Air Alpes
Encyclopedia
Société Air Alpes was a French airline company headquartered in Chambéry Airport
and in Viviers-du-Lac
, Savoie
, near Chambéry
. Established in 1961 by Michel Ziegler, the airline's history began in the French Alps.
He was backed up by Henri Ziegler
and Mr Sylvain Floirat. These two became the two first shareholders, followed later on, by Joseph Szydlowski
, himself an important aeronautical manufacturer.
From the start, Ziegler called at his side Mr Robert Merloz, a Savoyard school friend. Merloz helped Ziegler during the first stages of the company. Further on, Merloz pursued a career as an Air France pilot.
The registered office was established in Chambéry. During the building of the Chalet/Air Terminal the registered office was transferred to Courchevel
Altiport, and was the registered office in Europe with the highest altitude (2.016m altitude).
Mountain aviation had started on July 30, 1921 when François Durafour landed on the "Dôme du Gouter", altitude 4.330m, on board a Caudron G.3
(the Caudrons brothers). During the mid 1950s the Swiss pilot, Hermann Geiger
, improved flying techniques.
From Sion
, on board his Piper, he carried out many rescues and supply missions in the Alpes Valaisannes.
Another French pilot, Henri Giraud, also a student of Geiger, had begun to open the way to this mountain aviation, he will visit famous for its landing at Mont Aiguille
, but especially on June 23, 1960 by asking his Piper PA-18. A Super Cub F-BAYP the summit of Mont Blanc
in 4807 metres altitude.
It is with him that Ziegler and Merloz learnt and perfected the art of mountain flying and landing techniques on snow.
It started with a Piper Aircraft PA-18, Super Cub, registration F-BKBP (s/n 18-5094). This activity was made up primarily of "General Aviation" and "Land Supplies" to High Mountains refuges and a flying school.
A comparative study between the Dornier Do 27
and the Pilatus Aircraft
"Porter" will see the leasing of a Pilatus PC-6 equipped with a piston engine Lycoming
340CV, registration HB-FAZ. On September 2, 1961, it was destroyed during a training flight at the "Col du Dome" in the Mont Blanc
mountains (Crew safe and sound). During 2001, the restaurant/chalet manager, situated at the base of the "Glacier des Bossons
", found parts of the aforementioned plane. It took 40 years for the Pilatus to reach the foot of the glacier.
The High Altitude Altiport at Courchevel
was built with the support of the Town Council and the station manager, Gilles de la Rocque. It is a runway with short landing strips, in high altitude, covered in snow in winter. The aircraft are ski-equipped for landing.
The runway was 300m long x 30m wide with a medium slope of 15 degrees. Construction of a chalet used either for offices or mini-air-terminal and a hangar.
The Paul-Emile Victor's old caterpillar shuttle was bought to transport the passengers between the ski resorts and the Altiport.
In 1962, from Pilatus Aircraft
Company of the first Pilatus PC-6
(PC-6/A-H2 Porter F-BJSZ s/n 525) was acquired. It was equipped with a Turbomeca
engine Aztazou. This aircraft could carry seven passengers plus pilot. This purchase was possible because Mr Joseph Szydlowski
, founder of the Turbomeca
Company (manufacturer of engines for planes and helicopters), provided the engine for this aircraft free of charge. Later on, he became an Air Alpes' shareholder.
A few years later, on November 15, 1968, an aircraft of this type beat the International Altitude record and reached the altitude of 13.485m. The pilot, Bernard Ziegler, eventually became Director of Department "Airbus
Test Flights". It took 4 years for this record to be beaten.
The works undertaken the previous summer at the Meribel
station for the creation of a new Altiport ended in January, on a summarily graded runway (400m x 15m with a medium slope of 6%), the Piper F-BKBP and the Pilatus F-BJSZ will land for the first time at Meribel. That year a Chalet/Air-Terminal and a hangar were built.
It is during its inauguration that Szydlowski, Turbomeca CEO and one of the Air Alpes' first shareholders, invented the word "Altiport". This term became a new dictionary entry 10 years later.
That year the S.F.A. Pilots (Aeronautical Training Service), Mr Marcel Collot and Jean Delparte, both trained by Mr Hermann Geiger, undertook the task of writing the first basis of the regulation manual, establishing, the conditions under which the aircraft can take off on various surfaces other than the flat surface of small airports or aerodromes and to classify the different types: altiports, airstrips and glaciers. Air Alpes worked very closely to the development of this regulation.
A Piper PA-18 Super Cub F-BNAO (s/n 188236) was leased to replace the slightly damaged F-BKBP.
Opening of the first winter routes. Lyon
/Courchevel
/Meribel
and Geneva
/Courchevel/Meribel (Flights ALP 121 and 122).
Inter stations flights and glacier skiing drop-offs were offered to passengers. This activity was very important during the first years of Air Alpes' operation. These landings could only be realized with a high altitude guide. A very close cooperation was established between the ski-instructors and guides from the various ski-resorts.
From the Haute-Savoie
, Savoie
and Isère
Altiports, the main glaciers of the "Mont Blanc
", the "Tarentaise
", the "Vanoise
" or the "Oisans" were now accessible. For each flight only a maximum of 6 persons and 1 guide could be accommodated.
This activity ended in 1979 after a ban of glaciers landings.
A contract was signed with ORTF. It made provisions for the supply of a relay platform to broadcast life images of the "Tour de France
", Paris–Roubaix and others prestigious cyclist events.
The first few years of these flights were made with a Pilatus PC-6, then with a de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter
, F-BOOH. This contract ended in 1973. For the broadcasting of these events a special equipment was installed on board of the aircraft.
Scenic flights of the Alps and especially the "Tour du Mont Blanc
" for many years attracted customers charmed by the discovered landscapes.
In 1963, a second Pilatus PC-6/A-H2 F-BQKY (s/n 549) joined the fleet, creation of La Plagne
Altiport (300m x 25m medium slope of 14%) and first domestic seasonal routes in Corsica
.
Commercial agreement with Gyrafrance (Helicopter Company).
Air Alpes developed its General Aviation (air advertising, parachuting, maiden flight).
In 1964, Megève Altiport was inaugurated on December 20, 1964. In November, leasing of a Beechcraft Sferma "Marquis" F-BLLR, twin-engines, 6 seater and equipped of 2 engines Turbomeca
"Astazou" for flights to Lyon Bron Airport.
In 1965, the Geneva/Courchevel winter route offered connecting flights to "Val d'Isère" (250m x 25m medium slope 18%) and "La Plagne" Altiports
In 1966, in July, De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter
, (CF-UCD) was presented to the staff of Megève
and Courchevel
Altiports.
Air Alpes offered training of high altitude flying.
Construction of a new chalet/air terminal at Courchevel, fitted with a bar/restaurant.
In the "Pilot Journal", Air Alpes entered the comic industry with the adventures of Tanguy and Laverdure.
"Special Mission" designed by Albert Uderzo
and Jije
from Jean-Michel Charlier
's scenes appeared in the editions 363 to 393, then in an album in 1968, and then in a TV series "Les Chevaliers du Ciel
" - (Third series - episode 8)
In 1967, the Alpe d'Huez
council asked Air Alpes to be in charge of the planning and following up of the Altiport construction. The Courchevel Chalet/Air-Terminal was built. It was moved and placed on a hard base surface by a helicopter. This helicopter was borrowed from Aérospatiale
. (Runway 430m x 25m with a slope of 11%).
The same year, the Alpe d'Huez, Avoriaz
, Tignes
ski-resorts were also used during the winter season.
The summer program in Corsica: domestic routes: Ajaccio
/Propriano
/Calvi
.
Creation of a new Altiport in the Alpes: "Les Arcs
" (400m x 25 medium slope of 14%).
A third Pilatus PC-6 was added to the fleet: registration: F-BOJJ (s/n 513), equipped with a piston engine. It was modified a few years later as a PC-6/A-H2, thanks to the installation of a Turbomeca
"Aztazou" engine.
In June, the Tactical Approach Landing and Radar (TALAR) system was tried at Chambéry. A Pilatus is specially equipped with this system for the occasion.
Air Alpes ordered a DHC-6 Twin Otter 100 series to be delivered in October.
The skill of the mechanics charged with working upon the Pilatus was typified in January 1974 when a five-hour Turbomeca "Aztazou" engine change without any adapted infrastructure is completed at the Val d'Isère Altiport altitude 2.450m under a temperature of minus 7 degrees Celsius.
