Chateauroux 05-08-10

[copperbob]

Gents, and Ladies?
My first proper post! and thought members may be interested at whats at this dumping ground in the middle of France. Visited on my way back from Portugal with my g/f (yes 3,000 mile round trip, but worth it)
Plenty of interest and the following where noted in a 20 mins stop off. Easy to see and photograph also

F-GLXQ B737-400 Axis airways, Intact
F-GCBH B747-230 Air France, Intact
EI-DMM B737-300 KD Avia, intact but engines partly stripped
SX-BMC B737-400 Olympic intact but engines partly stripped
PT-MZS A320-200 TAM Brazil, no wings, tail being cut, body intact
I-LINH A320-200 Windjet, as above, being worked on, tail partly off
F-WJKP A340-300 Ex Iberia (EC-GQK) Plain white, looked intact
SX-FIN B747-200 Sky Cargo Intact
F-GTOM B747-SP44 Ex Corsair looked intact, far side of airfield
EC-JFR B747-200 Ex Pullmantur as above
I-OCEU B747-200 Ocean as above
F-BTDE DC10-30 Cubana titles, tail off, lying next to body, fuselage partly intact, far side of airfield
there was also plenty of other parts, fuselages etc on far side of airfield, a bit like Kemble, but bigger! Worth a visit if anyone is passing this lovely part of France
I hope this of interest to someone.

Bob

[Deleted]

Well spotted cb.
I met the guy who runs the airport about 18 months ago and he said they had big plans to increase the throughput of aircraft. Looks like he was right! He gave a presentation and I was struck by the fact that this place (a former USAF base), is in the middle of the French countryside and a most unlikely base for a breaking operation. The guy said the local council got it for a silly price and just decided to go for it.

[copperbob]

Garstonboy
Thanks for the reply. Yes, it's a strange location for such a place, but having spent 13 years myself in out of the way RAF bases I know about "middle of nowhere"
They still have cargo flights in I believe (there was a number of lorries unloading/loading etc including French AF vehicles, although we saw no flights on the ground durign our quick visit. There is also a number of old hangars still marked "Dassault", and some looked still in use (albeit with smashed windows etc) so, maybe there's even more airframes located in them for parting out etc. It's a real out of the way place, but worth a visit, and I will go again if I am in the area.
As I said, its like Kemble, but a lot bigger, and the aircraft and spread all over the airfield (good bins needed)
Bob