3rd Air Instructional Center - Issoundun Aerodrome

[nvubu]

I've just posted a challenge in the Which Aerodrome thread and thought it deserved a thread of it's own. At one time this was the largest aerodrome in the world with 10 separate flying fields in use - and today there is nothing left to indicate flying took place here, apart from a solitary memorial on the D960 to the NW of Issoundun town.

Here is a list of fields taken from wiki - I'll post pictures of each one (that I have) in a separate post for each field.

* clicking on an image will open a much larger version of the image.

• Main Aerodrome

Field 1, Rouleur Field; Primary instruction, high speed taxiing
Field 2, Main Field, Dual-control instruction, first solo flight
Field 3, Solo Flying, Cross Country, basic aerobatics

The main aerodrome were also used for new aircraft delivered to the base and the major hangar repair field, for testing repaired or rebuilt aircraft.

• Field 4, Used for spiral turns
• Field 5, Used for taxiing, taking off, and landing and wing slips
• Field 6, Aerobatic Field; Used for advanced acrobatics

Fields #4, #5, #6 were used for basic flight training.

• Field 7, Valentine Field, Used for training in formation flying
• Field 8, Used for aerial combat training
• Field 9, Introduction to the Nieuport 18M (Graduates either proceeded to Field 10 for 2-seater training or to Field 4 for pursuit training)
• Field 10, Used for observation pilot training (DH 4)
• Field 11, Under Construction 1 October 1918, not used
• Field 12, Under Construction 1 October 1918, not used
• Field 13, Under Construction 1 October 1918, not used (planned for aerial gunnery)
• Field 14, Used for machine gun training in aerial gunnery
• Field 15, Under Construction 1 October 1918, not used

Map of the Aerodrome


Overview of the main aerodrome

[nvubu]

Field #1

[nvubu]

Field #2

[Wander00]

Not a million miles from us, must have a look sometime