Finding opportunities for the Pilatus fleet, F-BTCG was used on contracts to create artificial rain on the island of Teneriffe
, and drought relief in Champagne and Brittany Regions by seeding the clouds to create rain in during the drought of 75-76.
Air Alpes began to sell off its Pilatus aircraft around 1975 but still found additional uses for some of them through 1977, such as fighting forest fires for the Hérault Department and the North Corsica Fire Department. Based in Calvi
these airplanes performed "Guet Arme" missions which means monitoring and signaling a fire, taking action immediately in order to fight it. For these fire fighting missions, the planes were equipped with a 1.000 litre tank placed in the cabin. These 1.000 litre tanks could be deployed in just a few seconds via a trap door situated under the fuselage of the aircraft
After Air Alpe began phasing out its last Pilatus mountain flight routes from Courchevel, routes were continued for some time by Air Savoie and its Pilatus and a BN.2 aircraft, and a few pilots formerly with Air Alpes.
The Pilatus Fleet
Pilatus PC-6 Southern Alpes Routes 1972-75:
By 1966, Air Alpes was in the market for a STOL aircraft with greater capacity and performance. Among the two types offering the most potential were the Short Skyvan and De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter
. Due to its adaptability to flying in mountain regions the Twin Otter 100 series soon won out, and in 1967 an order was completed for the first Twin Otters for with first deliveries scheduled to Air Alpes for October.
DHC-6 (s/n 72) F-BOOH's delivery on December 7, 1967 allowed winter operations into the Courchevel Altiport as the Twin Otters were seemingly readily adaptable to be equipped with skis. The 19 seat Pratt & Whitney
PT6A powered aircraft were also used on the Chambéry - Grenoble - Nice - Ajaccio, during the summer months.
Very shortly after its delivery to Air Alpes the added complexities and very delicate and costly operation of the ski-equipped Twin Otter were realized when F-BOOH was damaged during a training flight at the Courchevel Altiport. This incident spurred the Courchevel Council to conduct regular snow removal program at the Altiport airfield from there forward.
During the overhaul and repair of the aircraft, a Twin Otter D-DIHA of General Air was leased and it is soon decided the Twin Otters will no longer be fitted with skis, due the penalty of being able to only transport 16 passengers instead of the usual 19, in order to compensate for the lateral instability of the ski equipped airplane at take off.
In May, the DHC-6, F-BOOH, rejoins the fleet after being overhauled and modified to a Series 200 configuration with a longer fuselage nose and more spacious cabin. As the Courchevel Altiport now conducts snow removal skis will no longer be required.
(Touraine Air Transport) Air Paris or Europe Aero Service EAS - Europe Air Services. The French regional air transport sector would eventually comprise as many as 50 regional airlines, flying as many as 100 regular or seasonal routes. During this period these airlines carried more than 500,000 passengers.
In 1969, Air Alpes began flying the Chambéry to Paris (Paris - Le Bourget Airport) route with five daily flights Monday through Friday.
In 1970 under Zieglers initiation, ATAR (Regional Air Transport Association) is established. The association comprised the following French regional airlines: Air Alpes, Air Alsace, Air Aquitaine, Air Languedoc, Pyrenair, Air Rouergue, Air Antilles, Air Martinique and Guyane Air Transport and promoted the needs of smaller airlines like Air Alpes in relation to the larger Flag air carriers like Air France.
Air France banner
By 1972 and 1973 Air Alpes was flying in cooperation with Air France
and under their "banner" and in the aircraft livery of Air France. When these Air France/Air Alpes routes were included as one, Air Alpes by the end of 1973 covered 50 routes. The following are the first "banner routes" flown by Air Alpes in cooperation with Air France. The first planes to be flown in full Air France colors by Air Alpes were the Aérospatiale Corvettes followed by the F-27 that was bought by Air Alpes from Compagnie Nationale.
Air France banner routes:
Towards the end of 1973 Air Alpes was flying 50 routes under its own banner and IATA codes including these Air France/Air Alpes routes and flights jointly marketed by the two airlines. Sales and ticket passenger distribution agreements yielding beneficial results as have been experienced with Air France leads to the forging of further agreements with other larger airlines such as Union des Transports Aerien for the Savoie and Haute-Savoie regions and Pan American World Airways
sales office for all of France, except for the Paris region as of 1976.
1969 - the first Beechcraft Model 99 ordered arrives in Autumn.
The 15-seat aircraft is equipped with two Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6-A20 engines and flow by two crew members. In 1970, Chambéry - Grenoble - Nice routes are begun with B 99 airliners.
Beechcraft Model 99 Fleet
1969 - the four engined STOL
(Short take off and landing) Breguet 941
was tested and displayed at the Bourget Show (Salon International de l'Aeronautique et de l'Espace de Paris-Le Bourget Paris Air Show
), with full Air Alpes logos. In autumn, a number of test runs were conducted to the various altiports at Megève
, Meribel
, l'Alpe d'Huez
' with the goal of demonstrating the capabilities of operating this larger capacity STOL airliner in the regular and challenging mountain regime environments. The Breguet 941 was very similar in design to another de Havilland product, the Dash-7; a 40 seater STOL airliner which Air Alpes was later to sign contracts ordering the type for delivery circa 1977-78.
1972 - the opening of the Dole - Paris, and Paris/Geneva - Courchevel routes with the Twin Otter. In November, just a few years before the arrival of the Aérospatiale Corvettes flights from Marseille - Milan and Marseille - Geneva begin being flown under Air France's code and banner. Below is a brief list detailing the Twin Otter fleet and their dispositions.
As Air Alpes entered into the 1970s many improvements were made at the air"Altiports" which Air Alpes found almost exclusive niches. Among these were the Couchevel Airport which is upgraded. The runway has been moved by 18 degrees in comparison with the previous one. An Air-terminal chalet, and a 30 m × 40 m hangar complete the new facilities
March 1, marks the inauguration of new facilities at the Megève
Altiport including a pavement tarred runway of 400 m × 40 m with a medium slope of 8% and provisions for year around snow removal. Megève will become one of the world's best equipped Altiports with an optical guidance system AVASI, a VHF communication system, Weather Station and a Fire Brigade.
Lyon Satolas Airport which later becomes the Lyon Saint-Exupéry International Airport
gets a new ticketing office and passenger lounge.
registration I-AKA. Aviaexport also lobbied to place the Yak-40 with Air Alpes during a sales presentation of CCP-87791 during that year, however nothing came of these initial presentations and Air Alpes made no commitments.
In 1972 Air Alpes entered into the Air France reservation system ALPHA 3. During this same year the GIECAR group (Groupement d'Interet Économique des Compagnies Aériennes Régionales) was created, leading to greater planned associations with Air France when agreements are forged to form a partnership between Air Limousin, Air Champagne Ardennes and Pyrenair, all flying on the behalf of Air France
.
Among the new routes, flown under Air France's are: Marseille
to Barcelona
, Marseille to Geneva
and Metz
to Düsseldorf
.
1974
This association with Air France continued with the decision to place orders for four Aérospatiale Corvette SN-601 Serial 100 "short range business regional jets." The orders were followed by and option for eight additional Corvette SN-601, serial 200d models and finally in 1974 Air Alpes entered the jet age with the arrival of the Aérospatiale Corvette
series 100 and a further decision to have Amaury de la Grange Institute train its pilots to fly them. On September 28 flying in the full colors of Air France upon the Chambéry - Paris route, Air Alpes entered the "jet age" when Corvette F-BVPA (s/n 5), commenced flying regional feeder services.
Corvette series 100 Fleet
In 1974 Air Alpes acquires Air Champagne Ardennes soon after the recent take over of Air Limousin, Air Rouergue and Pyrenair. The number of aircraft continue to increase with the arrival of the Cessna 401 (F-BOJZ), Cessna 402
(F-BRIY) and Cessna 411 (F-BPFM) from this consortium of companies.
1975
Additional Corvettes F-BVPC (s/n 12) and F-BVPD (s/n13) arrived beginning in February 1975 and were to be used upon other Air France regional routes.
Air Alpes was also interested in the 30/40 seat Dassault Aviation
, Mystere 30, however this aircraft failed to make it into production and was cancelled by Dassault in 1975.
