On Friday, June 28, the Air Force ambassadors deployed in the skies of the Royal Gardens of the Palace of Versailles. A clash of aesthetics that had allure.
It was an unexpected and almost anachronistic guest that the Château de Versailles received on Friday evening, June 28. The Air and Space Force (AAE) celebrated its 90th anniversary during the Grandes Eaux Nocturnes that bring the Royal Gardens to life every weekend this summer. Two months earlier, it had only taken a few hours for the 20,000 tickets put on sale by the château to fly away. This delighted crowd, already convinced, had only one question in mind: what could the audacious parade that combines the jewels of French aviation with the splendor of the Grand Siècle look like?
Officially founded on July 2, 1934 – 22 years after its first squadrons – the Air Force had seen big, and high, and strong, to take up the Olympic motto quoted in the evening. The aerial ballet organized this evening showed at least the magnitude of an opening ceremony. It all began at 8 p.m. sharp. “The show depends on an extremely complex overall flight plan so that there is no ‘blank’ between each plane passingLaurent Brunner, director of shows at Versailles, warned us a few hours before. “We also had to align with the Roissy and Orly air corridors, and have our planes pass between two flights. It’s a very complicated interweaving, which requires us to be timed to the very second!”
The Knights ofApocalypse Now
In loudspeakers hidden in the groves, a voice-over recites the history of the AAE. The first “ambassadors” to enter the runways are the parachutists of the Phénix team, a huge tricolor flag in their hands. They are followed by the very vintage Stampe biplanes (designed in 1937) of the Voltige team, which trace in the azure a huge heart pierced by an arrow.
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The devices play with the sun, sometimes seeming to emerge from the star itself: it is impossible to enjoy the spectacle without tinted glasses.The park of Versailles was built by Louis XIV to catch the sun when it setscontinues Laurent Brunner. The planes come from the West, from the west, pass through the canal and go up to the castle. We could not better respect the wishes of the Sun King…»
Rafale and A400M
It is the Caracal’s turn to make its appearance in the skies of Versailles. The troop transport helicopter, which will hoist four men from a grove, lands on The Ride of the Valkyries. A nod to Apocalypse Now who enchants the assembly… “I have the chills“, we hear several times. This is also thanks to the soundtrack of the show, which willingly draws from the 7th art. Thus, the thunderous Rafale enters the scene on Time, the music ofInterstellar. «It’s even more epic than a Hans Zimmer concert!“, enthuses a teenager.
The bulky A400M, a behemoth that can carry up to 25 tonnes of equipment, is making its way onto the brass bandstands of Mission : Impossible before performing an improbable loop. French panache?
Of course, all of Versailles enjoys the spectacle, many having gathered from the Place du Château where the gold of the façade shines brightly.The view is particularly impressive, especially for the passage of the A400M which suddenly emerges from behind the buildings, smiles Michael, photographer. We realize the colossal size of the plane. Even without being in the gardens we were able to fully enjoy the aerial show with the gilding of Versailles in the foreground.» Laurent Brunner acquiesce : «You can’t imagine a device of this size doing this, it’s dizzying».
«I have always been anti-militaristic, but here, it is difficult not to be moved.“, concedes Marie, a notary in Versailles. Around the thirty-year-old, a group applauds the highly anticipated appearance of the Patrouille de France. The Alpha Jets simulate a celestial joust, charging at each other at the height of the sun, before streaking the sky with the tricolor claw! “This kind of meeting, where planes fly so low, cannot be done anywhere else in Île-de-France, with the exception of July 14.rejoices the director of the Versailles shows. Louis XIV and his successors were the leaders of modernity. There is a desire to link the spectacle and military tradition at Versailles. The air force is the successor to the cavalry. It is an aerial choreography like there were choreographies in the carousels.»
The ballet is coming to an end. Conquest of Paradise de Vangelis greets the sunset in the Grand Canal of Versailles. A little to one side, a sad-looking kid wears thick-lensed glasses. He pulls his father’s sleeve to ask him a question. We can guess the meaning. He will be consoled in part by the breathtaking fireworks that will close the festivities, two hours later. Hundreds of drones accompany the traditional rockets to draw the different profiles of the air force in the night. On the ground, vocations are born.
> > > The Grandes Eaux Nocturnes at the Château de Versailles take place every Saturday evening, until September 21, 2024, from 8:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. Book now its place online . From 28 euros (excluding reduced rates).
ON VIDEO – The 90th anniversary of the Air Force at the Royal Palace of Versailles
