La Ferté-Alais 2025: Highlights from the 52nd “Le Temps des Hélices” Airshow
Nigel Hitchman reports from La Ferté-Alais 2025, capturing the highlights and rare aircraft appearances at this year’s Le Temps des Hélices airshow.
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La Ferté-Alais 2025 (Le Temps des Hélices 2025), the 52nd edition of this famous airshow, was put on by L’Amicale Jean-Baptiste Salis at the wonderful hilltop grass airfield at La Ferté-Alais, always held on the “Pentecost” weekend, which is 50 days after Easter and a public holiday in France. For many years, it has been one of the best airshows in the world, set in a fabulous location and featuring some superb aircraft.
It was a great show, although disrupted by the weather. However, it turned out better than forecast, with only two short showers on Saturday and no rain on Sunday. Unfortunately, it was too windy for any of the pioneer aircraft or the Memorial Flight’s BE2 to fly. The organizers also faced unserviceability issues and cancellations, particularly the potential star of the show—the Bonn-based Messerschmitt Bf 109E—which was withdrawn due to complications surrounding its recent sale. The W Air Collection’s Spitfire RM927 was absent, having been slightly damaged taxiing over unmarked, unsuitable ground at Biscarrosse a week earlier. The Salis Collection Corsair was also grounded, awaiting carburetor parts. However, there was somewhat of a surprise when the W Air Collection’s North American P-51D Mustang “Miss Ava” flew in on Saturday morning, fresh from major maintenance at Sywell, and displayed twice on both Saturday and Sunday.
While the display was themed as “cinema in the air,” it was generally very similar to the last several years’ displays, with the notable exception of fewer WWII-era warbirds. It is a pity that there are so many great French 1930s aircraft here, but few participate in the display. There is a wonderful collection of Morane-Saulnier aircraft—from the rotary-powered MS138, a 185, 230, 315, and 317—but none have flown in the display for quite a few years. The Dewoitine D.27, Caudron Luciole, and others are similarly absent. Likewise, many Bückers—Jungmann and Jungmeisters—are on the field, but we don’t see them fly.
Each morning, the aircraft parking areas are opened up to the public so they can walk around all of the display aircraft, as well as others brought out of the museum hangars for static display only. This proves very popular and allows everyone to see the aircraft up close. Meanwhile, there’s brisk business selling rides too, with a Travel Air 4000, several Stearmans, a North American T-6, Pitts Special, Douglas C-53 “Gruesome,” some more modern four-seat light aircraft, and helicopters all kept busy until the flying display starts—and then again all evening. One highlight was the Salis Collection’s Salmson Cri Cri D.7 F-AZAB, which made its first flight since restoration just over a week earlier. We were lucky that the wind dropped enough to see it flying on Sunday afternoon. It is powered by a 90hp Salmson 5AQ 5-cylinder radial engine and is painted to represent one of the earlier Salmson D.6 Cri Cris delivered to the French Air Force in the late 1930s. The aircraft last flew in 1983.
The Blériot XI-2, Morane H, and Caudron G.III would have flown had the wind been suitable. They taxied down the flight line on Sunday but couldn’t even do that on Saturday.
It was a shame we didn’t get to see any of the Memorial Flight’s very accurate WWI aircraft flying. They were due to fly their RAF BE2f but didn’t due to the wind, and sadly it had already been put away when the wind dropped off at the end of the show on Sunday. All their other aircraft still have long-term, engine-related technical issues that haven’t yet been resolved, although they appear airworthy. Similarly, the Bristol F.2B Fighter owned by “Les Casques de Cuir” hasn’t flown for several years.
Only a replica Lycoming-powered Fokker Dr.I Triplane and a lookalike SE5 flew during the WWI portion of the display.
A new Beech D17S Staggerwing has joined the Aero Vintage Academy, owned by Baptiste Salis (N61278). This aircraft was bought from the Barnes family in Arizona/Alaska, who had owned it ever since it was released from military service, originally being built as a GB-2 for the U.S. Navy. Arriving at La Ferté-Alais in 2014, it was restored by Rare Bird in Hungary. It displayed on its own on Saturday and Sunday, together with the Stinson Reliant and Beech 18.
