Text: Régis Rocca  &  Pictures : Régis Rocca & Marlène Poppi - ©SBAP 2011 

Saint-Tropez ( Google earth)

Usually, Saint Tropez on the 15th of August is like H&M shop on the first day of sales... quite a bad idea!
Not this year though, which saw the takeoff of "Les Ailes de Saint Tropez"'s first edition, in the late afternoon, above
the bay and water and before 10 000 people gathered on the famous harbour and the beaches.

Summer was in the air for this air show focused on collection planes and some high quality appearances.
Catherine Monoury opened the ball trenchant as usual on board of her Extra 300.
She was followed by Julien "Axel" Folley with his Alphajet solo display.
The harmonious and brilliant Catalina was a pleasure to look at. Thanks to its perfect curves flying gracefully in the azure sky and above the sparkling water of this tropezian afternoon, the seaplane brought with him a moment of pure and great emotion.
Another great moment came with another great historic plane, an Air France DC-3, decorated in his original 1946 Air France livery. That was a beautiful moment of history.
From greatness to strengh, there is only one step. This was all about the Seafury, still as winged and famous for his thin and graphic streaks.
This very moment was the perfect icebreaker for the ball of the Breitling Jet Team, with a perfect performance set like a clockwork.
Cherry on top: the sparkling final which opened the arrival of the most famous of warbirds: the Spitfire. This aeronautical jewel gave us some rare and precious moments.
The final ending of "Les Ailes de Saint Tropez" was performed by the Patrouille de France well known as PAF, still the same with a complete and pleasant 2011 program.

To put it in a nutshell, this event, "Les Ailes de Saint Tropez"'s first edition presented a small but one of the highest quality selection of planes.
Although there were no taxiway or parking, neither shops or podium, there was only an exhibition about Latécoère history in town.
This air show had a very special taste of beauty above the turquoise water of the Mediterranean sea...

 

Sun and blue sky at saint-Tropez for the event	A real fair on the beach
Catherine Maunoury, boss of the Paris Air and Space museum...	...and aerobatic pilot on board her Extra 300
Alpha Jet solo display	Julien "Axel" Folley
The Catalina above his element...the sea
Douglas DC-3	In his after war paint scheme
Sea Fury FB.11, power...	...and elegance
The Breitling Jet team, one of the top civilian aerobatic team
Pass above the bay of Saint-Tropez Alaways the perfection and the final with the flares
Supermarine Spitfire Mk XiX from Christophe Jaquard
So small in the vastness of the sky !
As final of the afternoon, la Patrouille de France
Split	Big Bang !
Perfect formations	A last bird during the show...
Air demontrations are over, the old Saint-Tropez on sunshine !

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