France—home to rich aviation history, iconic landmarks, and culinary excellence—served as the host nation for an unforgettable International Air Cadet Exchange (IACE) in July 2024.
From the bustling streets of Paris to the sunny skies of Southern France, this two-week adventure provided cadets with behind-the-scenes access to French aviation facilities, cultural experiences, and meaningful connections. This article chronicles the day-by-day experiences of this remarkable journey through France's aviation landscape.
Day 1: Arrival in the City of Light
We left RAF Northolt and arrived at Heathrow Airport and departed for Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport. Upon arrival at CDG Airport we were collected by one of our hosts and taken via the Paris Métro to our hostel which was located in the Pigalle neighbourhood of Paris, where we stayed for 5 nights. For dinner, we were introduced to a French dish named Flammekueche, which is similar to pizza.
Day 2: Parisian heliport and aviation security
On our first day of the IACE exchange in France we undertook a visit to the Paris heliport and learned about the services they facilitate such as medical evacuation, military and private traffic as well as the transport of public officials. We also spoke to members of the Air Transport Gendarmerie (GTA) which is a branch of the French Gendarmerie and is situated under the dual control and supervision of both the Gendarmerie and the Directorate General for Civil Aviation of the Transport Ministry. The officers told us about their work being centred on airport security and the methods used in aim to protect passengers, staff and aircraft from threats. We then visited the French Civil Aviation Authority (DGAC) where we had lunch and spoke to several members of the DGAC. We also received a presentation on the work they are doing to ensure safety and order in the skies during the Paris 2024 Olympics. We also took a walk up to the Sacre Coeur before our dinner.
Day 3: Aircraft safety and simulator experience
To start the day, we visited the BEA facilities which is the French safety bureau for aircraft accidents where we listened to a presentation on the current efforts of the BEA. We received a tour of the facilities which included visiting the labs where the analysis of the flight data recorders take place as well as a hangar which contains wreckage from multiple aircraft. We also visited the Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace which is located at the Paris – Le Bourget Airport in the north of Paris and was established in 1919. After visiting the museum, we walked along the perimeter of Paris – Le Bourget Airport to the Flight Safety International facilities. Here, we were able to experience and take the controls of the industry leading flight simulators under the supervision of certified flight instructors. After a busy day we headed back to our hostel and had pizza for dinner.
Day 4: Maintenance marvels and control tower access
We journeyed to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport where we had a visit to the Air France maintenance facilities and we were shown around by the foreman and multiple mechanics as well as engineers and learned the importance of composite materials in aircraft and how precise their maintenance and repairs need to be. This was very insightful on how Air France handles the repair and maintenance of the aircraft. Afterwards, we had lunch in a hotel at CDG Airport. After lunch, we headed to the central control tower of Charles de Gaulle Airport Paris for a tour and we were lucky enough to gain access to the control room in the tower and had a great view of aircraft flying in and out of Charles de Gaulle.
Day 5: Parisian landmarks and French cuisine
Today in our exchange, our hosts treated us to a lovely tour around Paris where we and our cadet group were able to see and learn about the famous sights of Paris. We had a pitstop underneath La Tour Eiffel where we fuelled up on some French eclairs!
Day 6: Bastille Day and southward journey
We started off the day watching the Bastille Day celebrations which included flyovers from the French Air Force and an RAF Typhoon. We then left Paris on the TGV and headed South. We arrived in Bordeaux to (very) warm weather and had dinner after our long day of travelling from the capital to the South and soaking up the Bastille Day atmosphere.
Day 7: Cazaux Air Force Base
For our first full day in the South of France we visited Cazaux BA120 Air Force Base. We were shown around the maintenance hangar of the Alpha jets which are used to train the pilots of the French Air Force. This included being shown how the safety equipment works such as the ejection seats and pilot survival equipment. There was also a Patrouille acrobatique de France Alpha jet that was being worked on by the mechanics on the base. We then had lunch in the mess on base alongside the Base Commander who was conversing with us about the operations of the base and asking us about our experience of the cadet force and the Air Force in our country. The Base Commander then also presented us with a commemorative coin of Cazaux BA120 Air Force Base as well as a flight tag keyring.
Day 8: Pyrenees adventure
On our way to our accommodation at the French Aviation University (ENAC), we went white water rafting in the Pyrenees. This was a very fun experience and once we were finished with the rafting we were able to jump into the fast flowing water from rocks. We then got back on the bus and made our way to our accommodation at ENAC.
Day 9: Airbus and aviation history
We left the ENAC campus and headed for the Airbus facilities in Toulouse. We first visited Aeroscopia which is an aviation museum which houses numerous aircraft, ranging from the start of manned flight up to modern prototypes. The museum also holds several iconic aircraft such as 2 Concordes, an a380 and a Super Guppy. We were shown around the museum by a highly insightful guide and I was able to expand my knowledge on several types of aircraft and it was very interesting to be able to hear each aircraft's own story. We then went across in the bus to the Airbus facilities and were able to have a guided tour in our bus along the multiple assembly lines of Airbus aircraft there.
Day 10: Civil Aviation University
We were able to have a tour of the Ecole Nationale de l'Aviation Civile (ENAC) campus and facilities. We were shown about the numerous facilities that the university has including an astronomy building, an air traffic control training simulator as well as flight training simulators, all of which we were able to have a try of which was very fun. We ended the day at ENAC by playing Petanque and football at the sports facilities on campus.
Day 11: Control tower access and air show
We left ENAC in the morning and headed East for Beziers. At Beziers airport, we were able to gain access up to the working air traffic control tower where controllers were guiding both civilian and military traffic due to an air show nearby, all whilst having aircraft on the ground as well, also both civilian and military. We left Beziers airport and headed to the beach town of Agde to watch the air show. The air show was very impressive, with my personal highlight being the French A400M display team that showcased an impressive 125 degrees bank angle which was incredible to see in person. We left the air show and took the train to Montpellier where we would then stay for the next few days.
Day 12: Montpellier Flight Club
Today we were lucky enough to visit the Montpellier flight club and were able to get access and tours into the hangars which contained several aircraft including Extra 330 stunt planes and DA40 aircraft. The rest of the day consisted of the cadets from other countries getting flights in the club aircraft but not the UK cadets. We were then hosted for dinner by the members of the club.
Day 13: Exploring Montpellier
Today we had a visit and tour of Montpellier from our host who was from there and we were shown about the sites of the city. The sites included the Montpellier Arc de Triomphe and the old town of Montpellier.
Day 14: Return to Paris
We travelled back to Paris on the TGV and arrived back at our hostel in the late afternoon. We were then treated to a very fancy dinner for our final night by our hosts at a restaurant named Brasserie Dubillot on the famous Rue St-Denis. We then were able to take the Metro in the dark past the Eiffel Tower to see the lights sparkle in the night sky. We returned to the hostel where we stayed up exchanging gifts with our friends.
Day 15: Homeward bound
We left our hostel in the morning and headed for CDG airport for our flight home where we landed in Heathrow.
