Melun/Villaroche (France)
Paris-Villaroche Air Legend
8 - 9 September 2018
| Static/flightlines: |
| E33/705-FJ, E42/705-TA |
Alpha Jet E |
EAC00.314 |
“1918-2018” special markings |
| 160/62-IS |
CN235M-200 |
ET 01.062 |
support Patrouille de France |
| 6, 9, 21, 23 |
Rafale M |
12 F |
arr 09sep |
| F-AYAY |
L-4A |
as 57-G |
ex USAAF 42-36375 |
| F-AYZA |
L-4H |
as ZM-3 |
ex USAAF 43-30036 |
| F-AZBE |
SNJ-4 |
as TA-127 |
ex EdA |
| F-AZCV |
T-6G |
AMPAA, as 51-14456 |
ex EdA E.16-191 |
| F-AZEF |
T-6G |
AMPAA |
ex France 51-14387 |
| F-AZEG |
F4U-5N |
as 124724/NP-22 |
ex Honduras FAH600 |
| F-AZES |
MD312 |
|
ex France 226/319-DG |
| F-AZFN |
AD4NA |
AMPAA, as 125716/22-DG |
ex Chad 11 |
| F-AZIK |
Vampire FB6 |
as 10120/DU-G |
ex Swiss AF J-1191 |
| F-AZJA |
TBM-3R |
AMPAA |
ex USN 85869 |
| F-AZKM |
OV-10B |
as 155454/26 |
ex WGAF 99+24 |
| F-AZKU |
P-40N |
AMPAA “Little Jeanne” |
ex USAAF 42-105915 |
| F-AZLT |
MS760 |
|
ex Aeronavale 32 |
| F-AZNN |
Let C-11 |
as 14 wh |
ex Egypt |
| F-AZOO |
Vampire FB6 |
as 10017/DU-J |
ex Swiss AF J-1127 |
| F-AZOX |
C-47B |
|
ex RCAF 12965 |
| F-AZSB |
P-51D |
AMPAA, as 411622/C-G4 “Nooky Booky IV” |
ex RCAF 9592 |
| F-AZTL |
T-6G |
as 117207/CR-311 |
ex France 51-15102 |
| F-AZVM |
N2501 |
|
ex France 105/62-SI |
| F-AZXJ |
Fury T20 |
as WH589/NW-115 |
ex Iraq 316 |
| F-AZXN |
PT-27 |
AMPAA as N2S-3 3885” |
ex RCAF FJ835 |
| F-AZXR |
Hurricane Mk2a |
as P3351/K |
ex DR393 |
| F-AZZF |
CASA 1131E |
as AZ+ZF |
ex Spain |
| F-AZZK |
Yak-3U |
as 48 wh |
new build |
| F-AZZL |
Lockheed 12A |
|
also marked NR16020 |
| F-AZZM |
AT-6C |
Zero look alike, as &&-170 |
ex Belgium H29 |
| F-BEJF |
MS505 |
AMPAA, as BE+JF |
|
| F-GHIP |
L-4B |
as 86-M |
ex USAAF 43-0496 |
| F-ZBQI |
EC145 |
|
Sécurité Civile |
| (G-AWHH) |
HA1112M1L |
as Lw Bf109 ~+9 |
ex Spain C.4K-105 |
| (G-AWHM) |
HA1112M1L |
as Lw Bf109 -+7 |
ex Spain C.4K-99 |
| (G-HURI) |
Hurricane XII |
as P3700/RF-E |
ex RCAF 5711 |
| (G-IBSY) |
Spitfire FVc |
as DV-V |
ex EE602 |
| (G-MKVB) |
Spitfire FVb |
as JH-C “Poland” |
ex BM597 |
| (G-OLEG) |
Yak-3UA |
|
new-build |
| (G-ROBT) |
Hurricane Mk1 |
as DX-R |
ex P2902 |
| (G-RUMW) |
FM-2 |
as JV579/F “That old thing” |
ex USN 86711 |
| (G-THUN) |
P-47D |
as J-F4 “Nellie” |
ex USAAF 45-49192 |
| HB-RCF |
D-3801 |
|
ex Swiss AF J-143 |
| HB-RDG |
TBM-3R |
“Charlie’s Heavy” |
ex USN 53319 |
| HB-RYA |
Yak-9UM |
as 06 ye “Москъа” |
new build |
| N32CS |
CAC-13 |
“Phooey” |
ex RAAF A46-139 |
| N49AG |
C-53D |
AMPAA |
ex USAAF 42-68810 |
| N93 |
BT-13A |
“Last Date – Bawls-Oot” |
ex USAAF 42-42352 |
| N9767 |
Canso A |
AMPAA |
ex Canada 9767/S |
| Static: |
| (321) |
Gomhouria Mk6 |
AMPAA |
marked as “DC+MV/1” |
| 202 |
Mirage 3B |
AMPAA |
ex CEV |
