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14 Juli 2015
| Every year on 14 July, France celebrates the storming of the Bastille prison during the French Revolution in 1789 with a |
| military parade over the Champs Élysées in Paris. A flypast of airborne assets of the armed forces is always part of the |
| programme. On the day before the flypast, most of the participating aircraft, including some spares, gather at three air |
| bases in the vicinity of Paris: Evreux (jets from the air force and navy), Creil (helicopters from the army and navy) and |
| Villacoublay (helicopters from the air force). The transport aircraft, tankers and AWACS usually fly from their home |
| bases. The Rafales and Super Etendards (for the last time this year?) fly directly from Landiviseau. Since photography of |
| the actual flypast is a bit challenging (the aircraft are quite high overhead and it is difficult to find a spot where you are |
| not too much underneath the aircraft), it is worthwhile to go to Evreux on 13 July, because the participating air force |
| jets arrive over the course of the day and photo opportunities, when runway 22 is in use, are very good. A visit to the |
| various airfields around Paris is also recommended, as some exotic visitors, carrying VIPs who will attend the festivities, |
| may be present. This year for example, the Mexican armed forces participated in the ground military parade. They were |
| flown in with their own military transport aircraft. |
| Ouverture du Defilé | |||
| E46/1, E162/2, E88/3 | Alpha Jet E | EPAA20.300 | |
| E114/4, E45/5, E94/6 | Alpha Jet E | EPAA20.300 |
| E79/7, E85/8, E152/9 | Alpha Jet E | EPAA20.300 |
| E95/0 | Alpha Jet E | EPAA20.300 |
| The Patrouille de France opened the defile with twelve Alpha Jets. Two remain unidentified. |
| 471/93-CB | C-135FR | GRV02.091 |
| 112/118-IQ, 116/118-IU | Rafale C | EC02.030 |
| 118/118-IW | Rafale C | EC02.030 |
| 345/113-FO | Rafale B | ETR02.092 |
| 118/115-YG, 120/115-KC | Mirage 2000C | EC02.005 |
| 124/115-YT, 530/115-OL | Mirage 2000C/B | EC02.005 |
| Forces Aériennes Stratégiques | |||
| 740/93-CL | C-135FR | GRV02.091 | |
| 307/113-IA, 310/113-HC | Rafale B | ETR02.092 |
| 315/113-HK | Rafale B | ETR02.092 |
| 345/125-BU, 353/125-AM | Mirage 2000N | EC02.004 |
| 358/125-BQ | Mirage 2000N | EC02.004 |
| Projection de Puissance | |||
| 606/133-JC, 625/133-XG | Mirage 2000D | EC03.003 | |
| 629/133-XO, 680/133-XM | Mirage 2000D | EC03.003 |
| Police du Ciel | |||
| 203/702-CC | E-3F | EDCA02.036 | |
| 48/116-EW, 49/116-EA | Mirage 2000-5F | GC01.002 |
| 63/116-EM | Mirage 2000-5F | GC01.002 |
| Formation et Entraînement | |||
| E116/120-FN | Alpha Jet E | ETO01.008 | |
| E131/120-RO | Alpha Jet E | ETO01.008 |
| AT01 | Alpha Jet E | ETO02.008 |
| Projection de Puissance | |||
| 8, 12 | Super Etendard | 17F | |
| 23, 29 | Rafale M | 12F |
| Aviation de Patrouille et de surveillance Maritime | |||
| 30 | Falcon 50SURMAR | 24F | |
| 19 | Atlantique NG | 23F |
| Projection de Forces | |||
| 0010/F-RBAC | A400M | ET01.061 | |
| 5119/61-PC | C-130H | ET02.061 |
| TK.10-05/31-50 | KC-130H | Ala31 |
| R202/64-GB | C-160R | ET00.064 |
| 196/62-HD | CN235M-300 | ET01.062 |
| T.21-05/35-43 | C295M | Ala35 |
| Sécurité Civile | |||
| F-ZBFK/96 | Be200 | Sécurité Civile | |
| F-ZBFW/38, F-ZBMG/48 | CL415 | Sécurité Civile |
| Transport Stratégique | |||
| 075/F-RAJA | A340-211 | ET03.060 | |
| Combat Aéroterrestre: Le GAM | |||
| (4195)/GCP | SA342M | not known | |
| (2029)/BHV | Tigre HAP | not known |
| (6011)/BJL | Tigre HAD | not known |
| Patrouille HAM Manoeuvre et Assaut | |||
| (2331)/CGU | AS532UL | not known | |
| (1292)/EAG, (1295)/EAJ | NH90-TTH | 1RHC |
| Patrouille Mixte IMEX et HM PC | |||
