Last Sunday, we attended the “1st meeting aerien” (air show) in Francazal, an initiative launched by the association Des Etoiles et des Ailes. The event, in my opinion, was a success measured by the aircraft it gathered and the audience that came to it, despite some logistics issues that need to be improved for a future edition.

More than 50 aircraft were gathered in Francazal, a small airport South of Toulouse. Most of them took part in the dynamic display, not only in the static one. As we came with the baby, we only spent about 2 hours. Nevertheless, we had time to see the following highlights:

• The 11th brigade of parachuters jumping from a N2501 Noratlas.
• The Noratlas itself flying (this model was announced as the only Nord Aviation Noratlas in flying condition in the world today).
• A Japanese Mitsubishi A6M (Zero) and a North American T-6 Texan chasing each other, memories of WWII.
• A North American P-51 Mustang flying, for many aficionados one of the most beautiful airplanes.
• A former Air France DC-3 flying, once a common view, not so nowadays. (a joke a local told me in relation to current AF pilots’ strike: “this might be the only Air France taking off today”, a DC-3 in 2014 ;-)).
• The “Patrouille de France” from l’Armee de l’Air in action, made up of Alpha Jets.
• The “Breitling Jet Team” in action, made up of L-39 Albatros.

I wanted to share here some of the pictures and videos we took:

Nord Aviation Noratlas.

Nord Aviation Noratlas in static display.

Mitsubishi Zero.

North American T-6 Texan

North American P-51 Mustang taxiing.

Listen to it here:

North American P-51 Mustang in static display.

Andrea and I posing in front of a DC-3.

DC-3 with engines running.

Listen to it here:

… see it taking off here:

… and see it overflying Francazal here:

Boeing PT 18 Stearman in static display.

Douglas AD-4 Skyraider in static display.

The Breitling Jet Team L-39 Albatros.

La Patrouille de France, beginning of the show.

Other day, I will devote one post just with a video of the Patrouille de France performance.

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Note: the last time I had attended a show here in Toulouse vicinity was in Muret 2011, you may see the post I wrote then about it.