Holiday in France 2011

[Nielis]

Hi guys,

We have planned our vacation for this year and this year we desided to go to the Provance area. It happend that the place we are going "Roche Baudin" has within a 2 hour drive 5 different millitairy airfields. Those 5 are:

Adla:
- Orange
- Salon-de-Provance
- Istres

Aeronavale:
- Nimes

ALAT:
- Valence

I had a look at the scramble airfield guide and it is a good guide but I was wondering if anyone has some personal experience with these airfields, if so could you give me some tips and " Do's and Don't ". For example I would like to know which these airfields has the most flying activity and Which airfield I shouldn't bother to visit.

I'm going in the last week of July and the first week of August.

I hope you guys have some usefull information

Niels

[wizard 51]

Orange, flying hours can be found...

http://www.base-aerienne-orange.com/ind ... ion-de-vol

I visited in 2009...


http://www.vlnphotography.co.uk/orange_caritat.html

Hope that helps a bit.

Sure ive seen pics from Istres also on the net , the Day i went they were landing from the South, it was busy with lots of variation
Hunters, Navy Rafales and Super E ,Mirage 2000s and a British Nimrod.
Gendarm were happy with us observing but no photos.

Personally if was in the area id try Vitrolles, North of Marseille and South of Salon.
They do get the helos on test from Marseille at times

[Copter]

Personally if was in the area id try Vitrolles, North of Marseille and South of Salon.
They do get the helos on test from Marseille at times

As far as I know Vitrolles has no airfield. In Vitroles you can only find a fire station with some fire choppers in the summer and a school with some preserved aircraft.

Maybe you mean Berre - La Fare (north of Marseille), but this is a really small airfield ?

Also very interesting is Marseille-Marignane (Eurocopter factory, Securite Civile).

[Gietje]

I'm going to this area too in the summer. Does anybody have any experience with airfields such as Nimes and Montpellier?

[wizard 51]

My apologies.

Dont know why i though it was vitroilles LOL.

Indeed its the airstrip left of D113 south of Les Guigues with pics like these available if you have patience i guess!
http://www.spottingzone.com/forum/archi ... c3638.html

[Copter]

These pictures indeed look like La Farre.

Damn, I was there on a sunday when there was no flying at the Eurocopter facility

[Gietje]

Personally if was in the area id try Vitrolles, North of Marseille and South of Salon.
They do get the helos on test from Marseille at times

As far as I know Vitrolles has no airfield. In Vitroles you can only find a fire station with some fire choppers in the summer and a school with some preserved aircraft.

Maybe you mean Berre - La Fare (north of Marseille), but this is a really small airfield ?

Also very interesting is Marseille-Marignane (Eurocopter factory, Securite Civile).

Do you have the coordinates of this fire station?

[Copter]

Hope this works

It's the building in the middle of the picture.

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source= ... 6&t=h&z=17

[Gietje]

Sure does! I hope I'll come in Marseille to visit it!

[Antheii]

Hi,

• Orange - never spend more than an hour here, so no real indication what to expect.
• Salon-de-Provance - Since the Tucano's are gone, and replaced by civil registered TB's hardly worthwile to go here any more. Maybe during the weekend some military gliders and tugs.
• Istres - as a number cruncher I find this a usefull place to make a hit-and-run, not sure what the photography posibilities are though, but I don't think they are very good (but stand to be corrected).
• Nimes - not much flying activity
• Valence - no experience

As already mentioned, Marseille Marignane is a great place to go too. Apart from the Eurocopter factory, it is also home to the CL415 and S-2 fleet of the Securite Civile. Note though, both in general only fly on weekdays, apart from the fire season when the 415's and S-2's are used for real off course.
Weekends are even for the civil orientated spotter not interesting, with especially the Sunday only to be described as 'boring'.

And don't forget the museum in Montelimar, which is not that far from Rochebaudin either.

Regards,

Hans

[Copter]

Saint Victoret, which is very near to Marignane, also has a small museum. Only problem, the opening hours are a bit unsure ....

http://www.aviationmuseum.eu/World/Euro ... iation.htm