The Narbonne flying club appeals for donations

Faced with a catastrophic situation, the Aéro-club de Narbonne (ACN) is calling on aeronautical solidarity

Hit by the historic flooding of the Aude on 16 October 2018, the Aéro-club de Narbonne (ACN) suffered very heavy losses, including half of its fleet.

After a year that was already catastrophic in many respects (the club had already lost its only microlight last August), this new episode seriously threatens the continuation of its activities, and therefore, in the very short term, the survival of the association.

An appeal for donations has been launched!

The new flooding of Narbonne aerodrome in October 2018 risks dealing a fatal blow to the flying club that has operated the airfield for more than 25 years. An important page of local leisure aviation would be turned for good, to the great dismay of many pilots and aviation lovers.

The clubhouse devastated by water rising to 1.20 m

A bitter taste of déjà vu

In 1999 already, a flood, also "historic", destroyed five aircraft and devastated the clubhouse and the workshop.

With the economic crisis, the demotivation of pilots and student pilots grounded for long winter periods when the runway was unusable, the difficulty of retaining an instructor, and a delicate financial situation since the losses of 1999, aeroplane flying finally disappeared in 2009. The club then refocused on gliding and microlighting.

November 1999: destruction of almost the entire aeroplane fleet of the club

But besides the repeated flooding, other obstacles then hindered the club's development: the reorganisation of the region's airspace, disastrous weather periods, acts of vandalism and the destruction of the club's only microlight in a botched landing.

Botched landing: the ACN has had no microlight since August 2018

The flood of 16 October, historic in scale, thus struck a club already in very poor financial shape… and which may never recover. A microlight facility could then disappear for good.

No more two-seater for training student pilots…

It is still too early to assess precisely the losses suffered by the ACN on 16 October. Besides the furniture, computers, equipment and various tools, according to the first estimates the flying school's two main machines are no longer airworthy, and with the club no longer having a two-seat microlight to continue training young pilots, its future seems doomed in the very short term. Not to mention that the state of the runway will not allow flying to resume for several weeks or months.

The receding water reveals a very sad sight

The city of Narbonne without an aerodrome?

Jean-Paul Szabason, president of the Narbonne flying club, remains confident: "We don't have all the solutions yet, but many clubs and pilots have shown us their support and I am certain that the great aviation family will not let us down. However, it is out of the question to continue any activity, however reduced, without learning the lessons of the past and taking the risk of another devastating flood that will come sooner or later. The priority now is either to build a hangar on the mound at the edge of the runway, or to move to another airfield in the region. Narbonne would then become, to my knowledge, the only French city of this size without an aerodrome allowing its inhabitants to learn and practise air sports."

To help the Narbonne flying club, you can send your donations by cheque to

Aéroclub de Narbonne
route d'Armissan

11100 Narbonne, France

or make a bank transfer to

FR76 1027 8089 6400 0176 8344 191
BIC: CMCIFR2A

with the reference "Floods 2018"

http://aeroclub-narbonne.com/

Download the press release