Conair Turbo Firecat S-2FT F-AYKM—formerly Sécurité Civile F-ZBMA/24—is now operated by the Amicale des Pompiers du Ciel in conjunction with the Musée Européen de l’Aviation de Chasse in Montélimar. It made its first flight in their hands in September 2024, becoming the second former Sécurité Civile Firecat now in private hands. It was great to see this aircraft demonstrating several water drops and even landing after its display on Sunday—previously, it always operated from elsewhere.
Douglas C-53D Skytrooper “Gruesome” F-HVED has been to La Ferté-Alais before as N49AG in French Navy colors. In 2019, it was bought by Hughes Duval and has since been repainted in its original WWII colors as 42-68810 T3-003 “Gruesome.” It underwent an extensive restoration at the Musée Aéronautique de Bretagne, based at Aéroport Rennes–St. Jacques. A veteran of the Italian campaign, it flew an evacuation mission of wounded from Normandy in the months after D-Day and towed assault gliders used in Operation Repulse at Bastogne in December 1944. Flying again in August 2024, it participated in the flying display and was also very popular for selling rides.
“Gruesome” flew in the display together with “Ready 4 Duty” (R4D) from the CAF and F-AZOX from Chalair, escorted by P-51D “Miss Ava” G-CLNV.
The CAF’s “Ready 4 Duty” continued its successful European tour following appearances at Shuttleworth and elsewhere in England, with visits to Cherbourg, the Normandy beaches, and then the La Ferté-Alais airshow, followed by another event before returning to England.
Apart from the P-51D “Miss Ava,” the only WWII-era fighters flying were the Yak-3U F-AZNN and TFC’s F8F-2P Bearcat G-RUMM/Bu121714—both gave excellent, spirited displays. The Salis Collection’s Junkers Ju 52/3m F-AZJU—now the only flying Ju 52 in the world—gave a nice display synchronized with the Fieseler Storch.
It was nice to see the Dassault MD 311 Flamant from Albert, which gave a spirited display, partly in formation with two Socata TB-30 Epsilons, which are becoming very popular in civilian hands now that the French Air Force has withdrawn them from service.
The French Navy participated with just the Atlantic II, which was well displayed both solo and in formation with the former French Navy, privately owned MS.760 Paris. The French Air Force provided an excellent display from the A400M, high-class formation aerobatics from three Extra 330s, and the Patrouille de France, but no combat aircraft from either service this year.
The usual favorites included the “Tora Tora Tora” attack on Pearl Harbor, featuring a spectacular “attack” by 11 North American T-6s/Harvards, as well as the Vietnam scenario, although this time it only featured three North American T-28s. The Yako Team also performed a nice formation aerobatic display with their Yak-18T and two Yak-52s.
An interesting display by a Stearman included some low-level turns as it chased someone on the ground, followed by a formation of six Stearmans celebrating the film North by Northwest.
The James Bond theme was represented by a display of a Bede BD-5J, as seen in the film Octopussy. Similarly diminutive was Richard Goodwin’s twin-jet augmented, highly modified Pitts Special.
In the hangars, the restoration of the DH.89A Dragon Rapide continues in its Royal Navy colors. The second engine is now installed, and work is ongoing on the interior.
The B-17G Flying Fortress Pink Lady was brought outside for display to encourage fundraising for its restoration to flying condition. It last flew in 2010 after a long airshow career, having served as a mapping and survey aircraft with the IGN. At least five preserved B-17s owe their existence to IGN, including Sally B, flying in the UK now for 50 years, and Thunderbird, which was flying in the U.S. and is now undergoing major restoration.
La Ferté-Alais is a great show—particularly if you haven’t been before, it’s a fantastic spectacle. The history of aviation is well represented, with aircraft from all periods, including some modern types, great displays, and some unusual aircraft that you don’t often see at other airshows. There is often an airliner flypast, such as this year’s Corsair A330neo. It’s a great location with an east–west grass runway and the sun behind you, and still one of the best shows in the world—but in my opinion, it could benefit from freshening up a bit. Looking forward to next year’s show, which will take place on 23 and 24 May 2026. For more information, visit www.letempsdeshelices.fr
