Text: Alejandro De Prado // Photos: David Astorga González
The 38th edition of Airexpo took place last Saturday, May 11th, at the Muret-Leham Aerodrome in France. The event has a long history, beginning in 1987 at the initiative of students from ENAC (National School of Civil Aviation) and ENSICA (National School of Aeronautical Construction Engineers).
An initiative by young enthusiasts who altruistically decided to join forces to create an air festival (Meeting Aérien) that still exists today, initially located at the Las Bordes aerodrome and from 1992 at the current Muret-Leham aerodrome about 25 kilometers south of the French city of Toulouse and the cradle of aviation, it was and is the only air festival in the world organized exclusively by students.
It’s worth noting that Airexpo is a humble and simple festival that has grown in popularity over the years, reaching a remarkable cruising speed. It has also welcomed military acrobatic patrols such as the Red Arrows and the Patrouille de France, among others. In 2001, Supaero (now ISAE Supaero, Institut Supérieur de Aéronautique et de Espace, or ISAE) joined the organizing team.
It should be noted that the organization is currently run entirely by first-year students. Its organizers have achieved important milestones at the festival, such as the 20th Anniversary, bringing the Airbus factory’s A380 test aircraft to the festival for the first time, which had not been in the skies for even a year, greeting the team and those present and putting on one of the best displays of this aircraft ever seen.
A key date for Airexpo was 2009, the year in which several changes were made to the festival’s structure. Air Expo was renamed Airexpo, and the event’s logo was updated. Admission fees were introduced to cover the costs incurred by the event’s organization following the global crisis of 2008. The 38th edition, held last Saturday, May 11, featured:
Patrouille de France
Rafale Solo Display
Airbus 321 XLR
ATR 72 – 600
Vertical Flight Experience (2 x TB30 Epsilon)
North American T-6D
Équipe de Voltige de l’Armée de l’Air et de l’Espace (EVAAE) (2 x Extra 330SC)
The Acrobats (Model 12 vs Extra 260)
Van’s RV4
Crazy Piper Team (4 x Piper Cub + Cap 10)
UTVA-66 vs MC – 15 Cri-Cri
Yakolev Yak 50
Patrouille Coyote (3 x Tecnam P2002JF)
Aerospool WT9 Dynamic
Swift S-1 vs Socata Rally 235
Yako Team (Yak-18T y Yak 52)
Beechcraft Be58 Baron
Pipistrel Velis Electro
Patrouille Des Écoles (P68 Observer y Aquila AT01)
ALAT EC120 Colibrí)
Parachutistes 3ème RMAT (Regiment Du Matériel)
At the STATIC exhibition that the organizers had planned for the event area, among other aircraft of different types were present. In this edition we were able to see:
Integral R
Nieuport 17
Dyn’aero MCR01
Centrair C101
Socata TB30 Epsilon
Fairchild 24
Airbus Helicopter EC-135 Gendarmerie
Airbus Helicopter EC-135 SAMU
Cirrus SR20 EVAAE
Pilatus PC-6
There were also stands from various companies in the sector, such as Airbus and ATR, as well as aviation and aeronautical enthusiast associations. A helicopter was available for baptismal flights in a designated area for those attending the event for several hours.
It’s clear that with the 38th edition today, the students who perpetuate Airexpo’s existence have finally established a benchmark festival in France, all with no other desire than to share their passion and ignite that spark that sometimes appeared at an air show when you were younger. All of this with a clear objective that won’t change: to promote aeronautical culture among the civilian population. It’s clear that the 38th edition is over, but we’re already looking forward to the 39th, for which the organizers are surely already working hard to offer us a better festival next year, without a doubt.
We would like to thank the organization for all the opportunities they gave us to make this article possible, and especially Lilou Lebret, Communications Manager.