One aspect of the Corvettes which proved to be very successful was the Air France branding, and in October the first of 2 Fokker F-27 turboprops arrived. The Fokker F27 Mk 400 was a turboprop aircraft, with a capacity of 44, equipped with two Rolls-Royce Ltd, "Dart engines,": (s/n 10.340) which was soon register as F-BYAA. The first F-27 route was Chambéry to Paris, the same route initiated by the Corvettes a year earlier. Subsequent routes would be flown by Air Alpes Fokker F-BYAB delivered on November 5, the first F-27 to wear the full painted colours of Air France just as the Corvettes did.
PC-6 aircraft. Avi ALPI had ben created by Aerosud and famed World War II pilot Martino Aichner.
company.
In 1976 Air Alpes gets a new logo for its aircraft and the company. To celebrate the event a glass of Moet and Chandon Brut Imperial is offered on all F-27 for a period of 2 months. A national campaign and competition is also offered to passengers and booking agencies. While the majority of the stocks still remain in the hands of the Ziegler family (Henri Ziegler) and Mr. Sylvain Floirat, by arranging additional financing two new shareholders take part ownership, they are Les Chambres de Commerce et d'Industrie de Savoie and Haute Savoie.
1977
By 1977 The experiment with the Corvette proved not to be lucrative for Air Alpes and the four aircraft were withdrawn from the fleet.
Unfortunately the added financing of the Chamber of Commerce groups was insufficient and the group TAG Techniques d'Avant Garde
becomes the main shareholder of Air Alpes, prompting a rapid return of the Cessna F-BOJZ, as a recovery package is put into place with the realization that a number of routes were not profitable.
Additional recovery plans lead to the abolishment and closure of several routes including Chambéry - Grenoble - St. Etienne - Toulouse, Grenoble-Metz along with a contract for Air Inter
to perform major maintenance/overhaul of the Fokker F-27's flown by Air Alpes, erupting in huge staff and management conflicts.
In 1978, another Fokker F27- Mk600 registered, F-BYAR (s/n 10.430) joins the fleet, while two Fokker F27s, "with crew
" were dedicated Air Inter
and their routes, while in
April 1979 the first of a fleet of Fokker F-28 Mk 1000 F-BUTI (s/n 11.034) twinjet
s arrived. The Fokker F28 equipped with 65 seats replaced the Fokker F-27, on the Chambéry to Paris route. Air Alpes also inaugurated the Paris to Figari Southern Corsica route with the Fokker F28 with the delivery of F-GBBS (s/n 11.050) and F-GBBT (s/n 11.052) which followed a short time later. The F-28 fleet complimented the F-27's and this fleet continued to grow during 1980 as Fokker F-27 Mk 400 F-GCJV (s/n 10.360), Fokker F-27 Mk 100 F-GCPA (s/n 10.258), and the Fairchild Hiller FH-227
, F-GCLN (s/n 527) are delivered and carry Air Alpes' logo.
In 1981, TAT acquires over 3/4 of Air Alpes and the rebranding of all Air Alpes airplanes begin.
On September 14, a new aircraft will carry the Air Alpes' livery for the last time when the Douglas DC-9
-21 aircraft OY-KGE (s/n 47.305/441) and OY-KGD (s/n 47302/422) are leased from SAS Scandinavian Airlines System
.
They will operate the flights Chambéry-Paris-Chambéry, Paris-Figari-Paris, Paris-Rodez-Paris etc...
An extraordinary human and technical adventure unfortunately ends.
However, it continues to survive, thanks to all "Les Anciens d'Air Alpes", who are grouped together under the organization "The Association Amicale des Anciens d'Air Alpes".
1970 - January 15, Beech 99 F-BRUF lands short of the runway at Chambéry- Aix-les-Bains Airport. All passengers and crew were safe, and sound but the aircraft was destroyed. Following this accident, the Chambéry-Aix-les-Bains airport (Chambéry Airport) will be equipped with an ILS (Instrument Landing System) to allow the security and reliability of the flights. This had been requested by Air Alpes previously for a long time.
1970 - A DHC-6 Twin Otter is damaged during a training flight at the Courchevel Altiport
Chambéry Airport
-Charter airlines:-Airport statistics:-External links:* * *...
and in Viviers-du-Lac
Viviers-du-Lac
Viviers-du-Lac is a commune in the Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France. When Air Alpes existed, its head office was in the Chambéry Airport in the commune.-External links:*...
, Savoie
Savoie
Savoie is a French department located in the Rhône-Alpes region in the French Alps.Together with the Haute-Savoie, Savoie is one of the two departments of the historic region of Savoy that was annexed by France on June 14, 1860, following the signature of the Treaty of Turin on March 24, 1860...
, near Chambéry
Chambéry
Chambéry is a city in the department of Savoie, located in the Rhône-Alpes region in southeastern France.It is the capital of the department and has been the historical capital of the Savoy region since the 13th century, when Amadeus V of Savoy made the city his seat of power.-Geography:Chambéry...
. Established in 1961 by Michel Ziegler, the airline's history began in the French Alps.
Creation
Mr. Michel Ziegler Air Alpes in 1961.He was backed up by Henri Ziegler
Henri Ziegler
Henri Ziegler was one of the founders of Airbus and its first president.A Polytechnic engineer and graduate of "Sup'Aéro" as well as a French air force officer and test pilot, he was a founding father of Airbus Industrie and became its first...
and Mr Sylvain Floirat. These two became the two first shareholders, followed later on, by Joseph Szydlowski
Joseph Szydlowski
Joseph Szydlowski , was a Jewish-Polish-French-Israeli aircraft engine designer who founded Turbomeca in France.- Biography and career :...
, himself an important aeronautical manufacturer.
From the start, Ziegler called at his side Mr Robert Merloz, a Savoyard school friend. Merloz helped Ziegler during the first stages of the company. Further on, Merloz pursued a career as an Air France pilot.
The registered office was established in Chambéry. During the building of the Chalet/Air Terminal the registered office was transferred to Courchevel
Courchevel
Courchevel is the name of a ski resort located in the commune of Saint-Bon-Tarentaise in the French Alps, in the Tarentaise Valley, Savoie, Rhône-Alpes region. It is a part of Les Trois Vallées, the largest linked ski area in the world...
Altiport, and was the registered office in Europe with the highest altitude (2.016m altitude).
Mountain aviation had started on July 30, 1921 when François Durafour landed on the "Dôme du Gouter", altitude 4.330m, on board a Caudron G.3
Caudron G.3
The Caudron G.3 was a single-engined French biplane built by Caudron, widely used in World War I as a reconnaissance aircraft and trainer. In comparison to its competitors, it had a better rate of climb and it was considered especially suitable in mountainous terrain.-Development:The Caudron G.3...
(the Caudrons brothers). During the mid 1950s the Swiss pilot, Hermann Geiger
Hermann Geiger
Hermann Geiger He was a Swiss aviator, search and rescue pilot whose heroic actions gave him national hero status. He pioneered the art of landing his PIPER CUB on glaciers in the Swiss Alps like no other. Has executed over 600 rescue missions as he managed to land his specially modified...
, improved flying techniques.
From Sion
Sion, Switzerland
Sion is the capital of the Swiss canton of Valais. it had a population of .Landmarks include the Basilique de Valère and Château de Tourbillon. Sion has an airfield for civilian and military use, which, because of its location in a valley, causes a reasonable amount of noise pollution. FC Sion...
, on board his Piper, he carried out many rescues and supply missions in the Alpes Valaisannes.
Another French pilot, Henri Giraud, also a student of Geiger, had begun to open the way to this mountain aviation, he will visit famous for its landing at Mont Aiguille
Mont Aiguille
Mont Aiguille is a mountain in the Vercors Plateau of the French Prealps, located south of Grenoble. It has a flat top, on which a small plane once landed, but is surrounded by steep cliffs on all sides. The mountain is most noted for its first ascent in 1492...
, but especially on June 23, 1960 by asking his Piper PA-18. A Super Cub F-BAYP the summit of Mont Blanc
Mont Blanc
Mont Blanc or Monte Bianco , meaning "White Mountain", is the highest mountain in the Alps, Western Europe and the European Union. It rises above sea level and is ranked 11th in the world in topographic prominence...
in 4807 metres altitude.
It is with him that Ziegler and Merloz learnt and perfected the art of mountain flying and landing techniques on snow.
It started with a Piper Aircraft PA-18, Super Cub, registration F-BKBP (s/n 18-5094). This activity was made up primarily of "General Aviation" and "Land Supplies" to High Mountains refuges and a flying school.
