Paris (France)

Bastille Day Flypast

14 Juli 2015

Every year on 14 July, France celebrates the storming of the Bastille prison during the French Revolution in 1789 with a

military parade over the Champs Élysées in Paris. A flypast of airborne assets of the armed forces is always part of the

programme. On the day before the flypast, most of the participating aircraft, including some spares, gather at three air

bases in the vicinity of Paris: Evreux (jets from the air force and navy), Creil (helicopters from the army and navy) and

Villacoublay (helicopters from the air force). The transport aircraft, tankers and AWACS usually fly from their home

bases. The Rafales and Super Etendards (for the last time this year?) fly directly from Landiviseau. Since photography of

the actual flypast is a bit challenging (the aircraft are quite high overhead and it is difficult to find a spot where you are

not too much underneath the aircraft), it is worthwhile to go to Evreux on 13 July, because the participating air force

jets arrive over the course of the day and photo opportunities, when runway 22 is in use, are very good. A visit to the

various airfields around Paris is also recommended, as some exotic visitors, carrying VIPs who will attend the festivities,

may be present. This year for example, the Mexican armed forces participated in the ground military parade. They were

flown in with their own military transport aircraft.

Ouverture du Defilé
E46/1, E162/2, E88/3	Alpha Jet E	EPAA20.300

E114/4, E45/5, E94/6

Alpha Jet E

EPAA20.300

E79/7, E85/8, E152/9

Alpha Jet E

EPAA20.300

E95/0

Alpha Jet E

EPAA20.300

The Patrouille de France opened the defile with twelve Alpha Jets. Two remain unidentified.

471/93-CB

C-135FR

GRV02.091

112/118-IQ, 116/118-IU

Rafale C

EC02.030

118/118-IW

Rafale C

EC02.030

345/113-FO

Rafale B

ETR02.092

118/115-YG, 120/115-KC

Mirage 2000C

EC02.005

124/115-YT, 530/115-OL

Mirage 2000C/B

EC02.005

Forces Aériennes Stratégiques
740/93-CL	C-135FR	GRV02.091

307/113-IA, 310/113-HC

Rafale B

ETR02.092

315/113-HK

Rafale B

ETR02.092

345/125-BU, 353/125-AM

Mirage 2000N

EC02.004

358/125-BQ

Mirage 2000N

EC02.004

Projection de Puissance
606/133-JC, 625/133-XG	Mirage 2000D	EC03.003

629/133-XO, 680/133-XM

Mirage 2000D

EC03.003

Police du Ciel
203/702-CC	E-3F	EDCA02.036

48/116-EW, 49/116-EA

Mirage 2000-5F

GC01.002

63/116-EM

Mirage 2000-5F

GC01.002

Formation et Entraînement
E116/120-FN	Alpha Jet E	ETO01.008

E131/120-RO

Alpha Jet E

ETO01.008

AT01

Alpha Jet E

ETO02.008

Projection de Puissance
8, 12	Super Etendard	17F

23, 29

Rafale M

12F

Aviation de Patrouille et de surveillance Maritime
30	Falcon 50SURMAR	24F

19

Atlantique NG

23F

Projection de Forces
0010/F-RBAC	A400M	ET01.061

5119/61-PC

C-130H

ET02.061

TK.10-05/31-50

KC-130H

Ala31

R202/64-GB

C-160R

ET00.064

196/62-HD

CN235M-300

ET01.062

T.21-05/35-43

C295M

Ala35

Sécurité Civile
F-ZBFK/96	Be200	Sécurité Civile

F-ZBFW/38, F-ZBMG/48

CL415

Sécurité Civile

Transport Stratégique
075/F-RAJA	A340-211	ET03.060

Combat Aéroterrestre: Le GAM
(4195)/GCP	SA342M	not known

(2029)/BHV

Tigre HAP

not known

(6011)/BJL

Tigre HAD

not known

Patrouille HAM Manoeuvre et Assaut
(2331)/CGU	AS532UL	not known

(1292)/EAG, (1295)/EAJ

NH90-TTH

1RHC

Patrouille Mixte IMEX et HM PC
(6007)/BJG	Tigre HAD	1RHC

(1176)/DAS, (1145)/DCO

SA330Ba

not known

Action Spéciales
(6008)/BJH	Tigre HAD	1RHC

(2640)/CAG

EC725AP

4RHFS

(3850)/GAI

SA342M

not known

Mission Hephaitos: Détachement d’ Intervention Héliporté
(1213)/DDF	SA330Ba	not known

