All about La Ferte Alais airshow at Cerny airport on 4 and 5 June 2022
By Babak Taghvaee
On 4 and 5 June 2022, the 49th edition of ‘Temps des Helice’ (Propeller Time) event also known as La Ferte airshow was held at Cerny airport near Paris. The event, known as the largest of its kind in France, had nearly 100 fixed-wing aircraft and a number of helicopters involved in its flight displays during both days. Over 40,000 spectators attended this event and saw five hours of continuous display flights each day.
The airshow involved a number of World War Two Warbirds including the only two Spitfires based in France (Mk.XIX and Mk.XIV), a Chance Vought F4U-5N Corsair, a Curtiss P-40N Hawk, a Yak-3U and a Yak-9. A number of World War One era fighter aircraft such as Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5, Fokker Dr. and the last and only airworthy SPAD XIII training aircraft in the world also attended the airshow and performed a number display flights.
In addition to the historic aircraft, French Air and Space Force and also French Naval Aviation (Aeronavale) tactical and aerobatic display flights by means of their aircraft during the event. The most important among them was the Patrouille de France (PAF) aerobatic display team of the French Air and Space Force which performed displays by means of nine Alpha Jet Es in the afternoons of both days.
In addition to the PAF, a Rafale C fighter jet of Rafale Solo Display (RSD) team, an Extra 330SC of the Air Force Aerobatic Team (EVAA), a Lockheed C-130H Hercules and an Airbus A330-243MRTT were other French Air and Space Force aircraft to perform displays.
The French Navy also performed a tactical display by means of two Rafale M multirole fighter jets. In addition to them, an Atlantic ATL2 Anti-Submarine Warfare Aircraft, a Grumman E-2C Hawkeye AEW&C aircraft and a Falcon 50MS maritime patrol aircraft performed flypasts during the airshow. Three historic French Navy aircraft also flew in formation with them which were Breguet Alizé, Fouga Zéphyr and Morane Paris Jet.
52 years has passed since the first edition of La Ferté-Alais airshow was held. Organizers of the airshow, Amicale Jean-Baptiste Salis (AJBS) and Aéro-Club de France has done their best to expand the airshow every year by increasing number of aircraft on display (both static and dynamic) and in same time doing their best to return to the basics with the theme of the Air Festival which began in the same airfield, Cerny in 1970. The 49th edition of the airshow can be remembered as one of its best editions through history.
