Text & Photos Pere Vilalta, Alejandro de Prado & David Astorga González
On September 27, 28 and 29, an Open Day took place at the 125 Charles Monier Air Force Base in Istres, France, where, among other events, the 90th anniversary of the French Air Force, the 60th anniversary of the strategic air forces and the 80th anniversary of the Allied landing in Provence, France, were celebrated.
The event began on the 27th with a day for spotters, where they could photograph the arrival and training of the various aircraft that would be on display during the Open Day.
Unfortunately, on the 28th, the weather was not on the right track for the event, and some of the flights and displays had to be suspended or postponed due to the strong winds that prevailed throughout the day. However, on the 29th, the event was able to continue as normal.
On the 28th, the military authorities gathered at the event delivered speeches. The most prominent figure was the newly appointed Chief of Staff of the Air Force, Jerome Bellanger, who, along with the other military authorities present, gave a speech reviewing the years of history of the strategic air forces, along with the 80th anniversary of the Allied landing in Provence, and the future challenges that await the Air Force.
Istres Air Base began operating at the beginning of the 20th century, where it has played an important role in French military history over the last century. It is one of the most important training centers within the French Air Force. It has a 5,000-meter runway and various maintenance and repair hangars, both for the Air Force and for private companies that assist the Air Force. It also houses facilities for the Directorate of General Directorate of General Administration (DGA) for testing and improving Air Force equipment.
The squadrons based in Istres are:
– Squadron de ravitaillement en vol 4/31 Sologne with Boeing C-135FR and KC-135R,
– l’Escadron de Soutien Technique Spécialisé 15.093, in charge of the maintenance and tuning of the Boeing C-135FR et KC-135R.
– Escadron de ravitaillement en vol et de transport stratégique 1/31 Bretagne con Airbus A330 MRTT “Phénix”.
– l’Escadron de Soutien Technique Aéronautique 15/31 Camargue in charge of the maintenance and commissioning of the Airbus A330 MRTT “Phénix”
– l’Escadron de Defense Sol-Air 01.950 « Crau »,
– l’École du personnel navigant d’essais et de réception de la Direction générale del’Armement.
We had the opportunity to see two parachute teams: the Air Force and the British Royal Air Force Falcons. Then, the Voltige team delighted the audience with their spectacular acrobatics. For aviation nostalgics, we enjoyed a variety of historic aircraft, including the Fouga Magister, Stearman, Piper L-4, North American Bronco OV-10, and F-86 Sabre.
At the same military compound, visitors could also enjoy various food trucks, entertainment for the little ones, and flight simulators, allowing them to experience what it would be like to fly, which were very popular with the public.
