report by: Thierry Letellier
Each year, France’s National day is commemorated in the morning of 14 July of each year in Paris with a military parade over the Champs-élysee in Paris. The French Air Force attends the military parade with a massive fly-over, showing almost all of its aircraft types, together with aircraft formations by the Aéronavale. Usually all the fighters and trainers proceed for a massive launch from BA.105 Evreux; to establish the flightpass . The French Airforce aerobatic team [ Patrouille de France ], which always leads the fly-over, flew from Evreux air base.the composition of this flightpass is as follow :
The 2e Escadre de Chasse (2nd Fighter Wing) is a fighter formation of the Fighter Brigade of the French Air Force. It now comprises the Air Force’s most elite fighter squadron, 01.002 Fighter Squadron “Storks” (Escadron de Chasse 1/2 Cigognes), and a support squadron, Escadron de Soutien Technique Aéronautique 2E.004 stationed at Luxeuil Air Base. This squadron use the Mirage 2000-5 specification as a stopgap before the arrival of the Rafale in AdA service. The upgraded aircraft were redesignated Mirage 2000-5F, and became operational in 2000.
The 4e Escadre de Chasse is a hunter unit formation of the French Air Force. The unit was initially created on May 1944 then dissolved on September 1993 with the disappearing of the Escadre echelon from the French Air Force.The 4th Fighter Wing was reformed on an Aerial Base on August 2015. They were present in Evreux with EC 01.004/EC01.091 “Gascogne” and Escadron de chasse EC 01.007 “Provence” with Rafale B and Rafale C, BA113 Saint Dizier/Robinson. The 3e Escadre de Chasse is a fighter formation of the Fighter Brigade of the French Air Force. EC 01.003 “Navarre”, EC 02.003 “Champagne”, EC 03.003 “Ardennes” and ETD 04.003 “Argonne” with Mirage 2000D, BA133 Nancy/Ochey.
EC 02.005 “Ile de France” Mirage 2000B and Mirage 2000C, BA115 Orange/Caritat. Ec 02.005 is the sole squadron remaining in Orange after the disbandment of 01.005 strike sqn Vendée (escadron de chasse 01.005) Mont-de-Marsan Air Base is home to two squadrons of Dassault Rafale, the most advanced French fighter aircraft. The base includes Centre d’Essais des Matériels Aéronautiques – CEMA (the French air force military experimentation and trials organisation), an air defense radar command reporting centre, and an air defence control training site. EC 02.030 “Normandie-Niemen” and EC 03.030 “Lorraine” and the Escadron de chasse et d’expérimentation 05.330 “Côte d’argent” with Rafale B and C took also part to the flighpass from Evreux.
École de transition opérationnelle – Advanced Jet Training School — 8th WING (ETO/8ème WING) with Alpha Jet, BA120 Cazaux, the 8e Escadre possesses two historical squadrons, the “Saintonge” and “Nice”. The squadron “Languedoc” was attached to the Escadre during ten years. The Groupe de ravitaillement en vol 2/91 Bretagne (French: Groupe de ravitaillement en vol 2/91 Bretagne) or Air Supply Group 2/91 Bretagne is a unit of the French Air Force specialized in missions of air supply. Implanted on an Aerial Base, the 2/91 GRV ; did not come from Evreux but they overflew Evreux Airbase during the composition of the flightpass.
Évreux-Fauville Air Base (Base aérienne 105 Évreux) [ ICAO code : LFOE ] is a French Air Force base located about 2 miles, east of the town of Évreux in the Eure département ; on the north side of the Route nationale 13 Highway.Today among the French Air Force units stationed at the base are GAM 00.056 Vaucluse, with DHC-6-300, EC725L2, C-160R (on loan), and C-130H/H-30, ET 01.064 Béarn with the C-160R, ET 02.064 also with the C-160R, Escadron électronique aéroporté 1/54 Dunkerque.(EEA 00.054 Dunkerque) with the C-160G Gabriel “Lion des Flandres”, and EIE 01.340 also with the C-160R.
I would also like to express my special thanks to Mr Gilles Scheffer and his very helpfull staff to have permitted us to take part to this event.
