French Airfields Map
In the years since I made my first flying visit to France I have been fortunate enough to tour the country by air quite extensively in both microlights and light aircraft. These listings started off as an article in Today's Pilot in 2005 giving thumbnail sketches of French airfields that I'd visited.
The red and green symbols on the map show the locations of most French airfields while the blue aircraft icons indicate ones with a write-up too. The impressions are a personal selection and not a complete list of airfields to go to in France, but I hope they might inspire a few other British pilots to visit some new places outre-Manche (across the Channel). This page started off with just my own write-ups, but now includes contributions from other pilots too. If you'd like to submit any of your own, please feel free to email them to me.
Things do change over time of course, so always check for up-to-date information before setting off.
Airfields
Private and/or ULM strips
Fields with comments
Airfield Listings
Abbeville (LFOI) Abbeville is just a short flight south from Le Touquet and offers on-field accommodation with a good restaurant and bar. It's a firm favourite with cross-Channel microlight pilots because of its friendly informality, but note that it does require prior notice for Customs. One of its slightly eccentric features is the resident flock of sheep and goats grazing on the grass areas of the airfield - if you're camping, you may get an unexpected guest or two.Aix les Milles (LFMA) The airfield at Aix-Les-Milles serves the beautiful small city of Aix en Provence, one of my favourite places in France. It has a good runway and an active GA scene. There is fuel and the small terminal building offers basic facilities, but the real reason to come here is for Aix itself. A taxi ride will take you into this jewel of French towns, famous for its fountains, squares, restaurant-lined avenues and its association with Cézanne. If you're flying to the east of the city then look out for the famous Mont Saint Victoire that he painted so often. My first visit was by Cirrus, but on my return by CT I was turned away on account of having no transponder, so if you don't have one call to check first.
Albi le Sequestre (LFCI) Like Le Mans, Albi is an airfield with a racing circuit around it, excellent facilities and an English-speaking controller. Landing fee was just 5 euros. Hangarage can be arranged too through an English chap called Nick that the ATC people can put you in touch with. It's in the fabulous Tarn area of France, but like much of the country it closes to visiting aircraft between midday and 2pm local time. The City of Albi and surrounding contryside is well worth a visit.
Ambert le Poyet (LFHT) I made a brief pit stop at Ambert in the summer of 2006 on the way from Mulhouse to Aix en Provence so didn't spend much time at the field. It is a small club field, beautifully situated amidst lovely scenery.
Arras Roclincourt (LFQD) A little over 30 miles to the south east of Le Touquet is Arras which boasts an excellent grass airfield on the north-eastern edge of the town shared by a nice mixture of light aircraft, gliders and microlights. The town itself has a fine central square with a reasonable choice of bars and restaurants and makes a good base for exploring the many WWI sites in the area.
Aubigny-sur-Nère (LFEH) Aubigny is a small club field about 100 miles south of Paris. I stopped there one winter's afternoon and found a friendly club field with a nice hard runway and one or two interesting aircraft in the hanger.
Avranches le Val St Père (LFRW) Avranches is at the bottom western side of the Cherbourg peninsula. It is a small club field within view of Le Mont Saint Michel. Beware of sheep on the runway. Avranches itself is a pleasant little town too. If you fly around Le Mont Saint Michel then keep clear of the exclusion zone which extends up to 3,000'.
Bagnères de Luchon (LFCB) Bagnères de Luchon is a beautifully situated airfield serving the eponymous spa town 2,000ft up in a steep-sided but broad valley. The field has a long grass runway and is used by both powered aircraft and gliders. Keep a good lookout out for paragliders in the area too. Do study the airfield chart carefully as there are specific routes to be followed to ensure that the different types of traffic are safely separated. Park your aircraft and then just drink in the scenery.
Beaune Challanges (LFGF) In the midst of the Burgundy vineyards is Beaune; another beautiful town that is conveniently equipped with an airfield on the outskirts, though again it is taxi, rather than walking, distance. Beaune is another lovely old town which is surrounded by some rather uninspiring modern development. Ignore that and go straight to the centre. The famous Hospice de Beaune is worth visiting as is the excellent market. You can also visit several fascinating wine cellars, walking past hundreds of yards of bottles stored in tunnels that run beneath the streets of the town.
Belle Ile (LFEA) Belle Ile is well worth the short sea crossing, both for the island itself and to stock up on some of the local Belle Iloise fish products. The island is small, but is a holiday resort with plenty of accommodation. I stayed in the main town of Le Palais which is dominated by the huge 16th Century Citadelle Vauban which guards the harbour. The airfield does have fuel but you need to pay in cash.
