Saturday September 28, 2024, the sun was finally out at Mont Saint-Michel (Manche). An opportunity that was seized by skydiving enthusiasts. Although numerous airdrops had been organized throughout the week, many of them were canceled due to bad weather.
The return of the sun was therefore a godsend. The opportunity was not to be missed, since this Sunday, September 29, 2024 celebrates Saint Michael’s Day. “He is the patron saint of parachutists”recalls Jean-Paul Delaunay, president of the Friends of Remembrance and Liberty association which organized the event and took care of the reception on the ground.
The presence of an airplane C-47
Thus, around 200 people honored this saint this Saturday, with jumps in the morning. “In total, three associations participatedindicates the president. There are two different specialties: droppers and automatics. The former jump higher and have delayed openings. » For automatic parachutes, it is on board a C-47 which they embarked before being released into the air. “It’s a plane that comes from England and that made the Landings. »
In addition to celebrating Saint Michael’s Day, some paratroopers also commemorated the Landing, notably the Airborne association which jumped at the beginning of the afternoon. “There are some who are dressed as Para-Americans and others in British uniforms from 1944specifies General Patrick Pondaven, secretary of the Friends of Remembrance and Liberty. Today, we are also honoring Émile Bouetard, who landed in Brittany with the allies. He was the first Frenchman killed during the landing. »
After the jumps, the parachutists regrouped at the foot of Mont Saint-Michel and walked up the main street with the Jerusalem cross. They then received their jump certificate.