| (6007)/BJG | Tigre HAD | 1RHC | |
| (1176)/DAS, (1145)/DCO | SA330Ba | not known |
| Action Spéciales | |||
| (6008)/BJH | Tigre HAD | 1RHC | |
| (2640)/CAG | EC725AP | 4RHFS |
| (3850)/GAI | SA342M | not known |
| Mission Hephaitos: Détachement d’ Intervention Héliporté | |||
| (1213)/DDF | SA330Ba | not known | |
| (4114)/GBO | SA342M | not known |
| F-ZBPO | EC145 | Sécurité Civile |
| Mission Antiterrorisme: le Groupe Interarmées d’ Hélicoptères | |||
| (1367)/AK | SA330B | not known | |
| (5682)/DBR | SA330Ba | 5RHC |
| 1663/DBQ | SA330Ba | 5RHC |
| Engagement Bande sahélo-saharienne/RCA | |||
| (2802)/SK | EC725R2 | EH01.067 | |
| (1657)/AX | SA330B | EH01.067 |
| (5444)/VP | AS555AN | EH03.067 |
| Soutien à la Population | |||
| (2619)/SC | EC725R2 | EH01.067 | |
| (2244)/PM | AS332L1 | EH01.044 |
| (5516)/WD | AS555AN | EH05.067 |
| Combat Aéromaritime et Sauvetage Maritime | |||
| 2, 11 | NH90-NFH | not known | |
| 313 | SA365F1 | 35F |
| 466 | AS565SA | 36F |
| Direction Générale de la Gendarmerie Nationale | |||
| (0747)/JDE, (0867)/JDL | EC135 | Gendarmerie | |
| (9036)/JBG | EC145 | Gendarmerie |
| Issy-les-Moulineaux | |||
| In the past years there used to be a small static display of helicopters at Les Invalides, in the centre of Paris. After the | |||
| flypast some of the helicopters that took part would go to the heliport of Issy-les-Moulineaux, a couple of kilometres |
| south-east of the city centre for refuelling, before flying to Les Invalides. This year however, due to a lack of personnel |
| as a consequence of operational requirements, there was no static display. Nevertheless the following helicopters were |
| noted at Issy. |
| 1295/EAJ | NH90-TTH | 1RHC |
| 6012/BJL | Tigre HAD | 1RHC |
| 1663/DBQ | SA330Ba | not known |
| (5427)/VJ | AS555AN | EH03.067 |
| (5430)/VL | AS555AN | EH00.067 |
| (5520)/WE | AS555AN | EH03.067 |
| The Fennecs were flying overhead. |
| Creil-Senlis | |||
| The following spare helicopters were noted at Creil. One Puma remained unidentified. | |||
| (1273)/EAD | NH90-TTH | not known |
| (4189)/GCN | SA342M | not known |
| Also present were the following aircraft, not in conjunction with the flypast. |
| 127/118-GF | Rafale C | EC02.030 | QRA +1 |
| 82/315-WY, 91/315-XH | TB30 | EPAA00.315 |
| 101/315-XR, 103/315-XT | TB30 | EPAA00.315 |
| 118/315-YI, 142/315-ZG | TB30 | EPAA00.315 |
| Based aircraft noted were: | |||
| 045/62-IB, 114/62-IJ | CN235M-200 | ET01.062 | |
| 128/62-IK, 160/62-IS | CN235M-200 | ET01.062 |
| 196/62-HD | CN235M-300 | ET03.062 |
| Evreux-Fauville | |||
| The following spare aircraft were noted at Evreux (13jul15). | |||
| AT14 | Alpha Jet E+ | ETO02.008 |
| E73, E139, E166 | Alpha Jet E | EPAA20.300 |
| E99/120-AH | Alpha Jet E | EE02.002 |
| E124/120/RN | Alpha Jet E | ETO01.008 |
| 525/115-AM | Mirage 2000B | EC02.005 |
| 114/62-IJ | CN235M-200 | ET01.062 |
| 337/113-IL | Rafale B | EC01.091 |
| 350/113-FQ | Rafale B | ETR02.092 |
| The three EPAA20.300/Patrouille de France Alpha Jets were uncoded. Two of these participated in the flypast. |
| Visitors | |||
| E31/705-RK, E153/705-RU | Alpha Jet E | EAC00.314 | |
| Based aircraft noted were: | |||
| R202/64-GB, R204/(64-GD) | C-160R | ET00.064 | |
| R208/64-GH, R210/(64-GJ) | C-160R | ET00.064 |
| R211/64-GK, R217/(64-GQ) | C-160R | ET00.064 |
| Orly | |||
| TP-01 | B757-225EM | CGTAP | |
| Le Bourget | |||
| ANX-1207 | G550 | PRIESCAERTRANS | |
| The Mexicans at Orly and Le Bourget were there as support for the Mexican participants in the ground parade. |
Credits: Paul van der Linden, Jochem Manders, Perry & Marco Dirkx, Dennis Peteri, Leonard, van Teeffelen and Michiel Vermeer
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