Every year on 14h July, the National Military Parade (défilé) is held in the French capital of Paris commemorating start of the French Revolution. On 14 July 1789, the Bastille prison had been raided by people from Paris, an event that began the French Revolution. Traditionally thereafter, a spectacular military parade is held with soldiers, trucks and tanks in the heart of Paris while aircraft and helicopters fly overhead in an air parade (‘défilé aérien’). However, this year, because of the ongoing pandemic, several restrictions were imposed. The ground parade was confined to the Place de la Concorde and visitors were not allowed, having to watch the parade on television. The main theme of the parade was the liberation of France 75 years back as also the 80th birth anniversary of the ‘Free French Air Force’ (‘Forces Aériennes Françaises Libres’ (or FAFL). The parade climaxed with an aerial display of various helicopters from the Army (Armée de Terre), Air Force (Armée de l’Air), Navy (Marine Nationale) and the Police (Gendarmerie Nationale).
The participants operated from various airbases, some from their home bases (Air Force: C-130, A400M, E-3F, C-135F, A330MRTT, Mirage 2000D, Mirage 2000C; Marine: Rafales, Atlantic, E-2D, Falcon 50M) as also from airbases close to Paris where fuel was an important factor (BA Evreux, west of Paris for the Mirage 2000C and Rafale, local transport aircraft ; BA Villacoublay, south of Paris for Marine and Air Force helicopters; BA Creil, north of Paris for Army helicopters). The participating Rafales (with one Rafale having a special decorated tail of EC 2/30 Normandie-Niemen), took off from runway 22 to fly overhead Paris, while the spare aircraft did their flight-preparations and left BA Evreux after the parade was over. The participating Mirage 2000C of EC 2/5 Île-de-France taxied to the runway, but take-off was aborted because of low cloud ceiling. From BA Evreux, a C-160 Transall and two CN235s took part.
The Forces Aériennes Françaises Libres (FAFL) or ‘Free French Air Force’ was established by General Charles de Gaulle in June 1940 from personnel of the French Army, Navy and Air Force which had escaped France for the United Kingdom.
The original squadrons of the FAFL were:
• Groupe de Chasse n°1 Alsace (341 Squadron RAF)
• Groupe de Chasse n°2 Île-de-France (340 Squadron RAF)
• Groupe de Chasse n°2 Normandie ,
later Régiment de chasse Normandie- Niémen (Soviet Union)
• Groupe de Bombardement Lorraine (342 Squadron RAF)
• Groupe de Bombardement Bretagne
A Dassault Rafale from Escadron de Chasse 2/30 Normandie-Niemen had a specially painted tail, to commemorate their operations from the Soviet-Union during WW2. Also flying over Paris were two Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4 fighters of 1(F) Squadron from RAF Lossiemouth, one of the pilots being a French exchange pilot.
Photos and article by Joris van Boven