Le Havre Saint-Romain: from Picardy to Normandy
Wednesday 25 July, midday
The rest day in Abbeville was particularly rich. Most participants took the opportunity to go for a flight over the Bay of Somme and surroundings in weather conditions that are always ideal. The young people with us, who fly half the day with instructors and are on the ground the other half, had a lesson on rotary-wing aircraft followed by a helicopter introductory flight, a surprise for everyone. The afternoon was spent in town for some, and in the evening we held the traditional mechanics' get-together with its magic drink.
It is getting hotter and hotter. So we must take care to stay hydrated (without limit) and watch for flying conditions degraded by extreme heat. Take-offs began around 9 am to regain the coast at the Bay of Somme, then Le Tréport, skirting Dieppe inland, then Fécamp and the sumptuous finale over Etretat. Green, blue, green, blue, Normandy colours, with a welcome cruising coolness leading to the well-known Tour stop of Saint-Romain, a glider strip with generous hospitality. It is time to eat, drink water and admire the magnificent vintage gliders.
We set off again in the afternoon to follow the Seine upstream.
Sébastien Perrot
During the morning of the rest day, Alain and Cathy, helicopter pilots, give a theory lesson on rotary-wing aircraft
Helicopter introductory flight for the whole youth team
The traditional mechanics' get-together is opened by the bagpipes
Peyo and Thomas, whom you see in the "mechanics tutorials"
Before the Tour's departure, take-off of a 18-seat hot-air balloon
An original boarding method
Back over the Bay of Somme
The Bay of Somme
Navigating south along the coast
Le Tréport
After skirting the Paluel power station inland, we rejoin the coast at St-Pierre-en-Port
Fécamp
The Etretat cliffs
In the distance, the port of Antifer