| (ex F-AZPN?) |
CSS-13 |
“Жо϶иан” |
nmks |
| (F-AZMR) |
N1001 |
as Lw KG+FM |
ex France 216 |
| Patrouille de France, Alpha Jet E: |
| E44/1, E98/2, E119/3, E152/4, E146/5, E139/6, E113/7, E45/8, E68/9 and E127/0 |
|
|
|
| AMPAA hangar (not accessible for public): |
| 9889 |
Bolingbroke |
restoration |
ex Canada |
| |
Lysander |
restoration |
ex Canada? |
| DD-39 |
Avia B-33 |
restoration |
ex Czechoslovakia |
| 100 |
CM170-1 |
stored |
“F_HKTC” |
| 39? |
SBD-5 |
dismantled |
ex Aeronavale? |
| (610) |
Firefly T2 |
dismantled |
ex Ethiopia |
| 6311 |
AAC-1 |
dismantled |
ex Portugal |
| F-AJNQ/941/F |
Latécoère 28.3 |
stored |
|
| F-AZNH |
HD34 |
stored |
“1947-1997” |
| F-AZKG |
T-28A Fennec |
stored, damaged wings |
ex France 82 “Big Lola” |
| F-AZKY |
AD4NA |
stored |
ex Chad 37, “126937” |
| F-AZPO |
CSS-13 |
stored |
ex Poland, white c/s |
| F-AZZU |
B-25J |
stored |
ex 45-8811 “9B” |
| (F-BFYY) |
N1002 |
dismantled |
ex France 242 |
| F-BLYG |
MS733 |
stored |
ex France 110 |
| Plus wrecks and major parts of a P-38 Lightning and a J2F Duck; three more unknown frames were in one of the side-rooms. |
|
|
|
| Safran: |
| 337 |
Vautour 2N |
preserved |
|
Credits: Wim Sonneveld
Villaroche Aerodrome, near Melun, south east of Paris, was chosen as location for the first Air Legend air show. Following a similar event at Habsheim-Rixheim (Alsace region) in 2016, JM Air Show turned to Paris to organise a great warbird event.
Once a major site of French military testing, the Centre d’Essais en Vol (CEV) was based at Melun and many famous products of French aviation industry took to the sky from this holy ground for their first flights. The CEV has long left, but left behind its infrastructure, long runways and huge hangars, which are used nowadays by the Didier Chable/AMPAA collection and the Direction Générale de Aviation Civile (DGAC).
Air Legend was organised over the weekend of 8-9 September 2018 and attracted many interesting warbirds from France and abroad, a full list can be found above. Most of these demonstrated their characteristic sound over the weekend during the hourslong flying display programme. The organisers went long ways to enable the public to experience the legends and meet their crews. Flight lines were open for enthusiasts at a small extra fee before the main displays of the day started, with fences placed around the aircraft so views could not be obstructed by other photographers and everybody could get the best shots.
The event was further boosted by the presence of the Patrouille de France, the Aeronavale and the very interesting AMPAA-collection, although the latter could not be visited by the main public. Let us hope this will be the first in a tradition of Air Legend events!
