Flying Adventure
FORGOTTEN GEM Much as it’s difficult to comprehend the current worldwide catastrophe, having tidied the garage and shed for the first time in years, rather than capitulate, Martin Ferid provides a modicum of normality and whisks us away to Bourges…
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here are flyers among us who have circumnavigated the known world and consider places such as Le Touquet a ‘stop-off’ rather than the ultimate objective. These plucky travellers are always in the market for new and compelling destinations. For reasons that are obscure, Bourges is a place that has likely been missed, but is certainly a worthy ‘weekender’ in its own right. If you were to get a map of France and put a pin right in the middle you wouldn’t be too far from Bourges, the capital of the Cher department, making Spain, Switzerland and the West Coast of France all within easy reach. It is eminently easy to be envious of their homebased pilots, as they can just check the ‘météo’ and head in whichever direction the weather looks best. Although, the reality is that many French pilots don’t fly too far, and neither do most Europeans, that is firmly the domain of the Brits. Wherever you go, to whatever esoteric destination, have a little nose around and sure enough, there’ll be an eccentric Brit lurking somewhere, very likely complaining that the local milk makes their tea taste peculiar. Currently, Bourges has a population of around 66,000, but during WWI it was an important centre for
Main The Cathédrale Saint Étienne de Bourges dates to the 12th and 13th centuries and is seen here lit for the light show. A blue trail links the various lit buildings, making navigating the streets almost as easy as using your SkyDemon!
arms production with 100,000 inhabitants, and workers from all over the world. After the war Henri Laudier, the local Mayor, was tasked with the development and modernisation of the city, leading to the opening of the airport in 1928. What we know as Aérospatiale started life at the Aéroport de Bourges as the Henriot Aviation factory. Through the vicissitudes of time its fortunes have fluctuated greatly. Sitting on the River Yèvre, it has served as the capital of France and also been robbed, pillaged and ransacked. Around 1000 BC it was home to Celtic tribesmen known as The Bituriges, meaning ‘kings of the world’. In his quest to avenge the obliteration of the Fourteenth Roman Legion and to quell the rebelling tribes of Gaul, Julius Caesar and his centurions arrived in what they called Avaricum in 52 BC. He was so taken with the Gallic stronghold that instead of razing it to the ground as part of his corybantic scorched earth policy, he fortified it as a Roman garrison. In 1487 a great fire destroyed much of the town, with the nadir immediately followed by a restoration programme resulting in more 15th and 16th century half-timbered houses than in any other town in France. As you stroll through the old town, the cobbled streets and distinctive architecture create a unique historic feel.
24 | LIGHT AVIATION | May 2020
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