Bernay St Martin (LFPD) Not far inland from Deauville is Bernay (LFPD) which is a charming and friendly grass field with an excellent restaurant at the airfield entrance. On a nice day you can eat outside in the garden. Do make contact before entering the circuit since aerobatics are sometimes conducted over the field.
Blois Dugny Onzain (LF4151) This used to be the home of the annual Blois microlight show. I went in 2002, the show's final year there. The airstrip is essentially part of the campsite which means the facilities are good. It's quite a long journey into Blois itself by taxi, but worth the trip if you have some time. Check Nav2000 for the contact details and call before you go.
Blois le Breuil (LFOQ) Blois has a long runway and good facilities, though the airfield is some distance from the town which makes the taxi ride a little expensive, although worth it to spend an evening enjoying the beautiful centre of the town.
Brive la Roche (LFBV) We stopped at Brive in order to stay at lovely nearby château. The airfield is next to the town with a good hard runway and plenty of club activity, but is due to be replaced in 2011 by a new field 13km to the south.
Calais Dunkerque (LFAC) Just up the coast from Le Touquet, but without quite the same charm. Nevertheless it's a good airfield with both a café and a more up-market restaurant on-site, and the fact that it draws far fewer visitors than Le Touquet can make it a better choice if you simply want to clear French Customs and get on your way. The airfield is within taxi range of the many wine and beer warehouses catering to the booze cruise market, so you can stock up with supplies to take home, though do check your weight and balance calculations before getting too carried away!
Carcassonne Salvaza (LFMK) Carcassonne is a medium-sized regional airport on the western outskirts of the city. With a big runway and good facilities it makes a fine base not just for Carcassonne itself but the surrounding area too. The GA parking area is a bit of a walk from the terminal. The city is famous for the walled old town, and that is certainly worth a visit even though it is a bit of a tourist trap, but down at the bottom of the hill the more modern part of the town is worth strolling through too and offers better shopping for everything other than tourist trinkets.
Castelnaudary Villeneuve (LFMW) I flew in to Castelnaudary one summer and left my aircraft there for a week while I went on a canal boat holiday on the beautiful Canal du Midi. The people at the field couldn't have been more friendly or helpful and Castelnaudary itself is a very pretty town. The canal runs through the middle and it boasts a fantastic market too, again with an intriguing mixture of French and Spanish influences. Both the airfield and the town are well worth a stop.
Château de Monhoudou (LF7255) A lovely little private airfield belonging to the Château where you can stay. It's a great spot with friendly hosts who keep their own aircraft on the field. Lots of animals wandering around the house and the grounds. Good accommodation and very good food.
Châtellerault (LFCA) Châtellerault is a good place to use as a refuelling stop if you're flying through western France. It's close to Poitiers, but I find it a better stopping place when I'm flying a microlight since you don't need special permission to land one there whereas at the former you do. There is fuel and a club house at the field but no restaurant, although on my last visit a helpful local pilot drove three of us to the nearby supermarket which had a perfectly good cafeteria.
Chauvigny (LFDW) Chauvigny is a quiet gliding airfield close to the Vienne - a good stopover in mid France. Fuel is usually available and the place always appears to be friendly. You may be lucky to get a can of squash from the gliding club. It's a 25 minute easy walk down to the town with restaurants and hotels but quite steep uphill on the way back. Beware of the atomic power station to the south - it is well marked on charts.
Cherbourg Maupertus (LFRC) Cherbourg can be a good point of entry or departure if you're flying in the western part of France. There's no shortage of runway and there's a good little café (Le Coucou de la Fourchette) whose friendly English-speaking proprietors Luc and Edith Dufour are well-known to Britsh flyers and who also sell an excellent range of wines, so it can make a good last stop on the way home. Take care of the exclusion zones to the west of the field.
Deauville St Gatien (LFRG) Deauville is a big local airfield within easy reach of the UK. The nearby WWII invasion beaches are fascinating to see from the air, with the remains of some of the wartime structures still visible beneath the sea just off the beach. Nearby is Honfleur which is a charming little fishing village within (rather expensive) taxi range of the airfield. It's a bit touristy perhaps, but is still a very pretty spot with lots of places to eat and shop. If you go a similar distance in the other direction from the airfield you get to the linked towns of Deauville itself and Trouville. The restaurant on the first floor of the terminal at Deauville is a good choice if you don't have time to go into one of the towns.
Dieppe St Aubin (LFAB) Dieppe is a club field with a grass runway and basic facilities close to the well-known port town. There is an active parachuting club at the field so call ahead first to find out what's going on, and don't blunder into the overhead without making any radio contact just before a drop as one (French) pilot did when I was there.
