgian Air Force | Republic F-84F Thunderstreak Belgian Air Force |
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| Hawker Hunter F.4 Belgian Air Force | Also a collection of engines can be seen |
Beaune-Challenges Airfield.
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Not far away from the castle (around 10 kilometers) at the east side of Beaune city is a little airfield. This is the homebase of the “Aeroclub Beaunois”. This flying club is the owner of 3 airplanes from Robin Company, but they are very proud about one of their own planes : a Jodel D112 with the construction number c/n 001 !
More infos about this club : http://www.aeroclub-beaunois.com/index.html
It was a great pleasure to meet the woman-president of this club and some members they rapidly told me that the neighbouring hangar is owned by Mister André Fleurance (Aero Fox) and his two flying machines : a T-28A Fennec and a Siai-Marchetti SF.260W originated from the Burkina-Faso Air Force…
The challenge was started…having a look and taking some pictures of both planes. After some phone calls with the owner and the pilot in charge, an appointment was fixed with Pascal Aubert, the pilot in charge, who was earlier Mirage 2000 demonstration pilot and later a member of the Addecco Team. This really kind man showed me the two planes and what I can tell about my first impression is that the T-28 is a real big and impressive aircraft.
In the coming weeks, Mister Fleurance will get one more plane : a Pilatus PC-7. All those planes are proposed for the airshow programs to earn some money so the maintenance cost can be covered and the planes preserved in flying conditions.
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| Jodel D112 (c/n 01) | Robin DR400-180 180cv |
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| Robin DR400-140B 160cv | A visitor : Zlin Aviation Savage F-JEXR |
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| Siai-Marchetti SF.260W (c/n 440) from Burkina Faso Air Force (Reg BF8451 / XT-MCO) (previous Lybian Air Force) with french registration F-GUSF | |
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| North American T-28A Fennec F-AZHR / 517749 (cn 174-602) ex French Air Force N° 135 | |
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| An impressive old flying machine with a big engine | |
Dijon-Darois Airfield
During the different conversations I had with all those interesting people I heard that some other old flying machines where based at Dijon-Darois Airfield located around 10 kilometers north-west of the city of Dijon. I decided to visit this airfield as well.
In fact Darois is the homebase of Flying Legend with there Spitfire PRXIX (rebuilt with a normal screw) but also from a Focke-Wulf 190 A8N in restoration.
Sadly…nobody was present that day so I couldn’t take a look.
Darois is also the base of an interesting company created in 2002 : Aero Restoration Service.
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| (click on logo to get their web site) |
This company is providing high quality restorations of old airplanes like a Yak 11 wich I could see in front of their building and a Boeing Stearman I could see on the airfield. The technicians were busy at the time being working on an an Auster AOP aircraft and on a Fairchild 24 Ranger. This company provides also the needed technical assistance and maintenance for old aircraft like an Extra 230 from the “Green March” aerobatic team acquired when the team decided to change their fleet.
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| Avion Mudry CAP231 ex-"Green March" team (CN-ABL / 09) F-GUCF | Boeing Stearman A75/N1 (c/n 75-3286) F-AZEE restaured by Cheyenne Aviation |
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| Fairchild 24 Ranger in restauration | Auster AOP engine adaptation level |
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| Splendid Yakovlev YAK 11 (F-AZYA) also restaured by Aero Restauration Service | Previously this plane was registrated in Belgium as OO-YAK |
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| What else is needed? A splendid restaured plane placed in the sun and....the pilot touch | |
So in one word, the Bourgogne area is a real good destination to discover old flying machines.
We would like to thank :
Mister Michel Pont (Savigny-lès-Beaune castle)
The president of Beaune Aeroclub
Alain from Beaune Aeroclub for all the precious informations
Mister André Fleurance (owner T-28 and SF.260)
Mister Palscal Aubert (Pilot of T-28 and SF.260)
The technicians of Aero Restoration Service
for their kindness, obligingness and facilities during our different visits.