The Paris Flypast on Bastille Day (Defile 14 Juillet) is always thrilling on the Military Aviation calendar. For 2023, the Invitation and acceptance of the Indian Airforce to fly across Paris as India is invited to participate in the Bastille Day celebrations made it a must-visit.
Now, that is a big headline act. Still, there would also be three European countries featured in the 2023 programme: Belgium with two F-16s, representing the Air Policing in defence of European territory, alongside a UK Typhoon FGR.4 from the RAF. The Italian Navy with an NH90 representing Combat Marine Aviation.
I have posted reports from the Répétiton (practice) staged at Orléans/Bricy BA123 for the past two years. For 2023, I thought I would visit Everux BA105 to witness all the fast jets participating in this iconic flypast and multiple launches on the morning of the 14th of July (Bastille Day).
The first rumour suggested India deploy ageing Jaguar jets to the Everux BA105 airbase. That would be good for me as the last four Indian Air Force Jaguars I had seen were four being delivered through Larnaca in Cypres era in the early eighties. But that seemed odd as the French Air Force could serve the operational Rafale fighters now operating with the Indian Air Force.
RB 004 Rafale DH Indian Air Force.
It was thought that the Indian aircraft, now confirmed as Rafale DH and EH (single-seat) jets, would arrive on the 12th of July, but that was thwarted when they arrived non-stop from Hashimara in West Bengal and their home Air Force Station at Jalpaguiri (VEHX). The flight plan was similar to that of the Indian Rafales, who participated at Mont de Marsan in April 2023 for exercise "Orion." Once again, the two tanker IL-78 aircraft landed at Cairo in Eygpt, but this time, the Rafales continued directly to Everux, arriving on the weekend before Bastille Day.
The Indian Air Force patches the aircrew wore for this extraordinary event.
2741/SY EC225 C/S F-UGSY Armée de l'Air .
Having arrived on the 11th at Everux, I now had time to kill as not only had the Indian Air Force arrived earlier than expected and carried out their practice the day before I and many others came. Everux is not Known for being the busiest of French Air Force bases to visit on the chance of seeing many aircraft, but luck was on our side.
2/F-RAFP Falcon 900 from ET00.060 2ESC "Guam."Armée de l'Air .
128/64-IK CN-235M-200 ET01.062 C/S F-RAIK.
Evreux is the leading home base of the CN-235 in Armée de l'Air service.
128/64-IK CN-235M-200 ET01.062 C/S F-RAIK.Armée de l'Air.
65/2-MG Mirage 2000-5F from EC01.002 Armée de l'Air. Carries out a morning mission from Evreux from where it had already arrived.
65/2-MG Mirage 2000-5F from EC01.002.Armée de l'Air.
045/F-UJCK A330MRTT from EVTS01.002 Armée de l'Air at Istres/Le Tubé.
045/F-UJCK A330MRTT from EVTS01.002.Armée de l'Air.
045/F-UJCK A330MRTT from EVTS01.002 seen landing at Evreux.
1657/F-UJCT Airbus 330-243 from ERVTS02.031Armée de l'Air at Paris-Roissy (Charles de Gaulle airport), although technically, their home base is BA110 at Creil-Senlis outside of Paris.
1657/F-UJCT Airbus 330-243 from ERVTS02.031 landing at Evreux.
135/30-GN,132/30-GK, 351/30-FR, the only Rafale B. All others are C's 107/30-HJ, 136/4-GO, and 337/4-IL, all arriving at Evreux.
354/30-FU Rafale B ECE01.030. Armée de l'Air.
46/2-EN Mirage 2000-5F arriving at Evreux from GC01.002 at BA116 Luxeil/St Sauveur.
48/2-EW Mirage 2000-5F arriving at Evreux from GC01.002 at BA116 Luxeil/St Sauveur.
Holding in a race track to the North are the participants of the "Protection de l'espace aérien."
Meanwhile, on the ground, the heat is on as all the air spares line up at the end of runway 22 at Evreux.
Directly overhead of Evreux is the ever-increasing aircraft from the French Marine contingent, which will form formation wave nine.
With minutes to go, we can now see all the Rafale. M's around the E-2C Hawkeye and a solo Falcon 10 serial 32 from 57S at Landivisiau at the rear of the "Groupe Aérien embarqu" formation.
737/31-CI Boeing C-135 Stratotanker from ERV04 at Istres/Le Tubé heads 135/30-GN Rafale C from EC02.030, 611/3-JP, 645/3-XP, 671/3-XK, and 672/3-XV all Dassault Mirage 2000D's from Nancy-Ochey.
During the form-up of formations, one air spare Mirage 2000D rapidly departed to replace one with technical issues already airborne.
31 Rafale M French Navy performing a full emergency landing with technical issues after passing over Paris.
31 Rafale M landing safely at Evreux.
ZK370/370 Typhoon FGR.4 RAF with a French air force exchange pilot lands back at Evreux mission complete.
RB 006, RB 004, and BS 028 Rafale DH and the latter an EH run for the break to land. They come from 16 Wing 101 Squadron, the "Falcons", returning to Evreux Air Base following their flight across Paris.
RB 006 Rafale DH 101Sqaudron "Falcons" of the Indian Air Force.
RB 006 Rafale DH landing at Evreux in the background can be seen Evreux's past with the Transall and the present with the C-130 Hercules.
RB 006 Rafale DH 101Sqaudron named the "Falcons" of the Indian Air Force.
RB 004 Rafale DH 101Sqaudron "Falcons" of the Indian Air Force.
BS 028 Rafale EH 101Sqaudron "Falcons" of the Indian Air Force.
1018/F-RACG Beech350 ER/ALSR, EEA01.054.
1018/F-RACG Beech350 ER/ALSR, EEA01.054.
Well, that's it from this year's BastilleDay flypast from Evreux.
Happy Days!