Dinard Pleurtuit St Malo (LFRD) Dinard offers miles of runway and acts as a gateway to the attractive fishing town of St. Malo. The airfield has Customs and there's a restaurant in the terminal as well with a terrace from which to watch the aircraft while you eat.
Fontenay-le-Comte (LFFK) Fontenay-le-Compte situated in the Vendee. GA and gliding on the airfield. Car hire and B and B can be arranged by their aeroclub. Convenient for touring the marshland and canals known as the Marais. Popular area for cycling.
Gaillac Lisle sur Tarn (LFDG) This is a near-deserted long grass strip located about 10 miles west of Albi, and near to the GAI VOR. There is a flying club there and fuel is available by arrangement, but otherwise it's very quiet. I dropped in there when I found Albi closed for lunch. There was no landing fee and no English spoken, so I made blind radio calls in French to announce my position to no-one in particular! As a town, Gaillac is well worth a visit.
Ile d'Yeu le Grand Phare (LFEY) L'Ile d'Yeu is a fascinating spot, with houses more reminiscent of the Mediterranean than the Atlantic. There's a slight slope on the runway but nothing to be concerned about. Flight plans are mandatory because of the sea crossing. Don't forget to phone and close it if there is nobody in the tower to do it for you. The airfield does not have fuel and has rather limited parking, so call ahead at peak times. Taxi and other useful numbers are on the door of the tower if it happens to be deserted. The island is well worth exploring. It's a popular holiday destination with the French so there are plenty of hotels and restaurants and you can hire cars or bicycles to explore. In high summer you'd be wise to make sure you have somewhere to stay before heading out to the island.
La Baule Escoublac (LFRE) La Baule is another fashionable beach resort town. That means that it boasts a good selection of hotels and restaurants, including a few of the latter on the beach itself; a lovely place to be on a summer evening as the sun sets over the sea. Fuel is available, English is spoken on the radio if you need it and the airfield staff are very helpful in finding taxis and hotels. There is also a reasonable restaurant and bar in the small terminal building.
La Flèche Thorée les Pins (LFAL) The runway is grass and can be a little rough. I've never been into the town itself, but the club on the field is friendly and they have fuel. It is well known amongst British microlight pilots because of the presence there of Reg Whittal's flexwing training school.
La Rochelle Ile de Ré (LFBH) La Rochelle is a regional airport with scheduled commercial traffic but is still fine for GA. Microlights are permitted too as long as you have obtained permission first. The town is a short taxi ride away and is definitely worth a visit, with its beautiful old port protected by castellated towers, fine stone buildings, a thriving market in the town centre and a wide range of shops including the likes of Galleries Lafayette. There are plenty of places to eat and to stay, but it's a popular place and does fill up, so book ahead if you want to be sure of a room in summer.
Laon Chambry (LFAF) Laon is an attractive walled town perched above the surrounding plains and famous for its magnificent cathedral. Don't be put off by the uninspiring lower town, but make your way up the hill (there is a funicular railway) and you will not be disappointed.
Le Castellet (LFMQ) Le Castellet airfield is situated right next to the Paul Ricard racing track in the Provençal hills between Marseille and Toulon. A very modern and well-equipped field with a smart terminal building and two associated hotels. One is next to the terminal and the other is across the road and is a beautiful place to stay and to eat. The amount of weight you put on in the restaurant will be balanced by the reduction in weight of your wallet, so takeoff performance should be unaffected!
Le Mans Arnage (LFRM) Le Mans which has a large modern airfield right next to the famous Arnage circuit. When the race is on it is not surprisingly a very busy place, with special procedures in force for visiting pilots, but at other times it can utterly deserted. I landed there on a Sunday in March to visit the circuit's museum, but couldn't find a way out of the locked airfield! Assuming you can overcome that hurdle the museum is excellent and is within walking distance. The town of Le Mans itself is a taxi ride away, with an old centre that is definitely worth seeing. Steve Jackman has visited more recently and found more signs of life than I did! He writes - "This must be GA heaven. I stopped here both southbound and northbound and had the place to myself. There is a meteo office on site staffed by someone that gave me a personalised weather briefing, plus a helpful receptionist who arranged a taxi and a hotel, plus a controller who helped with the flightplan, and refuellers at the ready. All this for a landing fee of 10 euros, and a fuel price of 1.47 euros (July 09)."