A comparative study between the Dornier Do 27
Dornier Do 27
-See also:-Bibliography:*Green, William. Macdonald Aircraft Handbook. London. Macdonald & Co. Ltd., 1964.*Jackson, Paul A. German Military Aviation 1956-1976. Hinckley, Leicestershire, UK: Midland Counties Publications, 1976. ISBN 0-904597-03-2.-External links:**...
and the Pilatus Aircraft
Pilatus Aircraft
Pilatus Aircraft Ltd. is an aircraft manufacturer located in Stans, Switzerland. The company employs more than 1,100 people.-History:The company was established in 1939, but it was not until 1944 that a Pilatus-built aircraft, the SB-2 Pelican, first took to the air...
"Porter" will see the leasing of a Pilatus PC-6 equipped with a piston engine Lycoming
Lycoming
Lycoming Engines is a U.S. aircraft engine company, known primarily for its general aviation engines. For most of its history Lycoming has been part of the AVCO group as AVCO Lycoming. In 1987 AVCO was purchased by Textron to become Textron Lycoming...
340CV, registration HB-FAZ. On September 2, 1961, it was destroyed during a training flight at the "Col du Dome" in the Mont Blanc
Mont Blanc
Mont Blanc or Monte Bianco , meaning "White Mountain", is the highest mountain in the Alps, Western Europe and the European Union. It rises above sea level and is ranked 11th in the world in topographic prominence...
mountains (Crew safe and sound). During 2001, the restaurant/chalet manager, situated at the base of the "Glacier des Bossons
Glacier des Bossons
The Bossons Glacier is one of the glaciers found in the Chamonix valley of Haute-Savoie département, south-eastern France. It is on the north-eastern side of the valley, close to the Aiguille du Midi.-See also:*List of glaciers...
", found parts of the aforementioned plane. It took 40 years for the Pilatus to reach the foot of the glacier.
The High Altitude Altiport at Courchevel
Courchevel
Courchevel is the name of a ski resort located in the commune of Saint-Bon-Tarentaise in the French Alps, in the Tarentaise Valley, Savoie, Rhône-Alpes region. It is a part of Les Trois Vallées, the largest linked ski area in the world...
was built with the support of the Town Council and the station manager, Gilles de la Rocque. It is a runway with short landing strips, in high altitude, covered in snow in winter. The aircraft are ski-equipped for landing.
The runway was 300m long x 30m wide with a medium slope of 15 degrees. Construction of a chalet used either for offices or mini-air-terminal and a hangar.
The Paul-Emile Victor's old caterpillar shuttle was bought to transport the passengers between the ski resorts and the Altiport.
The early Pilatus years
Pilatus Aircraft
Pilatus Aircraft Ltd. is an aircraft manufacturer located in Stans, Switzerland. The company employs more than 1,100 people.-History:The company was established in 1939, but it was not until 1944 that a Pilatus-built aircraft, the SB-2 Pelican, first took to the air...
Company of the first Pilatus PC-6
Pilatus PC-6
|-See also:-References:* Lambert, Mark. Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1993–1994. Coulsdon, UK: Jane's Data Division, 1993. ISBN 0 7106 1066 1.* Taylor, John W. R. Janes's All The World's Aircraft 1965–66. London: Sampson Low, Marston & Company, 1965....
(PC-6/A-H2 Porter F-BJSZ s/n 525) was acquired. It was equipped with a Turbomeca
Turbomeca
Turbomeca is a French manufacturer of low- and medium-power gas turbine turboshaft engines for helicopters. The company also produces gas turbine engines for aircraft and missiles, as well as turbines for land, industrial and marine applications...
engine Aztazou. This aircraft could carry seven passengers plus pilot. This purchase was possible because Mr Joseph Szydlowski
Joseph Szydlowski
Joseph Szydlowski , was a Jewish-Polish-French-Israeli aircraft engine designer who founded Turbomeca in France.- Biography and career :...
, founder of the Turbomeca
Turbomeca
Turbomeca is a French manufacturer of low- and medium-power gas turbine turboshaft engines for helicopters. The company also produces gas turbine engines for aircraft and missiles, as well as turbines for land, industrial and marine applications...
Company (manufacturer of engines for planes and helicopters), provided the engine for this aircraft free of charge. Later on, he became an Air Alpes' shareholder.
A few years later, on November 15, 1968, an aircraft of this type beat the International Altitude record and reached the altitude of 13.485m. The pilot, Bernard Ziegler, eventually became Director of Department "Airbus
Airbus
Airbus SAS is an aircraft manufacturing subsidiary of EADS, a European aerospace company. Based in Blagnac, France, surburb of Toulouse, and with significant activity across Europe, the company produces around half of the world's jet airliners....
Test Flights". It took 4 years for this record to be beaten.
The works undertaken the previous summer at the Meribel
Méribel
Méribel is a ski resort in the Tarentaise Valley in the French Alps, situated near the town of Moutiers.Méribel refers to three neighbouring villages in the Les Allues commune of the Savoie département of France, near the town of Moûtiers , called Méribel Centre, Méribel-Mottaret and Méribel Village...
station for the creation of a new Altiport ended in January, on a summarily graded runway (400m x 15m with a medium slope of 6%), the Piper F-BKBP and the Pilatus F-BJSZ will land for the first time at Meribel. That year a Chalet/Air-Terminal and a hangar were built.
It is during its inauguration that Szydlowski, Turbomeca CEO and one of the Air Alpes' first shareholders, invented the word "Altiport". This term became a new dictionary entry 10 years later.
A Piper PA-18 Super Cub F-BNAO (s/n 188236) was leased to replace the slightly damaged F-BKBP.
Opening of the first winter routes. Lyon
Lyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
/Courchevel
Courchevel
Courchevel is the name of a ski resort located in the commune of Saint-Bon-Tarentaise in the French Alps, in the Tarentaise Valley, Savoie, Rhône-Alpes region. It is a part of Les Trois Vallées, the largest linked ski area in the world...
/Meribel
Méribel
Méribel is a ski resort in the Tarentaise Valley in the French Alps, situated near the town of Moutiers.Méribel refers to three neighbouring villages in the Les Allues commune of the Savoie département of France, near the town of Moûtiers , called Méribel Centre, Méribel-Mottaret and Méribel Village...
and Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
/Courchevel/Meribel (Flights ALP 121 and 122).
Inter stations flights and glacier skiing drop-offs were offered to passengers. This activity was very important during the first years of Air Alpes' operation. These landings could only be realized with a high altitude guide. A very close cooperation was established between the ski-instructors and guides from the various ski-resorts.
From the Haute-Savoie
Haute-Savoie
Haute-Savoie is a French department in the Rhône-Alpes region of eastern France. It borders both Switzerland and Italy. The capital is Annecy. To the north is Lake Geneva and Switzerland; to the south and southeast are the Mont Blanc and Aravis mountain ranges and the French entrance to the Mont...
, Savoie
Savoie
Savoie is a French department located in the Rhône-Alpes region in the French Alps.Together with the Haute-Savoie, Savoie is one of the two departments of the historic region of Savoy that was annexed by France on June 14, 1860, following the signature of the Treaty of Turin on March 24, 1860...
and Isère
Isère
Isère is a department in the Rhône-Alpes region in the east of France named after the river Isère.- History :Isère is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790. It was created from part of the former province of Dauphiné...
Altiports, the main glaciers of the "Mont Blanc
Mont Blanc
Mont Blanc or Monte Bianco , meaning "White Mountain", is the highest mountain in the Alps, Western Europe and the European Union. It rises above sea level and is ranked 11th in the world in topographic prominence...
", the "Tarentaise
Tarentaise
Tarentaise can refer to the following:Places* Moûtiers, historically known as Tarentaise, in Savoy* Tarentaise Valley* Tarentaise, LoirePeople* Peter of TarentaiseOther*Tarentaise cattle...
", the "Vanoise
Vanoise
Vanoise may refer to:# Vanoise National Park in France# Vanoise Express, a cable car line# Vanoise Massif, a sub-group of the Graian Alps in France...
" or the "Oisans" were now accessible. For each flight only a maximum of 6 persons and 1 guide could be accommodated.
A contract was signed with ORTF. It made provisions for the supply of a relay platform to broadcast life images of the "Tour de France
Tour de France
The Tour de France is an annual bicycle race held in France and nearby countries. First staged in 1903, the race covers more than and lasts three weeks. As the best known and most prestigious of cycling's three "Grand Tours", the Tour de France attracts riders and teams from around the world. The...
