Discover the Toulouse-Tarfaya rally: in the footsteps of Aéropostale and Saint-Exupéry

The start of the Toulouse-Tarfaya rally will be given this Thursday. Four aerial stops in the footsteps of Aéropostale and Saint-Exupéry. The two Niortais engaged are ready.

Packing your bags to go on a trip is never easy, but when you go on an air rally and you must not exceed 80 kilos per person, equipment included, it is very complicated. This is what occupied the two drivers from Deux-Sévriens this Wednesday. Before taking off for Toulouse, the city of departure for the rally, they had to carry out the final checks on the aircraft and finish their luggage.

They will be Thursday with a dozen other crews at the start of the first stage of this rally, in the footsteps of Aéropostale and, in particular, of one of its most famous pilots, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.

Four steps to retrace the path that the author was taking from 1926 when he joined the Compagnie Latécoère, the future general company of Aéropostale.

The first stage, between Toulouse and Alicante, will already be an adventure with the crossing of the Pyrenees. For Jean-Michel Foucher, one of the two Sèvres drivers, this will be a first. It must be said that he discovered aviation recently and that he has only 250 flying hours. But no matter, he left with an experienced pilot, Olivier Dupont, who had 2,500 flight hours. And he leaves to discover the places where the author of the Little Prince or of night flight left a mark.

I’ve always wanted to fly, since I was little, so for me Saint Exupéry is the pioneer, it’s the desire to fly

Jean Michel Foucher

pilot

For the captain during this rally, Olivier Dupont, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry alone is the motivation for the trip. He read all his work:

What obviously makes you dream is the notion of travel, meeting, sharing, there is really everything you encounter in the Little Prince. It modestly makes you want to follow in his footsteps

Olivier Dupont

pilot and captain on the rally

And for the wink, Olivier Dupont takes with him a dozen letters that he will send to his friends in Tarfaya with stamps bearing the image of the Little Prince

Our colleagues Alain Darrigrand and Cyril Paquier have embarked with the Deux-Sévrien pilots and will take us on an adventure as far as Morocco.

Here are already some 3D images of the takeoff from Niort aerodrome.