Despite visiting La Fêrte Alais just 35km down the road on several occasions this was the first for me at Melun-Villaroche Air Legend. After a Saturday afternoon dash across Belgium and France from Kleine Brogel we arrived at Melun Villaroche airfield well before dawn for a 7am entry as part of the Spotters package. After a safety briefing in French (which was roughly translated by a local photographer as don’t get too close to the aircraft and don’t get injured) we were free to take our spot in one of two crowd line enclosures specially reserved for spotters and wait for the sun to rise for the early entry into the static display.
With the aircraft mostly facing west, sunrise shots were very difficult although the UK contingent of Sally B and Catalina and the Flying Bull’s aircraft in the side enclosure did offer some possibilities. The one thing that did stand out in the static display was jet row. Featuring 8 French Rafales from the Air Force and Marine National plus an ME262, F-86 Sabre and Mig-15. What a line up and with most of them included in the flying display as well.
Opening the show at 1:30pm with the sun very much still in front of the crowd line were vintage examples of France’s Naval aviation in the form of the Morane-Saulnier MS.760 Paris and Fouga CM.175 Zéphyr. There were quickly followed by 3 Marine National Rafales from the static park with sweeping passes and a full, probe connected buddy to buddy refueling demo joined by an E-2C Hawkeye from Flottille 4F who put in some impressive top side passes after a formation pass with the Rafales.
The main warbird segment commemorated not only WWII but also the Pacific theatre, the later of which is often overlooked outside of North America. The WWII segment featured a variety of airframes from across Europe. Spitfire Mk XIV RM927 from the French W Air collection, French based C-47 Dakota Chalair with a stunning display as well as British based B-17 Sally B escorted by Ultimate Warbird Flights operated Spitfire Mk.V EE602in the capable hands of Stu Goldspink.
The Pacific theatre element featured the Flying Bulls P-38 Lightning, B25 Mitchell and Corsair F4U-4 in their usual 3 ship display along with another 2 Corsairs, P40 and newly restored P-51 Mustang ‘Miss aVa’.
In an aviation first and the main reason we left Kliene Brogal a day early was the stunning prospect of 3 swept wing vintage jets not only on the same flying display but actually flying together in formation. As the light moved well behind us and started to shine nicely, the roar of the F-86 Sabre, Mig-15 and ME262 taking to the air could be heard over our shoulders. The Airbus Heritage Flight/Messerschmitt Flugmuseum replica Me 262 which had put in a stunning display at RIAT in some appealing weather was now in clear blue skies and joined by Mistral Warbirds F-86 Sabre and Fundacja Eskadra’s Polish-built SB Lim-2 (MiG-15UTI), produced by WSK-Mielec in 1952 who put in a number of close for action passes in a wide sweeping arc before the ME262 broke for a solo display with plenty of close top side passes.
As the ME262 finished its display and came in to land the Mig-15 and F-86 put in a series of tail chase across the skies reminiscent of the war over Korea and Vietnam. Finally each jet displayed individually with the MIG-15 ahead of the F-86 Sabre.
Whilst we caught our breaths from that stunning display of flying it was an other Vietnam era demo with the camo Bronco and Douglas Sky Raider putting in a short display.
Bringing the display up to date was the Armée de l’Air A400 tactical demo with a stunning display of this airframes capabilities.
With the Tranchart due to close the display on the Sunday, unfortunately the main display jet from the French Rafale Solo went unserviceable as it taxied out for it’s display so whilst the 4 ship Fouga Magisters of the Patrouille Tranchant put in their display, it was a quick change to the spare twin seat jet for the Rafale Solo to close the show in absolutely stunning soft light as the last rays of sun shone from below the thin whisp of cloud that had blighted the last few displays on an otherwise cloudless weekend. Never has a grey jet looked so good and as Captain Bertrand Butin, known as “Bubu” brought the jet into land as the sun set everyone started to pack up after a thoroughly outstanding show. After what seemed like the longest walk back to the spotters car park (which was apparently closer than the main public car park) we were out and away within minutes with very effective marshalling of the exit roads by the French Gendarme.
So was it worth an early departure from KB and a 4 hour transit from Belgium to make the Sunday show. You bet it was. Whilst KB held it for the flying displays, the breadth and variety of the airframes not to forget the aforementioned vintage jet formations and displays made this an equal on a very busy and rewarding European airshow weekend.
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