An homage to La Ferté-Alais, France’s most enduring and atmospheric vintage aircraft airshow, as it gears up for its 50th edition

What’s the essence of the annual La Ferté-Alais Meeting Aérien? Were you somehow to synthesise it, the result would probably be a blend of castor oil, as emitted from the rotary engines of the Blériot XI-2 ‘Pégoud’ and Morane-Saulnier H replicas, and merguez sausages being cooked over charcoal by the locally run refreshment tents, served with bread and frites. A curious concoction, for sure, but one bound to find favour with aficionados of this great French airshow, and those who appreciate its own singular character, honed down the decades.
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