Le Touquet Paris plage (LFAT) The classic cross-Channel destination for British pilots. It's not far away and you can cross the sea at its narrowest point. The airfield is about 20 minutes walk from the town itself, and on a nice day it's a pleasant stroll past all the expensive holiday homes. If that doesn't appeal there are normally taxis waiting, and failing that the helpful people behind the desk in the terminal will call one for you. You can also hire bicycles in the terminal. If you don't have time to leave the airfield you can still get a fine meal at L'Escale restaurant next to the terminal, but otherwise go into town for a very wide choice of places to eat and perhaps a stroll along the beach. The terminal also serves as a small shop, selling a mixture of pilots' supplies such as charts, flight guides and aircraft models, and local produce such as Pérard fish soup and a range of Cognac, Calvados and the like.
Lézignan Corbières (LFMZ) The airfield lies a few miles inland from the small city of Narbonne and boasts a long concrete runway and a friendly flying club. It's close to some attractive small towns, and to some of the boatyards that serve the eastern part of the Canal du Midi. Its distance from Narbonne makes that particular taxi ride a little expensive, but it's an interesting town and worth the trip in if you have a few hours to spare. The other, and much closer, alternative is Narbonne airfield itself, but this is a rather smaller field with a grass runway only.
Montpellier Méditerranée (LFMT) A substantial regional airport with plenty of scheduled traffic which still manages to provide excellent dedicated facilities for GA and all for a very reasonable landing fee. Montpellier itself is a taxi ride away and is certainly worth exploring. The airfield also makes a good starting point for one of my favourite flights; the low-level VFR route that takes you east along the coast over the Camargue delta and on past Marseille towards Nice. Going the other way it's not far from here to the Spanish border, so it makes a good staging post for those heading further south.
Montpezat d'Agenais (LF4724) Montpezat / Saint-Exupéry is one for microlight pilots only. It's a major ULM base and is a must if you're in this part of France in a microlight. There are excellent facilities on-site including fuel (MOGAS only), maintenance, a restaurant and motel-style rooms at very reasonable prices. As well as the grass runways there is a small lake used for amphibians. You can have a go at that yourself with an instructor in the club's Buccaneer aircraft. The surrounding area is pretty and it's a good base for exploring the region. Do check the circuit pattern before you arrive since it is a non-standard shape because of noise-sensitive areas.
Moulins Montbeugny (LFHY) This was a lunch and fuel stop for us one summer, but it turned out to be a memorable experience as we arrived at the start of the lunchtime closure and ended up sharing a simple but superb lunch in the café in the tower with the airfield staff.
Mulhouse Habsheim (LFGB) I have made three visits to Mulhouse Habsheim for annual events hosted by the local aero club. They attract a range of interesting aircraft from the region (the Swiss in particular turning up en masse with some beautiful old machines). It's a good airfield with a long hard runway combined with an excellent and very friendly group of people at the flying club. It also makes a good base for exploring the Alsace region. You need to take care with the nearby Basle airspace but this isn't a problem as long as you have up-to-date charts.
Narbonne (LFNN) I made a brief stop here in 2004 to meet up with another pilot who was, as it turned out, actually waiting at Lezignan! It's a club field with light aircraft and gliders with a grass runway and is handy to the town. It seemed a friendly spot too.
Perpignan Rivesaltes (LFMP) Perpignan is another regional airport which mixes scheduled flights by the likes of Ryanair with GA, though they don't accept microlights. The airport itself is a few miles north of the foothills of the Pyrenees and is easy to find. The facilities are good, though the GA parking area is slightly isolated from the terminal. There is a phone from which you can call for fuel and a transfer bus if you need it, though the walk isn't that far. Perpignan itself is a city that offers an interesting combination of French and Spanish influences. I passed a very pleasant summer evening there watching the world go by from a pavement café having flown up from Spain.
Peysourde de Balestas (LFIP) Peysourde is somewhat off the beaten track, being as it is 5,000ft up in the mountains, but if the weather permits it's a stunningly beautiful area to fly in. If you intend to land there you should be aware that the field is an altiport and that, unless you are flying a microlight, you should have the appropriate French alpine rating before using the strip. Whatever you are flying, take care to study the airfield plate with care, and pay special attention to the 16% slope of the runway!
Poitiers Biard (LFBI) Poitiers is a regional airport reasonably handy to the town. Try not to arrive wanting fuel at the same time as the occasional commercial jet as you'll be waiting until it departs again before anyone will attend to you - a problem common to many provincial airports. They don't accept microlights unless you have made special arrangements with them first.
