Paray-le-Monial, an ecumenical stage

Tour ULM14 July 20182 min read

Thursday 28 July, midday

The night at Ussel was relatively cold. We put our fleeces back on, which is ideal for falling asleep quickly. In the morning the tents were soaked and, like yesterday, we waited for the stratus to clear before heading for the Puy de Sancy and the Puy de Dôme. The crews are thus free to play perfectly with the terrain at sites the Tour has often crossed.

For our part, we took a tangent to the Puy de Sancy to make the most of this swaying of friendly, welcoming hills where volcanic violence has been smoothed by the gentleness of the region. We flew over the Banne d’Ordanche, a historic gliding site in the 1920s. The gentle slopes are an invitation to free flight. The model gliders and the paragliders around the Puy de Sancy bear witness to the interest of the region. A small tribute also to Pascal, who carried the first barometer-altimeter to the top of the Puy; it is an old story but very present in everything that flies. Leaving Vulcania, equipped with an observation balloon, and Clermont-Ferrand behind, we found a plain rich in cereal farming. Then Vichy, the Nationale 7 which we pick up again, and the famous Lapalisse parachuting field, and we joined the Paray-le-Monial airfield at about 12.30pm.

As soon as you switch off the propellers, you immediately feel that the mood is good, that people are smiling, that the waffles are hot, and that we are in a place where every kind of aviation lives in harmony. There is only one club (www.aerodrome-paray.fr), which organises successful open days and welcomes all flyers: glider, aeroplane, microlight, owners or not, in an ecumenical sharing of their passion. You want to come back and spend time here. That is the paradox of aviation: the happiness of being in the air depends largely on those on the ground. Situations on airfields are sometimes variable… to put it soberly. The microlight movement is lucky to be able to create microlight bases, and on former aeroplane airfields, the Tour's visit should help create an atmosphere of good understanding.

In a word, land at Paray-le-Monial or come and discover flying. You will be well received. The microlights take off again for Le Puy!

Sébastien Perrot

(Diogène GPS beacon)