Aeronautical careers discovery days

The Opale'R club based at Equihen held aeronautical careers discovery days on Friday 1^st and Saturday 2 October. Gaëtan Ruet, the club's president, took the opportunity to honour the BIA graduates. Watch the best moments of the day below.

It was an inter-municipal project between Outreau, Le Portel and Equihen-plage, supervised by the Boulonnais urban community and headed by our former Transport Minister Frédéric Cuvillier. It was an opportunity to inaugurate this new 1 200 m² building. For the occasion, an exhibition on the theme “the Earth seen from the sky” by Thomas Pesquet was put up for two months. With the ESA's permission, there are 66 photographs in all, 1.80 m by 1.20 m high, of exceptional quality.

On the first day, pupils from the middle and high schools of the Boulogne area were able to attend a preview of the event and meet aeronautical professionals. A coach was even laid on to carry the teenagers from their schools to the venue.

The young BIA graduates paying attention © Opale R ULM

Those present were:

• The Air Force
• The Navy
• The Army
• Air France, represented by a member of the design office and an A350 pilot
• The FFPLUM, represented by its National Technical Adviser (Mohamed Azzouni) and the Secretary General (Francis Berthelet)
• The SNCF with its national drone instructor and 5 remote pilots, who kindly gave a few demonstrations of the usefulness of these new technical means for railway surveillance
• Vocational aeronautical training centres
  • The IAAG of Merville
  • The Val de Lys technical school in Estaires
• A private pilot from Calais Marck airport
• The various associations
  • Opale Autogyre
  • Apba
  • Opale'R formation ULM
• The former BIA 2020 Opale'R1 class
• The Portel historical circle, on the history of Boulogne-sur-Mer airport, which became LF6251 Boulogne Aprech
• Our essential partners ITV and Mac fly.

Unfortunately, because of unfavourable weather, the exhibition of vintage Piper Cub aircraft and the flying display by an Extra 300 did not take place. The 35F from Le Touquet was there, however, with the Dauphin-type helicopter.

DSAC Nord was represented by its head, Mr Laurent Breton, the licensing division by Mrs Tuillier and Yan Cleasen, multi-function inspector, as was the Ciras in Lille, represented by Mrs de la Sauvagère. Mr Masselin, delegate at the Arras prefecture, was also present, as was the SNCF regional director, a partner for three years of the “coups de cœur solidaires” scheme, which funds our educational projects.

The mayors of the various communes concerned, two departmental councillors, the Miss France aéronautique 2021 committee and its podium also attended the weekend!

The young people were able to see the Dauphin helicopter up close © Opale R ULM

Gaëtan RUET

President of Opale R ULM