", Paris–Roubaix and others prestigious cyclist events.
The first few years of these flights were made with a Pilatus PC-6, then with a de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter
De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter
The DHC-6 Twin Otter is a Canadian 19-passenger STOL utility aircraft developed by de Havilland Canada and currently produced by Viking Air. The aircraft's fixed tricycle undercarriage, STOL abilities and high rate of climb have made it a successful cargo, regional passenger airliner and MEDEVAC...
, F-BOOH. This contract ended in 1973. For the broadcasting of these events a special equipment was installed on board of the aircraft.
Scenic flights of the Alps and especially the "Tour du Mont Blanc
Mont Blanc
Mont Blanc or Monte Bianco , meaning "White Mountain", is the highest mountain in the Alps, Western Europe and the European Union. It rises above sea level and is ranked 11th in the world in topographic prominence...
" for many years attracted customers charmed by the discovered landscapes.
In 1963, a second Pilatus PC-6/A-H2 F-BQKY (s/n 549) joined the fleet, creation of La Plagne
La Plagne
La Plagne is a French ski area in the alpine valley of the Tarentaise . Since 2003, La Plagne and the neighbouring resort of Les Arcs form Paradiski's ski area...
Altiport (300m x 25m medium slope of 14%) and first domestic seasonal routes in Corsica
Corsica
Corsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is located west of Italy, southeast of the French mainland, and north of the island of Sardinia....
.
Air Alpes developed its General Aviation (air advertising, parachuting, maiden flight).
In 1964, Megève Altiport was inaugurated on December 20, 1964. In November, leasing of a Beechcraft Sferma "Marquis" F-BLLR, twin-engines, 6 seater and equipped of 2 engines Turbomeca
Turbomeca
Turbomeca is a French manufacturer of low- and medium-power gas turbine turboshaft engines for helicopters. The company also produces gas turbine engines for aircraft and missiles, as well as turbines for land, industrial and marine applications...
"Astazou" for flights to Lyon Bron Airport.
In 1966, in July, De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter
De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter
The DHC-6 Twin Otter is a Canadian 19-passenger STOL utility aircraft developed by de Havilland Canada and currently produced by Viking Air. The aircraft's fixed tricycle undercarriage, STOL abilities and high rate of climb have made it a successful cargo, regional passenger airliner and MEDEVAC...
, (CF-UCD) was presented to the staff of Megève
Megève
Megève is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.Megève is a famous ski resort near the Mont-Blanc in the French Alps...
and Courchevel
Courchevel
Courchevel is the name of a ski resort located in the commune of Saint-Bon-Tarentaise in the French Alps, in the Tarentaise Valley, Savoie, Rhône-Alpes region. It is a part of Les Trois Vallées, the largest linked ski area in the world...
Altiports.
Air Alpes offered training of high altitude flying.
In the "Pilot Journal", Air Alpes entered the comic industry with the adventures of Tanguy and Laverdure.
"Special Mission" designed by Albert Uderzo
Albert Uderzo
Albert Uderzo is a French comic book artist, and scriptwriter. He is best known for his work on the Astérix series, but also drew other comics such as Oumpah-pah, also in collaboration with René Goscinny.-Early life:...
and Jije
Jijé
Jijé was a Belgian comics artist, best known for being a seminal artist on the Spirou et Fantasio strip and the creator of one of the first major European western strips, Jerry Spring.-Biography:Born Joseph Gillain in Gedinne, Namur, he completed various art studies Jijé (13 January 1914 – 20...
from Jean-Michel Charlier
Jean-Michel Charlier
Jean-Michel Charlier was a Belgian script writer best known as a writer of realistic European comics. He was a co-founder of the famed European comics magazine Pilote.-Biography:...
's scenes appeared in the editions 363 to 393, then in an album in 1968, and then in a TV series "Les Chevaliers du Ciel
Les Chevaliers du ciel
Les Chevaliers du ciel is a 2005 French film directed by Gérard Pirès about two air force pilots preventing a terrorist attack on the Bastille Day celebrations in Paris...
" - (Third series - episode 8)
Alpe d'Huez
L'Alpe d'Huez is a ski resort at . It is a mountain pasture in the Central French Alps, in the commune of Huez, in the Isère département in the Rhône-Alpes region.-Tour de France:L'Alpe d'Huez is one of the main mountains in the Tour de France...
council asked Air Alpes to be in charge of the planning and following up of the Altiport construction. The Courchevel Chalet/Air-Terminal was built. It was moved and placed on a hard base surface by a helicopter. This helicopter was borrowed from Aérospatiale
Aérospatiale
Aérospatiale was a French aerospace manufacturer that built both civilian and military aircraft, rockets and satellites. It was originally known as Société Nationale Industrielle Aérospatiale...
. (Runway 430m x 25m with a slope of 11%).
The same year, the Alpe d'Huez, Avoriaz
Avoriaz
Avoriaz is a French mountain resort in the heart of the Portes du Soleil. It is located in the territory of the commune of Morzine. It is easily accessible from either Thonon at Lake Geneva or Cluses-junction on the A40 motorway between Geneva and Chamonix...
, Tignes
Tignes
Tignes is a commune in the Tarentaise Valley, Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.It is also a ski resort near Val d'Isère, that are linked together as the "Espace Killy" region...
ski-resorts were also used during the winter season.
The summer program in Corsica: domestic routes: Ajaccio
Ajaccio
Ajaccio , is a commune on the island of Corsica in France. It is the capital and largest city of the region of Corsica and the prefecture of the department of Corse-du-Sud....
/Propriano
Propriano
Propriano is a commune in the Corse-du-Sud department of France on the island of Corsica.It is situated on the Valinco Gulf.-Population:-References:*...
/Calvi
Calvi
Calvi is a commune in the Haute-Corse department of France on the island of Corsica.It is the seat of the Canton of Calvi, which contains Calvi and one other commune, Lumio...
.
Creation of a new Altiport in the Alpes: "Les Arcs
Les Arcs
Les Arcs is a ski resort located in Savoie, France, in the Tarentaise Valley town of Bourg-Saint-Maurice. Initially created by Robert Blanc and Roger Godino...
" (400m x 25 medium slope of 14%).
A third Pilatus PC-6 was added to the fleet: registration: F-BOJJ (s/n 513), equipped with a piston engine. It was modified a few years later as a PC-6/A-H2, thanks to the installation of a Turbomeca
Turbomeca
Turbomeca is a French manufacturer of low- and medium-power gas turbine turboshaft engines for helicopters. The company also produces gas turbine engines for aircraft and missiles, as well as turbines for land, industrial and marine applications...
"Aztazou" engine.
In June, the Tactical Approach Landing and Radar (TALAR) system was tried at Chambéry. A Pilatus is specially equipped with this system for the occasion.
Air Alpes ordered a DHC-6 Twin Otter 100 series to be delivered in October.
| Year | Passengers Transported | Flying Hours | Staff |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 2,500 | 30 | 4 (2 Pilots/1 Secretary/1Engineer) |
| 1962 | 3,800 | 500 | 5 including 1 engineer |
| 1963 | 5,200 | 810 | 7 |
| 1964 | 5,000 | 821 | 6 |
| 1965 | 3,960 | 797 | 5 |
| 1966 | 6,430 | 1.043 | |
| 1967 | 10,590 | 1,725 | 17 |
| 1968 | 16,480 | 1,043 | 28 |
| 1969 | 26,296 | 3,263 | 35 including 14 pilots, 5 engineers |
| 1970 | 35,796 | 4,847 | 17 pilots, 15 engineers, 23 sales and administrative |
The Pilatus years
In 1972 three new Pilatus PC-6 joined the fleet:- F-BTCE (s/n 573),
- F-BTCG (s/n 551)
- F-BTCH (s/n 531)
The skill of the mechanics charged with working upon the Pilatus was typified in January 1974 when a five-hour Turbomeca "Aztazou" engine change without any adapted infrastructure is completed at the Val d'Isère Altiport altitude 2.450m under a temperature of minus 7 degrees Celsius.
Finding opportunities for the Pilatus fleet, F-BTCG was used on contracts to create artificial rain on the island of Teneriffe
Teneriffe
Teneriffe can refer to:* Tenerife, Spanish island in the Atlantic Ocean* Teneriffe, Queensland, suburb of Brisbane* Teneriffe lace, type of lace made in Tenerife...
