Catherine Gay: “Toulouse, capital of aeronautics, deserves an ambitious air meeting”
This Friday morning, the association “Stars and wings” presents, during a press conference, the fourth edition of the air meeting. For the first time, it will take place over two days, on Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 September, at Francazal airport. With lots of new stuff. Catherine Gay, president of the association, unveils the program and justifies the meeting, in the midst of a controversy over private jets and global warming.
Four years later, legendary planes reported in the skies of Francazal…
Yes, we can’t wait, we’ve been working on the project for more than two years. The 2014, 2016 and 2018 editions were real successes, with 100,000 cumulative visitors. The Covid prevented us in 2020, and in 2021, it was still uncertainty. We did not want to run financial risks.
Why such a meeting?
By presenting Air Expo each year in Muret, the students of ENAC-Sup Aéro do a remarkable job. But until 2014, Toulouse, European or world capital of aeronautics, land of aviation, did not have an ambitious air meeting, with other means. In the first year, we had more than 25,000 spectators. And nearly 35,000 in 2016 and 2018. We have chosen a formula of “one meeting every two years” so as not to tire the public.
With the controversy over private jets, over global warming, is it really reasonable to organize an air meeting of such magnitude?
We hear a lot of detractors, they make noise, but there are also many silent enthusiasts! Especially after four years of scarcity. All the meetings in France broke their attendance records this year. The enthusiasm is intact. Toulouse residents are proud to see an Airbus or an ATR fly… The meeting is a great showcase. With 60,000 jobs in Toulouse, nearly 100,000 in Midi-Pyrénées, who in the region does not have a relative or friend who works in aeronautics? Moreover, we are organising, for the first time, a job fair to speed up recruitment. These businesses sustain the entire local economy. With a budget of 600,000 to 800,000 €, we also worked with many SMEs which suffered from the crisis. In addition, we offer a family and popular show, with a lot of animations, rides, simulators. If we can create vocations among young people…
Have you taken any green measures?
We will have an electric plane, Volaero. We will have ecocups, recyclable containers for catering. We will have green brigades and waste sorting organized with Toulouse Métropole. The organization’s cars are hybrid and electric.
How are you going to handle the crowds?
With our 350 volunteers, we have the experience of previous years and have improved several points: access, catering, toilets, ticket office. We hope for 40,000 to 50,000 visitors. For the first time, the meeting will take place over two days, with an identical program, to balance flows and avoid congestion on Sunday. We open at 10 a.m., demonstrations start at 11:15 a.m., compared to 1 p.m. in previous editions. We will have many car parks nearby on Saturdays, and on Sundays, constant free shuttles between the free car parks at Carrefour Portet and Francazal. We have considerably increased the number of restrooms and catering points to avoid waiting files, and a “cashless” system to go faster at the time of payment. It is better to book your ticket online, it is cheaper and faster (1)…
What will the public see?
A very ambitious program: 13 hours of air show, with many more planes in flight and a hundred legendary planes, some of which have never been seen before in France: patrols of 2x Cessna 337 Push Pull, a Skyraider, a Bronco and a F -86 in training, the Grumman G 164 specialized in forest fires…
For the first time, we will have a civilian Airbus (A 321 XLR), but also an ATR, a Beluga, flagships of military aeronautics, such as the A-400 M, the Rafale, helicopters, paratroopers, champions from the world of aerobatics… And of course aerobatic patrols, the Yakoteam, the Green March, Royal Air Force of Morocco, unique in Europe, and the new show of the Patrouille de France, directed by Laurent Pina, from Toulouse. We will also have a grand esports final, on simulators. Our goal is to balance the books, not to make money. And to make the eyes of Toulouse shine.