Club of the month: Planet'Air d'Épernay microlight club

From 30 June to 2 July, the Grand Est Regional Committee and the Planet'Air d'Épernay microlight club organised the Thierry Barbier rally.

This gathering brought together around twenty aircraft and paid tribute to Thierry Barbier, "a very discreet adventurer".
"It was my first time at a rally of this kind and what a treat! It was a chance to meet many pilots from different backgrounds and with varied experience, to share great stories from our travels and enrich my own experience. I knew Thierry Barbier through his films, which made me dream, and I was able to learn more about him through the moving accounts of pilots who shared moments of life with him on his journeys. The organisation of the rally was perfect, both logistically and in the routes offered, which gave us beautiful views of our lovely region. A huge thank you to the Planet'Air d'Épernay microlight club for looking after the participants and for the warm welcome we received, and thank you to the FFPLUM through the CRULM Grand Est and its president Fabrice, who gave us all their support!" said one of the participants.
At the initiative of Claude Cordelle, the gathering allowed us to discover the incredible adventures of this globetrotter. On Saturday evening, Mohammed, Claude, Brigitte, François and his son Malik shared the adventures they had lived with him. These accounts introduced us to an endearing and extraordinary character. Everyone's anecdotes brought fits of laughter and moments of great emotion. All of them described an ecologist adventurer ahead of his time, passionate and deeply humanist. He loved discovering the world and meeting people, and described himself as a citizen of the world.

It was also a revelation for Alex Gontcharov, a young student pilot aged 13, who now aims to put together a flying tour of Europe with his sister Élisa, aged 15, probably in 2024...!

As for Thierry, he will keep making us dream thanks to Christophe Guyon's superb film, available free of charge on the YouTube channel (click below)!

Episode 1
Episode 2
Episode 3

Let us hope this initiative will be repeated in other regions, to make this very discreet adventurer a little better known. The French Microlight Federation was represented by Georges HUMEAU, member of the Board of Directors in charge of the Club Life committee.