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Showing posts with label TB-30 Epsilon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label TB-30 Epsilon. Show all posts

Saturday, October 15, 2022

Cognac BA709 Meeting National Airshow 2022

It was a long wait. BA709 at Châteaubernard (Cognac) has been selected to host the 2020 Armée del Air and Space Meeting National or National Air Force Airshow. A Worldwide COVID pandemic saw the cancellation of this, along with most other major events.

A new date was set for 2021. What could go wrong? Yet another wave of World sweeping COVID-19 witnessed the cancellation once again. By the time we reached 2022, it was anybody's guess as to what would happen.

As dates started appearing on the 2022 airshow calendar, it was announced. Cognac initially hosted that year's National Meeting intended for the previous two years at BA709 Châteaubernard airbase.

The last show staged at Cognac was back in 2013. Since that time, a lot has changed. The TB-30 Epsilon training aircraft have given way to Pilatus PC-21s, the civilian-registered Grob G120As operated by SOCATA/EADS, and the AdlA MQ-9A Reaper drones are also now based at Cognac. 

12/709FN PC-21 French Air Force

12/709FN PC-21 seen landing back at Cognac.

532/33-EN MQ-9A Reaper French Air Force

532/33-EN MQ-9A Reaper ED.02.033 'Savoie'.

94/315-XK TB-30 Epsilon French Air Force

94/315-XK TB-30 Epsilon "Petit Prince" special marks, one of two preserved at Cognac, the other being 105/F-SEXV in the colours of the "Cartouche Doré" display team.

650/3-IA Mirage 2000D French Air Force

650/3-IA Mirage 2000D from EC01.003 at Nancy-Ochey arriving for the static display.

A footnote: after weeks of sunshine, the Friday arrivals day was to see overcast and misty conditions.

CE.16-01/11-01 EF2000T Ala 11 EdA

CE.16-01/11-01 EF2000T Ala 11 EdA. Arriving along with C.16-52/11-52 and C.16-40/11-40, both EF2000s also from Ala 11.

46+44 Tornado ECR TLG51 GAF

46+44 Tornado ECR TLG51 GAF.

F-AYSB F-86A Sabre01675/FU-675

F-AYSB F-86A Sabre marked as 01675/FU-675 ex 01+13.


Sunrise on Saturday morning, clear sky and temperatures reaching a sweltering 36°!


2802/SK EC725R EH01.067 AdlA.


H29 A109BA 1W BAF Special colours.


204 Mi-8MTV from Split/Divulge Barracks Croatia 345 ETH Helicopter transport Eskadrilla.


T.21-05/35-05 C295M 353Esc EdA.


C.16-52/11-52 EF2000 and CE.16-01/11-52 EF2000T on the Flightline.


059 PC-9M.'Wings of Storm's Croatian Air Force display team.


F-ZBME/44 CL415 Securite Civil.


322 M346A 150 Sqn RSiAF. 


1381/ER TBM-940 DGA-EV.


510 and 538 F-16C 343 Mira HAF 'Team Zeus'.


510 F-16C 343 Mira early morning practice flight.


15/709FQ PC-21 with 04/709FF and 05/709FG from tactical demonstration team 'Mustang X Ray'


122/30-GA RafaleC EC03.030 of the Vautour tactical demonstration team from Mont de Marsan.


110/30-IN RafaleC EC03.030 of the Vautour tactical demonstration team from Mont de Marsan.
 Seen landing 0110/F-RBAR A400M ET04.061 Sp/C.


109/115-YH Mirage 2000C EC02.005.


F-AZKM )V-10B marked as 155454/UU-26 USMC ex 99+24.
F-AZXV CM170 marked 479/2-HB.
 

French Air Force Team Mustang X-Ray taxi.


122/30-GA RafaleC EC03.030 Sp/C seen on Saturday before the Sunday unfortunate mishap when 110/30-IN clipped the tailplane. Both aircraft from the Vautour team landed safely, although a house sustained damage as debris dropped from 122/30-GA into a local village. Luckily, nobody was injured or worse. 
The cause may have been a wind gust as a large storm was forecast for Sunday evening. Breaking the intense heat of the weekend.




136/4-GO Rafale Solo presentation coming from St Dizier.




2802/SK EC725R from EH01.067 'Pyrénées' from BA 120 at Cazaux.


The EC725R 'Caracal' is used by special forces, as was demonstrated.


PC-9Ms of the Croatian Air Force' Wings of the Storm' practise during Fridays' misty weather.
 

E80 Alpha Jet E DGA-EV leads Monday's departures. The weather had changed to heavy rain overnight, and it had not stopped by the time of the show's departures.


120/115-KC Mirage 2000C from EC02.005.


120/115-KC Mirage 2000C from EC02.005, there were some fascinating, particularly marked aircraft.


109/115-YH Mirage 2000C EC02.005


136/4-GO Rafale C ETR03.004. Solo presentation team special marks.


322 M346A 150Sqn RSiAF Special colours, showing how bad Monday's conditions were. Not to mention how wet I was! 


322 M346A RSiAF close-up of the special marks.


140/4-GS Rafale C ETR03.004 spare aircraft.


