Passing of Jean SALIS

Jean Salis, "Jeannot" the giant

© Jean SALIS

It is with (yet more) great sadness, one week after the death of the Federation’s founding president Alain Dreyer, and one week after the 50^th anniversary of the La Ferté-Alais air show, that we learned of the death of Jean Salis, aged 83, creator of this unique aviation show and a legend in the aviation community for more than 60 years.

Jean followed in the footsteps of his father Jean-Baptiste, turning the Cerny plateau south of Paris into the "Mecca" of aviation and also a film set for more than 150 films. Jean passed his passion on to his two sons, who today ensure the continuity of the show, whose last edition was once again a great popular success. With the departure of Bernard Chabbert earlier this year, the show's legendary announcer, the duo of the control stick and the spoken word, of the pilot and the poet, has in a way turned the page. They will be very hard to replace. They made many pilots and future pilots happy!

Where microlights are concerned, many of the battles needed to keep old aircraft flying, often orphans, are similar to our own. How do you adapt regulation to uncertified aviation, how do you fly machines in a different but responsible framework? Jean was a passionate man, committed to his convictions in defending the freedom to fly and always making it the spectacular moment that wins crowds over to the wish to fly. Many of us fell under the spell of La Ferté. For more than 15 years, the Federation has always been present at this event.

Some of us particularly remember the 2015 Tour ULM that landed at La Ferté, a month after the death of Dominique Méreuze, president of the Federation from 1998 to 2015, who had been posthumously awarded the Legion of Honour at the rank of Officer beneath the wings of the B17 Flying Fortress Pink Lady. Dominique was so proud in anticipation of that meeting that he missed it! A very moving moment made possible by Jean, a great man, calm and passionate. A bearer of freedom and dreams.

To his wife Brigitte, his children and all his family, we offer all our support and all our gratitude for his contribution to keeping the passion for aeroplanes, of all aeroplanes, alive!
Sébastien PERROT,
President of the French Microlight Federation

Jean SALIS

Jean-Baptiste SALIS aerodrome

Jean-Baptiste SALIS aerodrome

© Photos - Hervé Cassabois