Champagne airfields - nice towns for overnight stop?
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Champagne airfields - nice towns for overnight stop?
Hi everyone,
Planning a trip to northern France next year which we want to include an overnight stop somewhere in the Champagne region. Can anyone recommend a nice town/airfield?
Best idea we've had so far is Laon which looks like a nice town from the pictures on the municipal website, but you just don't know until you've been do you!
Any ideas appreciated, best to all...
Andy
Planning a trip to northern France next year which we want to include an overnight stop somewhere in the Champagne region. Can anyone recommend a nice town/airfield?
Best idea we've had so far is Laon which looks like a nice town from the pictures on the municipal website, but you just don't know until you've been do you!
Any ideas appreciated, best to all...
Andy
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Laon is a lovely little town. I've never flown there (though I have flown over it - see the the latter part of the holiday video on the Cirrus site) but have been there by car several times.
Get yourself up to the top of the hill into the old part of the town and stay somewhere near the very fine cathedral. The Hôtel de la Bannière de France is a great place with real character and an excellent restaurant. I recommend the Menu Gastronomique!
Get yourself up to the top of the hill into the old part of the town and stay somewhere near the very fine cathedral. The Hôtel de la Bannière de France is a great place with real character and an excellent restaurant. I recommend the Menu Gastronomique!
Last edited by Fly Stimulator; 8th Nov 2003 at 21:17.
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Reims in the centre of the champagne region. The airport to go for is Reims Prunay. It sits just outside the centre of town and has a restaurant (L'Escale - like Le Touquet), and a hotel on the field.
Highly recommended.
Whilst Laon is sort of in the same region, it's not really near the Champagne producers who are all clustered around Reims, Epernay and Ay.
2D
Highly recommended.
Whilst Laon is sort of in the same region, it's not really near the Champagne producers who are all clustered around Reims, Epernay and Ay.
2D
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Thanks guys! Really appreciated all the feedback: 1013.25 and I will now have to debate the choice between Laon and Prunay!
FS I will have a look at the video..
Andy
FS I will have a look at the video..
Andy
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You won't go far wrong whichever you choose, but as 2Donkeys says, if it's Champagne tasting that you're after then you will need to go for the Reims / Epernay area rather than Laon.
Having got that far, you might as well include a further jaunt to Burgundy. Beaune is an excellent spot with a convenient airfield.
Then of course it's not that much further to Provence. Aix just happens to have a handy airfield...
The many joys of exploring France by air!
Having got that far, you might as well include a further jaunt to Burgundy. Beaune is an excellent spot with a convenient airfield.
Then of course it's not that much further to Provence. Aix just happens to have a handy airfield...
The many joys of exploring France by air!
As Fly says, Hotel de la Banniere does an excellent stay, including a beautiful cheese board. 5 minutes walk uphill (any direction) is the most beautiful town.
Don't, whatever you do, stay at any hotel or eat at any restaurant down from the top of the hill - me and my missus did when we were on honeymoon and we ate horse steak and got stitched up for the number of beers we drank (12 between 2 in just over an hour)
Don't, whatever you do, stay at any hotel or eat at any restaurant down from the top of the hill - me and my missus did when we were on honeymoon and we ate horse steak and got stitched up for the number of beers we drank (12 between 2 in just over an hour)
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Prunay is the home of Reims Aviation - famous for producing Cessnas under licence after the war.
I am led to believe that it first saw life as a grass strip in the early 1930s and only reached its current vibrant form in the 1960s when the hard runway was put down. It was never military, and the Gate Guardian (a Fouga and another old jet ) are time-expired privately-owned aircraft sitting in the car park of the airport hotel. There still are a number of Fougas and the inevitable L-29s and L-39s privately operated off the strip.
The military presence in Reims takes the form of Reims Champagne Airport. This is a joint Military/Civil Airfield co-located with the REM VOR with a long history and similarly long runways.
Light GA is not welcome there.
I am led to believe that it first saw life as a grass strip in the early 1930s and only reached its current vibrant form in the 1960s when the hard runway was put down. It was never military, and the Gate Guardian (a Fouga and another old jet ) are time-expired privately-owned aircraft sitting in the car park of the airport hotel. There still are a number of Fougas and the inevitable L-29s and L-39s privately operated off the strip.
The military presence in Reims takes the form of Reims Champagne Airport. This is a joint Military/Civil Airfield co-located with the REM VOR with a long history and similarly long runways.
Light GA is not welcome there.
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Reims Champagne is a base for impressively fast fighters, but they accept GA aircraft. Worth adding to your log book, and to spend a half hour watching the fighters at work. As far as I remember they do not have Avgas available.
Reims Prunay is a small airfield with a maintenance base and Avgas.
Both are within reasonable distance of the town. Reims is a good sized town with many hotels and restaurants serving good food and reasonably prices champers, and has a big cathedral with some connection to Jonn of Arc.
Laon is a very small town with a beautifully designed small cathedral, and was one of the main cities used by Charlemagne. The town itself would justify a couple of hours to visit.
If it is one or the other I wuold plump for Reims, and use Prunay, making sure you check customs hours and book ahead if necessary.
Reims Prunay is a small airfield with a maintenance base and Avgas.
Both are within reasonable distance of the town. Reims is a good sized town with many hotels and restaurants serving good food and reasonably prices champers, and has a big cathedral with some connection to Jonn of Arc.
Laon is a very small town with a beautifully designed small cathedral, and was one of the main cities used by Charlemagne. The town itself would justify a couple of hours to visit.
If it is one or the other I wuold plump for Reims, and use Prunay, making sure you check customs hours and book ahead if necessary.
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bluskis:
Was that Joan's brother then!? 
Seriously, thanks everyone - or choice is clear! Also toying with the idea of making an excursion into Luxembourg (a whole new country for the logbook!) and, not wanting to go to such a big airfield as Luxembourg itself was wondering about ELNT Noertrange - any thoughts appreciated.
Best to all on this gloomy grey sodden Sunday afternoon (not complaining after the season we've had!)
Andy
Jonn of Arc
Seriously, thanks everyone - or choice is clear! Also toying with the idea of making an excursion into Luxembourg (a whole new country for the logbook!) and, not wanting to go to such a big airfield as Luxembourg itself was wondering about ELNT Noertrange - any thoughts appreciated.
Best to all on this gloomy grey sodden Sunday afternoon (not complaining after the season we've had!)
Andy
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2Donkeys - the other old jet a/c on the piccie is a Lockheed T-33 (ex-French Air Force).
Reims-Prunay's runway is about 1,150m long, located ESE of the city. No navaids but easy to find. Oriented 07/25.
While around there you can do a T/GO at nearby Chalons/Vatry, a cargo airport with an impressive 3,840m runway and a few cannibalised/derelict aircraft (747-200, An-12) on the apron. The tower is not always manned by day which means you can get away with not paying the landing fee...
Cheers
Reims-Prunay's runway is about 1,150m long, located ESE of the city. No navaids but easy to find. Oriented 07/25.
While around there you can do a T/GO at nearby Chalons/Vatry, a cargo airport with an impressive 3,840m runway and a few cannibalised/derelict aircraft (747-200, An-12) on the apron. The tower is not always manned by day which means you can get away with not paying the landing fee...
Cheers