, and drought relief in Champagne and Brittany Regions by seeding the clouds to create rain in during the drought of 75-76.
Air Alpes began to sell off its Pilatus aircraft around 1975 but still found additional uses for some of them through 1977, such as fighting forest fires for the Hérault Department and the North Corsica Fire Department. Based in Calvi
Calvi
Calvi is a commune in the Haute-Corse department of France on the island of Corsica.It is the seat of the Canton of Calvi, which contains Calvi and one other commune, Lumio...
these airplanes performed "Guet Arme" missions which means monitoring and signaling a fire, taking action immediately in order to fight it. For these fire fighting missions, the planes were equipped with a 1.000 litre tank placed in the cabin. These 1.000 litre tanks could be deployed in just a few seconds via a trap door situated under the fuselage of the aircraft
After Air Alpe began phasing out its last Pilatus mountain flight routes from Courchevel, routes were continued for some time by Air Savoie and its Pilatus and a BN.2 aircraft, and a few pilots formerly with Air Alpes.
The Pilatus Fleet
- F-BRPJ will be sold to the Nevers Parachutiste Center 1976
- F-BTCG The Parachutist Center will buy Pilatus PC-6 1980
- F-BTCH. The Parachutist Center will buy Pilatus PC-61980
- F-BJSZ (s/n 525),
- F-BQKY (s/n 549)
- F-BOJJ (s/n 513),
- F-BTCE (s/n 573),
- F-BTCG (s/n 551)
- F-BTCH (s/n 531)
Pilatus PC-6 Southern Alpes Routes 1972-75:
- GapGap, Hautes-AlpesGap is a commune in southeastern France, the capital of the Hautes-Alpes department.-Geography:An Alpine crossroads at the intersection of D994 and Route nationale 85 the Route Napoléon, Gap lies above sea level along the right bank of the Luye River...
- St Crepin, winter season, a Pilatus PC-6 - Gap, Hautes-Alpes Gap - Serre-Chevalier, winter season, a Pilatus PC-6
- Chambéry - Val d'IsèreVal d'IsèreVal d'Isère is a commune of the Tarentaise Valley, in the Savoie department in south-eastern France. It lies from the border with Italy. It is on the border of the Vanoise National Park created in 1963. The Face de Bellevarde was the scene of the men's downhill race as part of the 1992 Winter...
, Pilatus - Chambéry - l'Alpe d'Huez. Pilatus
- Gap, Hautes-Alpes - BarcelonnetteBarcelonnetteBarcelonnette is a commune in the Ubaye Valley, in the southern French Alps, in Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department, of which it is a subprefecture.-History:...
, - Vars (Hautes Alpes) - Serre ChevalierSerre ChevalierSerre Chevalier is one of the major French ski resorts. Located in the southern part of the Alps, close to the Parc National des Ecrins, in the Hautes-Alpes department of the French Alps, it enjoys a large skiing area and very sunny weather, boasting 300 days of sunshine a year...
. winter season, Pilatus,
De Havilland DHC- Twin Otters
De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter
The DHC-6 Twin Otter is a Canadian 19-passenger STOL utility aircraft developed by de Havilland Canada and currently produced by Viking Air. The aircraft's fixed tricycle undercarriage, STOL abilities and high rate of climb have made it a successful cargo, regional passenger airliner and MEDEVAC...
. Due to its adaptability to flying in mountain regions the Twin Otter 100 series soon won out, and in 1967 an order was completed for the first Twin Otters for with first deliveries scheduled to Air Alpes for October.
Pratt & Whitney
Pratt & Whitney is a U.S.-based aerospace manufacturer with global service operations. It is a subsidiary of United Technologies Corporation . Pratt & Whitney's aircraft engines are widely used in both civil aviation and military aviation. Its headquarters are in East Hartford, Connecticut, USA...
PT6A powered aircraft were also used on the Chambéry - Grenoble - Nice - Ajaccio, during the summer months.
Very shortly after its delivery to Air Alpes the added complexities and very delicate and costly operation of the ski-equipped Twin Otter were realized when F-BOOH was damaged during a training flight at the Courchevel Altiport. This incident spurred the Courchevel Council to conduct regular snow removal program at the Altiport airfield from there forward.
During the overhaul and repair of the aircraft, a Twin Otter D-DIHA of General Air was leased and it is soon decided the Twin Otters will no longer be fitted with skis, due the penalty of being able to only transport 16 passengers instead of the usual 19, in order to compensate for the lateral instability of the ski equipped airplane at take off.
In May, the DHC-6, F-BOOH, rejoins the fleet after being overhauled and modified to a Series 200 configuration with a longer fuselage nose and more spacious cabin. As the Courchevel Altiport now conducts snow removal skis will no longer be required.
The "regional" association with Air France begins
After 1968 it was becoming apparent many smaller provincial towns wished to be connected directly to Paris by air. Among some of the smaller regional airlines that begun to fill this need were Rousseau Aviation, TATTAT
TAT is a rock/punk band hailing from London, England consisting of Tatiana DeMaria , Nick Kent and Jake Reed .-Early years :...
(Touraine Air Transport) Air Paris or Europe Aero Service EAS - Europe Air Services. The French regional air transport sector would eventually comprise as many as 50 regional airlines, flying as many as 100 regular or seasonal routes. During this period these airlines carried more than 500,000 passengers.
In 1969, Air Alpes began flying the Chambéry to Paris (Paris - Le Bourget Airport) route with five daily flights Monday through Friday.
In 1970 under Zieglers initiation, ATAR (Regional Air Transport Association) is established. The association comprised the following French regional airlines: Air Alpes, Air Alsace, Air Aquitaine, Air Languedoc, Pyrenair, Air Rouergue, Air Antilles, Air Martinique and Guyane Air Transport and promoted the needs of smaller airlines like Air Alpes in relation to the larger Flag air carriers like Air France.
Air France banner
By 1972 and 1973 Air Alpes was flying in cooperation with Air France
Air France
Air France , stylised as AIRFRANCE, is the French flag carrier headquartered in Tremblay-en-France, , and is one of the world's largest airlines. It is a subsidiary of the Air France-KLM Group and a founding member of the SkyTeam global airline alliance...
and under their "banner" and in the aircraft livery of Air France. When these Air France/Air Alpes routes were included as one, Air Alpes by the end of 1973 covered 50 routes. The following are the first "banner routes" flown by Air Alpes in cooperation with Air France. The first planes to be flown in full Air France colors by Air Alpes were the Aérospatiale Corvettes followed by the F-27 that was bought by Air Alpes from Compagnie Nationale.
Air France banner routes:
- Courchevel - Paris (beginning in 1972 - equipment: DHC-6 Twin Otter)
- Courchevel - Geneva (beginning in 1972 - equipment: DHC-6 Twin Otter)
- Marseille - Milan (beginning in 1972 - equipment: DHC-6 Twin Otter)
- Marseille - Geneva (beginning in 1972 - equipment: DHC-6 Twin Otter)
- MarseilleMarseilleMarseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of...
- BarcelonneBarcelonneBarcelonne is a commune in the Drôme department in southeastern France.-Population:...
(1973) - Marseille - GenevaGenevaGeneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
(1973) - MetzMetzMetz is a city in the northeast of France located at the confluence of the Moselle and the Seille rivers.Metz is the capital of the Lorraine region and prefecture of the Moselle department. Located near the tripoint along the junction of France, Germany, and Luxembourg, Metz forms a central place...
- DüsseldorfDüsseldorfDüsseldorf is the capital city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and centre of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region.Düsseldorf is an important international business and financial centre and renowned for its fashion and trade fairs. Located centrally within the European Megalopolis, the...
(1973) - Chambéry - Paris (1974)
Towards the end of 1973 Air Alpes was flying 50 routes under its own banner and IATA codes including these Air France/Air Alpes routes and flights jointly marketed by the two airlines. Sales and ticket passenger distribution agreements yielding beneficial results as have been experienced with Air France leads to the forging of further agreements with other larger airlines such as Union des Transports Aerien for the Savoie and Haute-Savoie regions and Pan American World Airways
Pan American World Airways
Pan American World Airways, commonly known as Pan Am, was the principal and largest international air carrier in the United States from 1927 until its collapse on December 4, 1991...
sales office for all of France, except for the Paris region as of 1976.
1969 - the first Beechcraft Model 99 ordered arrives in Autumn.
