Most
people arrive for a holiday in the Midi-Pyrenees via Toulouse
airport, Carcassonne or even Rodez. Others drive slowly through
France and arrive in the Tarn Valley marvelling at the beautiful
countryside.
But last Easter Monday we had a phone call at our gite complex,
about someone who had arrived in the area in a more unusual
way. It was the friendly aviators' club at the tiny airport
1km from our gites, enquiring whether we could do bed and
breakfast for two tired pilots who had just flown from Stratford
on Avon by microlight (ULM).
Checking that the date was not April 1st, I enquired whether
they would like an evening meal, too.
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"Ooh
yes please, we are starving and we will be with you
in ten minutes".
The
pilot and the navigator were driven to our home by
the benevolent secretary of the club and were delighted
to find two separate bedrooms connected by a bathroom
and shower room. There was a large bottle of local
wine on the table ready for dinner.
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We were unrelenting with our questions because "flown from
Stratford on Avon" needed some explanation. By the pudding
course we had maps out all over the table and had discovered
their route through northern France using the latest aviation
tools to negotiate the woodland in the centre of France. They
had travelled many kilometres each day when the weather was
good, and had a pair of friends on a large BMW as back up. These
bikers were further south and well on the way to Spain.
They swapped their navigator from time to time and were all
members of the Avon
Flying Club, enjoying a three week holiday exploring Europe.
What freedom, what joy and madness to travel in a large metal
chair with wings and an engine. To stop at small airports which
actually greet you with enthusiasm must be such a treat, although
looking for petrol in motorway petrol stations must add a certain
thrill to the journey.
Of course the over-riding question is "Why do it?".
Their answer was, "Well, we are all mad, all microlight
aviators are. We just love flying."
We too loved having them to stay. So please contact us if you
would like to hear more or find out more about our local flying
club, which has gliders, small planes and microlights for hire.
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The
aerodrome is just a few minutes walk away from our
gites, and offers gliding, microlighting (ULM) and
small aircraft flights.
For
around 40 euros you can enjoy a short but exhilarating
flight in a glider. The glider club is situated to
the left of the aerodrome restaurant in a long building
at the far end of the tarmac. Flights are available
from around 2pm each day except Monday.
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Light
aircraft flights to view some of the beautiful villages within
30 kilometres can be organised with the Aerotec club situated
to the right of the restaurant. They start from 50 euros,
for a 25 minute flight, depending on how adventurous you are.
For
the more extreme sport orientated there are
microlight flights as a third option. The price starts at
25 euros for a 15 minute flight which allows enough time to
see the local town of Graulhet from a different angle and
have taster of being at 1500 feet with just a seat underneath
you.So, from the slow drift of the glider, to the more hair-raising
microlyte, this small aerodrome offers you an afternoon with
a difference at a price that will not break the bank.
Reviews:
"The
flight in the glider was a real mixture of serene movement
in the air, whilst the take-off and landing on the grass was
a bit more bumpy. An experience I am glad to have had.""The
sensation at take-off and the chance to see a large bird of
prey riding a thermal below us along with the fantastic views
make my micro-lighting flight a truly memorable end to my
holiday here."
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