(4114)/GBO

SA342M

not known

F-ZBPO

EC145

Sécurité Civile

Mission Antiterrorisme: le Groupe Interarmées d’ Hélicoptères
(1367)/AK	SA330B	not known

(5682)/DBR

SA330Ba

5RHC

1663/DBQ

SA330Ba

5RHC

Engagement Bande sahélo-saharienne/RCA
(2802)/SK	EC725R2	EH01.067

(1657)/AX

SA330B

EH01.067

(5444)/VP

AS555AN

EH03.067

Soutien à la Population
(2619)/SC	EC725R2	EH01.067

(2244)/PM

AS332L1

EH01.044

(5516)/WD

AS555AN

EH05.067

Combat Aéromaritime et Sauvetage Maritime
2, 11	NH90-NFH	not known

313

SA365F1

35F

466

AS565SA

36F

Direction Générale de la Gendarmerie Nationale
(0747)/JDE, (0867)/JDL	EC135	Gendarmerie

(9036)/JBG

EC145

Gendarmerie

Issy-les-Moulineaux
In the past years there used to be a small static display of helicopters at Les Invalides, in the centre of Paris. After the

flypast some of the helicopters that took part would go to the heliport of Issy-les-Moulineaux, a couple of kilometres

south-east of the city centre for refuelling, before flying to Les Invalides. This year however, due to a lack of personnel

as a consequence of operational requirements, there was no static display. Nevertheless the following helicopters were

noted at Issy.

1295/EAJ

NH90-TTH

1RHC

6012/BJL

Tigre HAD

1RHC

1663/DBQ

SA330Ba

not known

(5427)/VJ

AS555AN

EH03.067

(5430)/VL

AS555AN

EH00.067

(5520)/WE

AS555AN

EH03.067

The Fennecs were flying overhead.

Creil-Senlis
The following spare helicopters were noted at Creil. One Puma remained unidentified.

(1273)/EAD

NH90-TTH

not known

(4189)/GCN

SA342M

not known

Also present were the following aircraft, not in conjunction with the flypast.

127/118-GF

Rafale C

EC02.030

QRA +1

82/315-WY, 91/315-XH

TB30

EPAA00.315

101/315-XR, 103/315-XT

TB30

EPAA00.315

118/315-YI, 142/315-ZG

TB30

EPAA00.315

Based aircraft noted were:
045/62-IB, 114/62-IJ	CN235M-200	ET01.062

128/62-IK, 160/62-IS

CN235M-200

ET01.062

196/62-HD

CN235M-300

ET03.062

Evreux-Fauville
The following spare aircraft were noted at Evreux (13jul15).

AT14

Alpha Jet E+

ETO02.008

E73, E139, E166

Alpha Jet E

EPAA20.300

E99/120-AH

Alpha Jet E

EE02.002

E124/120/RN

Alpha Jet E

ETO01.008

525/115-AM

Mirage 2000B

EC02.005

114/62-IJ

CN235M-200

ET01.062

337/113-IL

Rafale B

EC01.091

350/113-FQ

Rafale B

ETR02.092

The three EPAA20.300/Patrouille de France Alpha Jets were uncoded. Two of these participated in the flypast.

Visitors
E31/705-RK, E153/705-RU	Alpha Jet E	EAC00.314

Based aircraft noted were:
R202/64-GB, R204/(64-GD)	C-160R	ET00.064

R208/64-GH, R210/(64-GJ)

C-160R

ET00.064

R211/64-GK, R217/(64-GQ)

C-160R

ET00.064

Orly
TP-01	B757-225EM	CGTAP

Le Bourget
ANX-1207	G550	PRIESCAERTRANS

The Mexicans at Orly and Le Bourget were there as support for the Mexican participants in the ground parade.

Credits: Paul van der Linden, Jochem Manders, Perry & Marco Dirkx, Dennis Peteri, Leonard, van Teeffelen and Michiel Vermeer

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