I'm sure most aviation enthusiasts have their own top ten list of the best airshows they've experienced. The theme for Cambrai was "from Blériot to Rafale" and boasted an interesting line-up but perhaps on first glance not what you'd call a classic. So when I suggested to a friend we make a day trip, neither of us quite expected the quality & quantity that BA103 had in store or that it would become a new entry into our top ten shows.
Living in the South of England has its disadvantages with relatively few military bases close by, but it does make mainland Europe accessible for a day trip, albeit a very long one! So, with high pressure in control and the weekend forecast for sunshine and temperatures in the high twenties, the 6.00am P&O sailing to Calais was booked. After a prompt 05.25 arrival in Dover, as requested on the reservation, we quickly passed through check in and into the lines of vehicles waiting to board the Pride of Dover. Boarding soon followed and we were on our way across the channel; no room for croissants & preserves though, a full English was consumed to keep us going for the day ahead.
Docking in Calais on time, we were on our way by 08.20 straight out of the port and onto the E17/A26 toll road. The route to Cambrai couldn't be easier with the base located a stone's throw from junction 8 - approximately an hour and a quarter drive. Unlike the UK there appears to be no French equivalent of 'AA signs' for events of this type so it was important to know where you were going in advance. After paying our Euro 8.90 toll, and a couple of kilometres along the D939, we joined the queue for the car park.
Following some late changes on the show website to the opening times, we knew we'd struggle to make it on base for the 10.00 start of the flying display and had to watch the opening item - the Belgian F-16 - from the car. Parking was being directed efficiently and we were fortunate to be parked close to one of the two show entrances that had plenty of pay points and no queues. After a brief security search we were quickly through the gates as Flt Lt Tom Bould got the RAF Tucano display underway.
Our first priority was to find a flying display programme, employing some schoolboy French we were soon in possession of the running order and the first and probably biggest surprise of the day, a Slovak MiG-29, was due to display at 5pm. Late the previous evening I'd seen a photo of its arrival during the 'spottersday', this wasn't mentioned on the website, so assumed it would be in the static display. Well, "quelle surprise", as they say locally!
The static display included a good mix of types from various air arms, although photography was a challenge due to the close proximity of the barriers…very Waddington-esque. I visited the last open day at Cambrai in 2006 and don't recall barriers being so intrusive although this was really only a small gripe for photography and the public were enjoying the chance to get close to the jets and even into the drivers seat of three Mirage 2000s. The quantity of static aircraft was also slightly down compared to '06 but times have of course changed. That said, there was plenty to see with a line up of modern metal including Hungarian Gripen, Belgian & French Alpha Jets, Danish F-16, French Rafale, Mirage F1 & M2000C, D & N variants, USAFE F-15Es from Lakenheath, RAF Tornado GR.4 from 617 Sqn & two 100 Sqn. Hawks. I'm sure any international airshow would be delighted to attract such a line-up. In addition there was a small mix of GA types and all the usual stalls and stands we'd expect at a UK show.
The base is now home to only one Mirage 2000C Squadron - EC 01.012 Cambrésis, whose sister squadron, EC 02.012 Picardie, disbanded last year, but the Tiger squadron's days are also numbered with draw down scheduled for 2011. Two M2000Cs were on static allowing visitors into the cockpit with a steady queue of wannabe fighter pilots waiting to have their photos taken. A third aircraft was on jacks in an open HAS and two more participated in the flying display; another rare treat now that Rafale is the premier AdlA fighter.
The Red Arrows were the first of six international teams to display during the show and performed as faultlessly as ever under clear blue skies before departing for Biggin Hill. Thanks to Red 10, Sqn Ldr Graeme Bagnall, one of the few displays whose commentary we could follow during the day.
We made our way along the crowdline and took up a position at the western end of a relatively short public area. A nice feature at Cambrai is that the display aircraft park in front of the crowd and all taxi to & from display along the crowdline. The only disadvantage this year with six display teams was a lack of space for most of the fast jets that had to operate from remote areas of the field.
The flying continued uninterrupted until 19.00 - an impressive nine hour programme that would sit easily in the company of a RIAT display. Bearing in mind this isn't an annual event, the organisers are to be congratulated on attracting such a diverse range of displays and running almost exactly to the scheduled times with only one no-show.
The next hour was turned over to an interesting mix of historic types starting with a gentle routine from the Morane Saulnier 317 owned by Amicale Jean-Baptiste Salis at La Ferte-Alais and continuing with a T-6 Texan from the same collection. A stunning US Navy marked T-28C Trojan put on a brutish display followed by an impressive MD312 Flamand. Returning to modern types the Royal Jordanian Falcons were sandwiched in between seldom seen, in the UK at least, Armee de Terre SA341 Gazelle and Belgian A109 demos. Next up, and a first for me, was a display by the Austrian Air Force Pilatus PC-7 from the Flight School at Hinterstoisser. Perhaps not the most exciting routine but its agility was ably demonstrated and it was just a shame the "viper" coloured example remained on the flightline.
The home team then launched two Mirage 2000s for a 'presentation tactique' along with a C-160R Transall from ET 02.064 based at Evreux. The Mirages demonstrated several airfield attack profiles, a mix of slow & fast passes as singles and paired, a loose air to air refuelling formation with the Transall and strangest of all a slow formation, or as close as they could manage, with a TB-30 Epsilon. The Transall then performed a short solo routine complete with a steep Khe Sanh approach & landing.
Another surprise, this time not on the schedule, was two flybys from an EDCA 00.036 E-3F Sentry based at Avord.
More noise followed from the second F-16 of the day, sporting some nice tail colours, the Danish Air Force is another rarely seen but very well flown display. Next up an unusual set-piece, the 'Plateau Masa Fennec' showed how an AS555 Fennec would fly alongside a light aircraft and use signs to pass instructions to a pilot who has strayed into a restricted area and lost or ignored comms and, ultimately, force a landing with armed soldiers on board.
The eight F-5s of the Turkish Stars performed the second of three shows in Northern Europe in between appearances at Gilze-Rijen & Waddington and were followed by more classic jets in the form of a Vampire and CM170 Fouga Magister. The world's only airworthy Morane Saulnier 406 preceded the Rafale solo display, the old and new of the Armee de l'air.
The Moroccan Marche Verte have doubled in size since I last saw them at Fairford many years ago, the eight CAP231s performed a nice routine with the aircraft wings strung together during early sections of the display. A tight routine by the Hungarian Gripen and a distant display by the Yak 3 followed as the probable star of the show taxied along the crowdline; the 1 SLK Mig-29UB from Sliac. This iconic type is very rare on the airshow scene, so a powerful display including topside passes, a missed approach and lots of smoke from a pair of Klimov RD-33s was very welcome. The few clouds that had bubbled up to cover the sun at this point however were less welcome… C'est la vie…
18.00 approaching rapidly and, with the sun now moving round, the Spanish Patruilla Aguila took off, the penultimate display team of the day and clearly appreciated by the applause of the French crowd. Fast jet action concluded with Capt. Tobias 'Hitec' Schutte in the RNLAF F-16 and the Swiss F/A-18 Hornet. With a ferry to catch our time was up so we said Au Revoir as the Patrouille de France closed the show.
It's been a long time since I can remember enjoying a show so much & being genuinely surprised by its content. Very well organised, easy access, sun shining behind you, Mirage 2000s and only 10 Euros entrance fee, Cambrai should go down as one of the shows of the year.
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