146/30-GY Rafale arriving at Cognac Monday morning from Mont de Marsan.


30 Rafale M FN Special colours.


198/XE Jodel D140E  EIVV25.535 'Cordouan'. departing home to BA722 at Saintes/Thénac.


725/UV HK-36TTC also from EIVV25.535 'Cordouan'


510 F-16C 343Mira HAF.


538 F-16C 343Mira HAF.


A farewell wave from 'Mustang X-Ray'

To see the 2004 meeting, press the link below.






















 

Monday, April 19, 2021

BA709 Cognac-Châteaubernard Airshow 2004, sunshine and fast jets

One of my first Cognac 'Meeting National' was the airshow of 2004, and how fortunate for me to be just an hour down the road, hidden away in this corner of Southwest France amongst the rows of "Cognac" and "Pineau" vines just like Base aérienne BA709, Cognac-Châteaubernard itself. So, it was time to venture out, enjoy fabulous aircraft, and catch up with good friends.  

The Armée de l'Air always put on a good display of aircraft types at their airshows, and no less at this 2004 Air display.

909 Ta-4SU 150 Sqn RSiAF

909 TA-4SU 150 Sqn RSiAF.
Sadly, these and all the RSiAF A-4 Skyhawks have been withdrawn today.

933 TA-4SU Royal Singapore Air Force

933 TA-4SU 150 Sqn RSiAF.


220/30-QK Mirage F1CT EC01. 030 'Normandie Niémen' special marks.
It was retired to the Chateaudun storage facility before being transferred to active service in Excenevex.


22/5-ND Mirage 2000C EC01. 005 'Vendee' special marks.
This aircraft was sold to the Brazilian Air Force as 4945.


89/AZ N.262D 00. 065 'GAEL' arrived from Villacoublay. It was withdrawn from use in 2004, and today, it can be seen in the Châteaudun Museum.


15/315UN TB-30 Epsilon from the home team at Château-Bernard EPAA00. 315.
This aircraft is in storage.


45/315VR TB-30 Epsilon.
Wfu.


32/315VE TB-30 Epsilon is wearing the grey paint scheme that was relatively new back then.
This aircraft is today stored at Alenco/Valframbert.


MT-13 CM170 11sm BAF.
Stored at Antwerpen for the Stampe and Vertongen Museum.


J-655 F-16BM 323 Sqn KLu ECATS marks.
Passed to the Chilean Air Force as 735.


45+20 Tornado IDS AG-51 GAF.
Still active!


603/3-IM Mirage 2000D EC01. 003 'Navarre'


313/4-CR Mirage 2000N EC03. 004 'Limousin.'


685/3-XZ Mirage 2000D EC03. 003 'Ardennes'


F-ZBEY/07 Turbo Firecat (Sécurité Civille).
Wfu.


F-ZBEG/39 Canadair CL-415 (Sécurité Civille).
"Active"


E101/8-NQ Alpha Jet A ET002. 008 'Nice'


E134?8-MA Alpa Jet-A ET001. 008 'Saintonge' both arriving from their home base at Cazaux.


515/2-FT Mirage 2000B/-5 02. 002 'Côte d'or'
This aircraft was to be seen stored at Chateaudun on the "German runway".


61/CH Mirage 1VP 01. 091 'Gascogne' up from Mont de Marsan.
I believe this aircraft resides at St. Dizier airbase.


MM6286/46-51 C-130J Hercules Itaf. Support aircraft for the Frecce Tricolori.
The aircraft is active.


61/CH Mirage 1VP burners lighting up.


61/CH Mirage 1VP powering down  Cognac's runway 05.


933 TA-4SU RSiAF lineup for taking off.


909 TA-4SU RSiAF moving alongside 933 for departure.


685/3-XZ Mirage 2000D departs for its Nancy-Ochey base.


220/30-QK Mirage F1CT of the distinguished "Normandie-Niemen" Special marks.

In 1942, De Gaulle ordered a group of its pilots and mechanics to the USSR. On arrival at the Soviet airfield of Ivanovo, they were offered La-5s or the Yak-1 aircraft; they chose the Yak-1M and departed to the Western Front.

They flew 5300 combat missions in Russia, engaged in 869 dog fights and the shooting down of 273 enemy aircraft. In early 1944, they were involved in the liberation of Lithuania, and later that same year, they upgraded to the Yak-3.

Four pilots received the title of "Hero of the Soviet Union", with a total of 76 pilots being decorated with both Soviet and French decorations. The "Normandie-Niemen" air regiment was awarded the Red Banner and the Alexander Nevsky order for performance in battle.

In 1945, the Soviet government awarded the pilots their Yak-3 aircraft, and on the 20th of June 1945, witnessed the incredible sight of 40 Yak-3s touching down at Le Bourget airfield.

The "Normandie-Niemen" were home.

Today, they operate the Rafale B/C from their base at Mont de Marsan.
  
A Yak-3 can be seen in the museum at Le Bourget.


What a story?

Happy days!