The 15-seat aircraft is equipped with two Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6-A20 engines and flow by two crew members. In 1970, Chambéry - Grenoble - Nice routes are begun with B 99 airliners.
Beechcraft Model 99 Fleet
- F-BRUN will eventually fly under the Air Limousin (flag/banner/code?)
- F-BRUX (s/n U122) will join the fleet.
- F-BRUF (s/n U-121)
- F-BUYG (s/n U63)
- F-BVJL (s/n U-84)
- F-BSUJ (s/n U62) - sold to the Belgian Company Publi-Air in 1976.
- F-BSUK (s/n U21) - sold to the Belgian Company Publi-Air in 1976.
- F-BTMJ (s/n U-129)
- F-BTMK (s/n U130),
- F-BTDV - equipped with more powerful engines/leave the fleet for the U.S.A. in 1978.
- F-BSTO - equipped with more powerful engines/leave the fleet for the U.S.A. in 1978.
STOL
STOL is an acronym for short take-off and landing, a term used to describe aircraft with very short runway requirements.-Definitions:There is no one accepted definition of STOL and many different definitions have been used by different authorities and nations at various times and for a myriad of...
(Short take off and landing) Breguet 941
Breguet 941
-External links:* *...
was tested and displayed at the Bourget Show (Salon International de l'Aeronautique et de l'Espace de Paris-Le Bourget Paris Air Show
Paris Air Show
The Paris Air Show is the world's oldest and largest air show. Established in 1909, it is currently held every odd year at Le Bourget Airport in north Paris, France...
), with full Air Alpes logos. In autumn, a number of test runs were conducted to the various altiports at Megève
Megève
Megève is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.Megève is a famous ski resort near the Mont-Blanc in the French Alps...
, Meribel
Méribel
Méribel is a ski resort in the Tarentaise Valley in the French Alps, situated near the town of Moutiers.Méribel refers to three neighbouring villages in the Les Allues commune of the Savoie département of France, near the town of Moûtiers , called Méribel Centre, Méribel-Mottaret and Méribel Village...
, l'Alpe d'Huez
Alpe d'Huez
L'Alpe d'Huez is a ski resort at . It is a mountain pasture in the Central French Alps, in the commune of Huez, in the Isère département in the Rhône-Alpes region.-Tour de France:L'Alpe d'Huez is one of the main mountains in the Tour de France...
' with the goal of demonstrating the capabilities of operating this larger capacity STOL airliner in the regular and challenging mountain regime environments. The Breguet 941 was very similar in design to another de Havilland product, the Dash-7; a 40 seater STOL airliner which Air Alpes was later to sign contracts ordering the type for delivery circa 1977-78.
1972 - the opening of the Dole - Paris, and Paris/Geneva - Courchevel routes with the Twin Otter. In November, just a few years before the arrival of the Aérospatiale Corvettes flights from Marseille - Milan and Marseille - Geneva begin being flown under Air France's code and banner. Below is a brief list detailing the Twin Otter fleet and their dispositions.
The developing years
Twin Otter DHC-6 & B-99 Routes 1972-75:- DoleDole, JuraDole is a commune in the Jura department in the Franche-Comté region in eastern France, of which it is a subprefecture ....
- Paris - Twin Otter DHC-6, B-99 (Chambéry/Dole/Paris Monday morning and return Friday evening) - Lyon - Toulon.
- Toulon - FigariFigariFigari is a commune in the Corse-du-Sud department of France on the island of Corsica.-Geography:The village of Figari is to the southeast of Sartène, to the southwest of Porto-Vecchio and to the north of Bonifacio. The commune comes from an ancient parish. It includes the center of a large...
- Nice - Figari - Marseille - Figari
- Liège (city) - Paris
- CharleroiCharleroiCharleroi is a city and a municipality of Wallonia, located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium. , the total population of Charleroi was 201,593. The metropolitan area, including the outer commuter zone, covers an area of and had a total population of 522,522 as of 1 January 2008, ranking it as...
- Paris - Liège - London
- Charlero - London
- Charlero - Antwerp
- Liège (city) - Antwerp
- Liège (city) - Chambéry
- Charlero - Chambéry
- Toulon - Ajaccio
- Toulon - Bastia
- Toulon - VichyVichyVichy is a commune in the department of Allier in Auvergne in central France. It belongs to the historic province of Bourbonnais.It is known as a spa and resort town and was the de facto capital of Vichy France during the World War II Nazi German occupation from 1940 to 1944.The town's inhabitants...
- Toulon - St Etienne
- Toulon - to the Wallon Region Airports
As Air Alpes entered into the 1970s many improvements were made at the air"Altiports" which Air Alpes found almost exclusive niches. Among these were the Couchevel Airport which is upgraded. The runway has been moved by 18 degrees in comparison with the previous one. An Air-terminal chalet, and a 30 m × 40 m hangar complete the new facilities
March 1, marks the inauguration of new facilities at the Megève
Megève
Megève is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.Megève is a famous ski resort near the Mont-Blanc in the French Alps...
Altiport including a pavement tarred runway of 400 m × 40 m with a medium slope of 8% and provisions for year around snow removal. Megève will become one of the world's best equipped Altiports with an optical guidance system AVASI, a VHF communication system, Weather Station and a Fire Brigade.
Lyon Satolas Airport which later becomes the Lyon Saint-Exupéry International Airport
Saint-Exupéry International Airport
Lyon-Saint Exupéry Airport , formerly known as Lyon Satolas Airport, is one of the two airports located in the agglomeration of Lyon, France. The airport was named in 2000 in honour of the French writer and pilot Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, a native of Lyon, on the centenary of his birth.The...
gets a new ticketing office and passenger lounge.
The Corvettes - their arrivals
Air Alpes initial flirtations with jet aircraft date back to April 1971 when Aertirrena demonstrated a Yakovlev Yak-40Yakovlev Yak-40
The Yakovlev Yak-40 is a small, three-engined airliner that is often called the first regional jet transport aircraft...
registration I-AKA. Aviaexport also lobbied to place the Yak-40 with Air Alpes during a sales presentation of CCP-87791 during that year, however nothing came of these initial presentations and Air Alpes made no commitments.
In 1972 Air Alpes entered into the Air France reservation system ALPHA 3. During this same year the GIECAR group (Groupement d'Interet Économique des Compagnies Aériennes Régionales) was created, leading to greater planned associations with Air France when agreements are forged to form a partnership between Air Limousin, Air Champagne Ardennes and Pyrenair, all flying on the behalf of Air France
Air France
Air France , stylised as AIRFRANCE, is the French flag carrier headquartered in Tremblay-en-France, , and is one of the world's largest airlines. It is a subsidiary of the Air France-KLM Group and a founding member of the SkyTeam global airline alliance...
.
Among the new routes, flown under Air France's are: Marseille
Marseille
Marseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of...
to Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
, Marseille to Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
and Metz
Metz
Metz is a city in the northeast of France located at the confluence of the Moselle and the Seille rivers.Metz is the capital of the Lorraine region and prefecture of the Moselle department. Located near the tripoint along the junction of France, Germany, and Luxembourg, Metz forms a central place...
to Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf is the capital city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and centre of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region.Düsseldorf is an important international business and financial centre and renowned for its fashion and trade fairs. Located centrally within the European Megalopolis, the...
.
1974
This association with Air France continued with the decision to place orders for four Aérospatiale Corvette SN-601 Serial 100 "short range business regional jets." The orders were followed by and option for eight additional Corvette SN-601, serial 200d models and finally in 1974 Air Alpes entered the jet age with the arrival of the Aérospatiale Corvette
Aérospatiale Corvette
|-See also:-References:...
series 100 and a further decision to have Amaury de la Grange Institute train its pilots to fly them. On September 28 flying in the full colors of Air France upon the Chambéry - Paris route, Air Alpes entered the "jet age" when Corvette F-BVPA (s/n 5), commenced flying regional feeder services.
Corvette series 100 Fleet
- F-BVPA (s/n 5) September 28, 1974 Chambéry -Paris
- F-BVPB (s/n 6) September 1974
- F-BVPC (s/n 12) February 1975,
- F-BVPD (s/n13).
In 1974 Air Alpes acquires Air Champagne Ardennes soon after the recent take over of Air Limousin, Air Rouergue and Pyrenair. The number of aircraft continue to increase with the arrival of the Cessna 401 (F-BOJZ), Cessna 402
Cessna 402
The Cessna 401 and 402 are series of 6 to 10 place, light twin, piston engine aircraft. This line was manufactured by Cessna from 1966 to 1985 under the name Utiliner and Businessliner...
