Paris Défilé (flypast) what to expect for La Fête National Française 2024 (Bastille day) event.

 The Paris Défilé Flypast practice for 2024 was taking place as usual at Base Aérienne 123 Bricy, just outside the French city of Orléans. Due to the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, the Défilé will not be held on the Champs-Élysées. Instead, it will fly up the l'Avenue Foch. For the flypast practice at BA123, this would mean an approach from the East towards Bricys runway 25 rather than the normal runway 07.

BA123 is the centre for the first practice and debrief for the team leaders. Some of the aircraft arrived the day before the practice date, and as usual, so did we. As you will see, the weather was slightly overcast to very overcast, but at least it would take place on the scheduled day, unlike the previous two years, which were rescheduled.

0137/F-RBAX A400M and Rafale B 354/30-FU 

The rest is a photographic record of what you may see from your locations across Paris for the Défilé at La Fête Nationale Française, also known as Bastille Day, on July 14th, 2024. 

F-ZAFT/FT Fokker 100 Armée de l'Air DGA-CEV coming from BA120 at Cazaux. Although it flies daily at Cazaux, this was the main reason for my visit this year.

 

 

530/3-OL Mirage 2000B from EC02.003 makes a missed approach. It is not part of the Défilé.

0012/F-RBAE A400M from ET01.061, landing back at Bricy and bringing my visit to an end.

Good hunting on Sunday.

Happy Days!

Paris flypast 2023, Indian Air Force Rafale's join the line up at Evreux Airbase BA105.

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 Air Force to fly over Paris, as India is invited to participate in the Bastille Day celebrations, made it a must-visit destination.

Now, that is a big headline act. Still, the 2023 programme would also feature three European countries: Belgium, with two F-16s, representing air policing in the 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 planned to visit Everux BA105 to witness the fast jets participating in this iconic flypast and multiple launches on the morning of July 14th (Bastille Day).

The first rumour suggested India would 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 Cyprus in the early eighties. However, that seemed odd, as the French Air Force could now serve the operational Rafale fighters operating with the Indian Air Force. 

RB 004 Rafale DH Indian Air Force.

It was initially thought that the Indian aircraft, now confirmed as Rafale DH and EH (single-seat) jets, would arrive on July 12th, but this 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, which participated at Mont de Marsan in April 2023 for exercise "Orion." Once again, the two IL-78 tanker aircraft landed in Cairo, Egypt, but this time, the Rafales continued directly to Everux, arriving on the weekend before Bastille Day.  

The Indian Air Force patches worn by the aircrew 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 French Air Force base to visit in the hope 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 the Armée de l'Air service.

128/64-IK CN-235M-200 ET01.062 C/S F-RAIK.Armée de l'Air.

128/64-IK CN-235M-200 ET01.062 C/S F-RAIK.Armée de l'Air.

65/2-MG Mirage 2000-5F de l'EC01.002 de l'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.

5847/61-PP C-130J-30 ET02.061, Armée de l'Air seen landing in the hot July afternoon heat, not ideal for photography.

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 of which are arriving at Evreux.

135/30-GN Rafale C EC03.030. from BA118 Mont-de-Marsan.

351/30-FR Rafale B  EC03.030. from BA118 Mont-de-Marsan.

360/30-SI Rafale, 54/30-FU Rafale B's from ECE01.030 with Mirage 2000D's 622/30-IL, 646/30-MQ, and 639/30-JJ all Mirage 2000 RMV from EC01.030, BA118 at Mont-de-Marsan.

  

360/30-SI Rafale B ECE01.030. Armée de l'Air.

354/30-FU Rafale B ECE01.030. Armée de l'Air.

622/30-IL Mirage 2000D RMV Armée de l'Air from BA118 at Mont-de-Marsan.

646/30-MQ Mirage 2000D RMV Armée de l'Air from BA118 at Mont-de-Marsan.

639/30-JJ Mirage 2000D RMV Armée de l'Air  from BA118 at Mont-de-Marsan.

639/30-JJ Mirage 2000D RMV.

MM81871/9-10  HH-101A 21° Gruppo Itaf landing at Evreux for a refuelling stop en route to the International Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford.

666/3-IQ Mirage 2000D from ETD04.003 at BA133 at (LFSO) Nancy-Ochey.

356/4-FW Rafale B ETR03.003 from BA113 (LFSI) St Dizier/Robinson.

356/4-FW Rafale B Armée de l'Air.

46/2-EN Mirage 2000-5F arriving at Évreux from GC01.002 at BA116 Luxeil/St Sauveur.

47/2-EP Mirage 2000-5F arriving at Évreux from GC01.002 at BA116 Luxeil/St Sauveur.

59/2-EL Mirage 2000-5F arriving at Évreux 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.

Saturday, July 14th, Bastille Day at Evreux air base, is brilliant for any military aviation enthusiast, as wave after wave of participating fast jets take to the air. Once airborne, they enter race tracks to the North-West and East of Evreux airbase. 

 

A great surprise arriving overhead is 3 E-2C Hawkeye from the French Marine at Lahn-Bhoue.

Holding in a race track to the North are the participants of the "Protection de l'espace aérien." 

Still quite open in the formation as more jets join what will be wave four of the flypast.

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 Rafales. 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 formation, one air-spare Mirage 2000D rapidly departed to replace one that was already airborne due to technical issues.

The "Groupe Aérien Embarkation" formation heads into Paris.

31 Rafale M French Navy performing a full emergency landing with technical issues after passing over Paris.

31 Rafale M lands at Evreux without incident, thank goodness.

33 Rafale M from Landivisiau escorts 31 Rafale M whilst encountering an emergency.

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.

ZK370/370 Typhoon FGR.4 from 12 Sqn RAF Lossiemouth.

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 101 Squadron "Falcons" of the Indian Air Force.

RB 006 Rafale DH 101 Squadron "Falcons" of the Indian Air Force.

RB 006 Rafale DH landing at Evreux in the background can be seen, highlighting Evreux's past with the Transall and its current presence with the C-130 Hercules.

RB 006 Rafale DH 101 Squadron, named the "Falcons" of the Indian Air Force.

RB 004 Rafale DH 101 Squadron "Falcons" of the Indian Air Force.

RB 004 Rafale DH 101 Squadron "Falcons" of the Indian Air Force.

RB 004 Rafale DH 101 Squadron "Falcons" of the Indian Air Force.

BS 028 Rafale EH 101 Squadron "Falcons" of the Indian Air Force.

BS 028 Rafale EH 101 Squadron "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 Bastille Day flypast from Evreux.

Happy Days!