Pontoise Cormeilles en Vexin (LFPT) Pontoise is one of the GA fields that is close enough to Paris to use as a base for visiting the city, although you should still allow at least 90 minutes each way for the that journey. The airfield itself is quite large with good facilities. There is a bus that goes past on the main road (some distance from the GA area) that will take you to the nearest station for travel into the city.
Quiberon (LFEQ) Quiberon sits at the end of a peninsula close to the northern end of the Golfe du Morbihan. It's an attracive spot surrounded by beaches. There's an active club and a campsite directly across the road from the airfield entrance. It only take about 20 minutes to walk into the town and there are plently of hotels and restaurants there. Belle Ile is only a short flight across the water and is worth a visit too if you're in the area.
Quimper Pluguffan (LFRQ) Quimper is a regional airport with a few scheduled flights, but it was pretty quiet when I visited in June 2008. The facilities are good and it's well-placed for exploring the surrounding area.
Saint Yan (LFLN) This is quite a large local airfield to the north east of Clermont Ferrand. If you are flying through that part of France it can be a better bet than the latter if the weather is not great, since it is lower down and far enough from the mountains to be beneath the cloud when Clermont is in it. It has fuel as long as you have cash.
Saulieu Liernais (LFEW) Saulieu is a small local airfield which I stopped at for fuel in mid-winter. It has fuel (cash only) and a modern clubhouse. If there is nobody around then you need to go and knock on the door of the house at the end of the runway!
Saumur St Florent (LFOD) Saumur airfield is a 10 minute taxi ride from the centre of this beautiful town on the wide stretch of the Loire with a large château overlooking the river. Ample accommodation but worth advance booking. Airfield shared by very active parachute club. Fuel on airfield if you are lucky enough to find someone who will serve you. Great place to base yourself for a day or so.
Semur En Auxois (LFGQ) Semur En Auxois is a field that I diverted into one January when late afternoon fog blocked my progress towards Dijon. The place was deserted when I was there so I can't comment on the club or the facilities, but the field itself was well-kept and offered a good runway and plenty of parking space. The nearby town is small, but offers a hotel or two and a few places to eat.
Soulac sur Mer (LFDK) I made a brief pit stop at Soulac in the summer of 2004 on the way to Ile d'Yeu. It was totally deserted, but has a good runway and is well-placed for flying along the endless beaches of the west coast.
St Cyr l'Ecole (LFPZ) Saint Cyr is a small grass airfield literally at the bottom of the formal gardens of the Palace of Versailles just outside Paris. Base leg for runway 29 takes you right past the palace - a spectacular view that not many approaches can match. There is plenty of parking on the grass and a big plus is that you can walk (in about 20 minutes) to the RER station and travel straight into the heart of the city. You need to take care with the defined access routes and airspace since Paris Class A is close both laterally and vertically.
St Etienne Bouthéon (LFMH) Saint Etienne is a regional airport with some scheduled commercial flights. I used it as a fuel stop while heading south for Spain so didn't explore beyond the airfield boundaries, but it served my purpose well. Landing fees (which were surprisingly cheap) are paid at the information desk in the terminal. As with all small airports, you should carry your passport and licence with you when you leave the aircraft since you may need to go through security and identify yourself in order to get back out to the apron.
St Junien (LFBJ) Saint Junien is a club field not far from Limoges. I've stopped there a couple of times: once to find a friendly bunch in the clubhouse and again to find it completely deserted.
Troyes Barberey (LFQB) Troyes is an interesting town to the south east of Paris. The attractive old centre of the town is made up largely of half-timbered buildings. The airfield is excellent and uncrowded, has fuel and Customs on request. There is a Novotel with its own restaurant a couple of hundred yards away with a discount on rooms if you've flown in. Another hotel alternative is the more upmarket Relais Saint Jean in the centre of the old town who will collect and return you to the airfield, saving on taxi fares. About a mile up the road from the terminal there is a big Géant hypermarket complex if you fancy picking up some French goodies to take home.
Ussel Thalamy (LFCU) A beautiful small club field in lovely surroundings to the west of the old volcanic peaks of the central Auvergne. A peaceful spot with beautiful views of the mountains to the east. Not far to the south is the Dordogne river which you can follow down towards the coast. I stopped there in late summer for a break before following the river down towards Montpezat.
Verchocq (LF6252) Just 15nm inland from Le Touquet is the little field at Verchocq. It is quite a rare thing in France; a private airfield on the owner's farm. It's a pretty and peaceful spot and has the big attraction of a very good restaurant which draws the locals by car as well as visitors by air. The strip is grass and has quite a steep slope. Plenty of quite large aircraft have used it, but do study the airfield information carefully on their web site before you go.
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May 2002, revised August 2009
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