(F-BRIY) and Cessna 411 (F-BPFM) from this consortium of companies.
1975
Air Alpes was also interested in the 30/40 seat Dassault Aviation
Dassault Aviation
Dassault Aviation is a French aircraft manufacturer of military, regional and business jets, a subsidiary of Dassault Group.It was founded in 1930 by Marcel Bloch as Société des Avions Marcel Bloch or "MB". After World War II, Marcel Bloch changed his name to Marcel Dassault, and the name of the...
, Mystere 30, however this aircraft failed to make it into production and was cancelled by Dassault in 1975.
One aspect of the Corvettes which proved to be very successful was the Air France branding, and in October the first of 2 Fokker F-27 turboprops arrived. The Fokker F27 Mk 400 was a turboprop aircraft, with a capacity of 44, equipped with two Rolls-Royce Ltd, "Dart engines,": (s/n 10.340) which was soon register as F-BYAA. The first F-27 route was Chambéry to Paris, the same route initiated by the Corvettes a year earlier. Subsequent routes would be flown by Air Alpes Fokker F-BYAB delivered on November 5, the first F-27 to wear the full painted colours of Air France just as the Corvettes did.
Air Alpes new logo and business history circa 1976
1972 was a year new business expansion opportunities were explored with the purchase of 30% of AVI ALPI, an Italian air transport company based in Treto Northern Italy and using a fleet of Piper Aircraft and Pilatus AircraftPilatus Aircraft
Pilatus Aircraft Ltd. is an aircraft manufacturer located in Stans, Switzerland. The company employs more than 1,100 people.-History:The company was established in 1939, but it was not until 1944 that a Pilatus-built aircraft, the SB-2 Pelican, first took to the air...
PC-6 aircraft. Avi ALPI had ben created by Aerosud and famed World War II pilot Martino Aichner.
company.
| Year | Passengers Transported | Flying Hours | Staff |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | |||
| 1972 | 85.678 | 15.137 | 143 ( 38 Technical Management, 38 pilots, 67 Service Operations, sales, reservation and administrative departments) |
| 1973 | 110.000 | 22.700 | 180 |
| 1974 | + 110.000 | 22.300 | 200 |
| 1975 | 110.520 | 238 | |
| 1976 | 151.873 | ||
| 1977 | 153.800 | ||
| 1978 | 192.200 | 210 | |
| 1979 | |||
| 1980 | 153.800 | ||
In 1976 Air Alpes gets a new logo for its aircraft and the company. To celebrate the event a glass of Moet and Chandon Brut Imperial is offered on all F-27 for a period of 2 months. A national campaign and competition is also offered to passengers and booking agencies. While the majority of the stocks still remain in the hands of the Ziegler family (Henri Ziegler) and Mr. Sylvain Floirat, by arranging additional financing two new shareholders take part ownership, they are Les Chambres de Commerce et d'Industrie de Savoie and Haute Savoie.
1977
By 1977 The experiment with the Corvette proved not to be lucrative for Air Alpes and the four aircraft were withdrawn from the fleet.
Unfortunately the added financing of the Chamber of Commerce groups was insufficient and the group TAG Techniques d'Avant Garde
Techniques d'Avant Garde
TAG Group SA is a private holding company based in Luxembourg City, in southern Luxembourg. At the head is Mansour Ojjeh son of the founder of the TAG Group Akram Ojjeh, who was a wealthy Saudi entrepreneur...
becomes the main shareholder of Air Alpes, prompting a rapid return of the Cessna F-BOJZ, as a recovery package is put into place with the realization that a number of routes were not profitable.
Additional recovery plans lead to the abolishment and closure of several routes including Chambéry - Grenoble - St. Etienne - Toulouse, Grenoble-Metz along with a contract for Air Inter
Air Inter
Air Inter was a semi-public French domestic airline. Before its merger with Air France, the airline was headquartered in Paray-Vieille-Poste, Essonne. Earlier in its life, it was headquartered in the 1st arrondissement of Paris.Air Inter was incorporated on 12 November 1954...
to perform major maintenance/overhaul of the Fokker F-27's flown by Air Alpes, erupting in huge staff and management conflicts.
Wet lease
Aircraft leases are a number of types of leases used by airlines and other aircraft operators. Airlines lease aircraft from other airlines or leasing companies for two main reasons; to operate aircraft without the financial burden of buying them, and to provide temporary increase in capacity...
" were dedicated Air Inter
Air Inter
Air Inter was a semi-public French domestic airline. Before its merger with Air France, the airline was headquartered in Paray-Vieille-Poste, Essonne. Earlier in its life, it was headquartered in the 1st arrondissement of Paris.Air Inter was incorporated on 12 November 1954...
and their routes, while in
April 1979 the first of a fleet of Fokker F-28 Mk 1000 F-BUTI (s/n 11.034) twinjet
Twinjet
A twinjet or twin jet is a jet aircraft powered by two engines. Such configuration of an aircraft is the most popular today for commercial airliners, for fighters, and many other kinds, because while offering safety from a single engine failure, it is also acceptably fuel-efficient.-Aircraft...
s arrived. The Fokker F28 equipped with 65 seats replaced the Fokker F-27, on the Chambéry to Paris route. Air Alpes also inaugurated the Paris to Figari Southern Corsica route with the Fokker F28 with the delivery of F-GBBS (s/n 11.050) and F-GBBT (s/n 11.052) which followed a short time later. The F-28 fleet complimented the F-27's and this fleet continued to grow during 1980 as Fokker F-27 Mk 400 F-GCJV (s/n 10.360), Fokker F-27 Mk 100 F-GCPA (s/n 10.258), and the Fairchild Hiller FH-227
Fairchild Hiller FH-227
The Fairchild F-27 and Fairchild Hiller FH-227 were versions of the Fokker F27 Friendship twin-engined turboprop passenger aircraft manufactured under license by Fairchild Hiller in the United States...
, F-GCLN (s/n 527) are delivered and carry Air Alpes' logo.
"The end of a beautiful adventure"
On July 3, 1980 an agreement is signed with (TAT) Touraine Air Transport. This initial agreement will take effect on September 7 and makes provisions for the two companies to share sales, organization, and traffic. Additionally, the agreement leads to reductions to the F.28 and F.27. fleet.In 1981, TAT acquires over 3/4 of Air Alpes and the rebranding of all Air Alpes airplanes begin.
On September 14, a new aircraft will carry the Air Alpes' livery for the last time when the Douglas DC-9
McDonnell Douglas DC-9
The McDonnell Douglas DC-9 is a twin-engine, single-aisle jet airliner. It was first manufactured in 1965 with its maiden flight later that year. The DC-9 was designed for frequent, short flights. The final DC-9 was delivered in October 1982.The DC-9 was followed in subsequent modified forms by...
-21 aircraft OY-KGE (s/n 47.305/441) and OY-KGD (s/n 47302/422) are leased from SAS Scandinavian Airlines System
Scandinavian Airlines System
Scandinavian Airlines or SAS, previously Scandinavian Airlines System, is the flag carrier of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, and the largest airline in Scandinavia....
.
They will operate the flights Chambéry-Paris-Chambéry, Paris-Figari-Paris, Paris-Rodez-Paris etc...
However, it continues to survive, thanks to all "Les Anciens d'Air Alpes", who are grouped together under the organization "The Association Amicale des Anciens d'Air Alpes".
Incidents and accidents
1961 September 2 - Pilatus destroyed during a training flight.1970 - January 15, Beech 99 F-BRUF lands short of the runway at Chambéry- Aix-les-Bains Airport. All passengers and crew were safe, and sound but the aircraft was destroyed. Following this accident, the Chambéry-Aix-les-Bains airport (Chambéry Airport) will be equipped with an ILS (Instrument Landing System) to allow the security and reliability of the flights. This had been requested by Air Alpes previously for a long time.
1970 - A DHC-6 Twin Otter is damaged during a training flight at the Courchevel Altiport
External links
- Ties with: Association des Anciens d'Air Alpes: http://www.airalpes.com/
- To know the evolution of the Alpes aviation http://www.aeroclub-meribel.com/ (History thumb-index/The Alpes and the aircraft)
- To find old schedules: http://www.timetableimages.com/ttimages/lp.htm
- Links for Air Limousin blogs: http://blogs.aol.fr/airpassion87/airlimousin/