Armée de l'Air: French Air Power in Second Life

EPAA 20.300/312 (Equipe de Présentation de l'Armée de l'Air 20.300 et 20.312) aka the Patrouille de France in Second Life is the Armée de l'Air ambassador squadron and together with training squadron GE 314 (Groupement-École 314 "Christian Martel") share BA 701 as their home. Recently, the squadrons were relocated near Paris and got a small overseas base with open skies practice characteristics at Gordon Regional Airport in the small Sharp Continent.

Base Aeriénne 701 Salon-De-Provence is now, in Second Life, located very near Paris! The layout is exactly the same as it was for the last years and in one region manages to recreate the atmosphere of the real life BA 710: the academy building, the hangars, the gardens, the tarmac and runway... all the elements found in the real life air base and school are present and, in a nutshell, remind us of it in a very clever and emotional way. A reference in Second Life's aviation history.

Click on the images to enlarge.

BA 701 Salon-De-Provence. Tout-prés de Paris en SL! February, 2018.

One of the older Alpha Jets on display by the EPAA fallen heroes monument.

The Alphas lined up on the apron at the previous BA 701. August 2017.

Close up of the EPAA memorial. Lest we forget.

Full line up at Salon during the 2017 American Tour season! Things of beauty.

One of GE 314 Alphas captured during the Daystar International Air Show 2017.

A PAF Alpha Jet in the maintenance hangar at Gordon's. 01/30/2018.

CAPT. Asra Kron and Lcl. Paterne Lefavre at Gordon's. 01/30/2018.

A rare moment and honor. Cougar with all the squadron at Gordon's. 02/15/2018.

I was privileged to be invited to a rare occasion (documented above) at Gordon's, where the Patrouille de France en SL has their open skies base. On February 15, the squadron assembled there for the official team photo and I had the honor to take a photo with them during the session. A once in a lifetime moment. On that photo, from left to right, Lt. Chipoune, Cne. Patoulou, Lt. Tidus, Lt. Ariel, Lt. Jeremie Hottaling (Jenny), Col. Rhea Thor, yours truly "Cougar", Cdt. Aethalia Malies, Lcl. Mara Klaber, Cne. T'Sar Kanto, Lcl. Paterne Lefavre, Cdt. Gwenblonde and Cdt. Myrisse Loon. Oh happy day!

To all my friends at BA 701 best wishes for the 2018 Season. We will meet in the great blue sky and under it as well. Merci bien, de tout mon coeur!

CAPT. Asra "Cougar" Kron
Angel 7

SLURs to the Air Bases of the Armée de l'Air in Second life:
To BA 701 Salon-De-Provence - SLUR here!
To Gordon Regional Airport - SLUR here!

Action Shot 03/18

An American in Paris

Flashback: Paris 1900. July 13 and 14, 2017.
I am totally biased when it comes to Paris. As everyone who lives there in real life knows, and especially those who are not that fortunate but had the chance of visiting the City of Lights, as I have in multiple occasions, to be able to walk through the streets of Paris in Second Life is amazing and a heart warming experience. When Lieutenant Colonel Paterne Lefavre told me, after the Independence Day Airshow 2017 at Agrippa (see "ID4 Airshow 2017 Photo Coverage"), that the French squadron would have the privilege of celebrating their National Day in Paris 1900 I was thrilled and couldn't wait for it to come true. It did and it was memorable, as I knew it would be (see "Sous le Ciel de Paris...").

But the day before is where we are here. And that day, as I sat alone at the audience platform on Paris 2000, working on my Navy paperwork (that never ends!), the 14th of July arrived without notice and a marvelous invitation popped up in one of my IM windows:
[2017/07/14 08:34] Paterne Lefavre: Do you want to make a run with me?
My reaction was not expressed in the grateful reply but in real life I said something like "Do I want to....!! Are you kidding me!!!??" Few minutes later, having switched from my tropical whites to the Blue Angels flight suit, I was standing by the Patrouille de France "Zero" I knew so well from Agrippa; the aircraft Lcl. Lefavre uses for solo trial runs before the air shows. And what followed was unforgettable.

I have no words really to express all the photos show, so I will leave them here with brief notes as record of a unique experience I was not expecting and for which I am in Lcl. Paterne Lefavre's debt. To fly in the sky of Paris.

As usual, click on the images to enlarge.

Above:
A PAF Alphajet on the Champs Elysées. Lcl. Paterne Lefavre, Athos 1, and the "Zero". 
In the inserts, top to bottom: Ready for take off from the Place de l'Étoile; air brakes extended, facing the unique runway towards Notre Dame; airborne, as the cathedral gets real big, real fast!

Above: 
Zooming towards the Eiffel Tower. I was so excited I did not even think I was not in control of the aircraft as I usually am! I loved every second.
In the inserts, top to bottom: Now you see me... Now you don't. The "Zero" merged with the Tour Eiffel on the pinnacle of a barrel loop; exiting the barrel over the Arc de Triomphe and back to the Eiffel Tower.

Above: 
Conserving energy on the drop towards the Étoile for a half cuban over the Arc de Triomphe.
In the inserts, top to bottom: going down and rolling at the half of the eight.

Above: 
Wheeeeeeeeeeee!!! Just... Wheeeeeeeeee!!!
[2017/07/14 08:47] Asra Kron (x4ten): wheeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!
[2017/07/14 08:47] Paterne Lefavre: lol

Above: 
Once more unto the breach! The "Zero" dives for another pass between the Arc de Triomphe and the Galeries Lafayette Haussmann. Ah, Paris, que je t'aime!
In the inserts, top to bottom: triumphant pass; climbing to the sky of Paris. Encore!

Above: 
Full sequence, main and inserts, with the "Zero" in great style. The Alphajets still sport the liveries from the 2017 American Tour the PAFsl mirrored when they honored us with their presence at the Blue Angels Independence Day Air Show this year. For the avid enthusiasts, an excellent coverage of the 2017 American Tour can be seen following this link to an excellent piece by France 2.

Above: 
The landing path. The "Zero" with flaps down and gear extending on a very tight turn towards Notre Dame on the way back from the demo area. On the bottom right corner the audience platform in Paris 2000 can be spotted.
In the inserts, top to bottom: the final approach; aligned with the Champs Elysées and a glorious taxi around the Place de l'Étoile. Having done that before several times in real life driving a car (HA!!) the irony was not lost on me, nor was the privilege. The dream run was nearing its end and I had to stop myself from tapping Lcl. Lefavre's zero zero seat and saying what was on my mind: "Again, please!"

Above: 
A dream has come true for me.
With Lcl. Paterne Lefavre on the exceptional "tarmac" provided by the Place de l'Étoile, with the Arc de Triomphe as background. I think I thanked him 137 times. 
In the inserts, top to bottom: the "Zero" comes to a stop at the Étoile after a full round taxi; open canopies and a very special debriefing. In a few hours, the Patrouille de France would take to the sky of Paris for a glorious flight (see "Sous le Ciel de Paris...")
Merci de tout cœur, Pat.

CAPT. Asra "Cougar" Kron
Angel 7