To increase our chances for landings on mountain airstrips, Gilles and I began meeting up earlier and earlier.
It was about finding the right balance – taking off too early would often mean fog, going too late – wind and turbulence…
We started from the Peyresourde-Balestas airport that day, or simply Peyresourde. Léon Elissalde, one of the pioneers of mountain flying in the Pyrénées, inaugurated the altisurface of Peyresourde in 1969. It officially took the name of altiport in 1971. An altiport is an aerodrome in the mountains used by helicopters and small aeroplanes; the term is mainly used in France. Altiports are renowned for their technical difficulty. Special qualification is required for pilots to be allowed to land and take off from an altiport.
After doing several landings, we took a small break there. The apron in Peyresourde is quite big:
Peyresourde airport is famous for its connection to James Bond – in 1997 it made the big screen when it was chosen as location for the opening sequences of the 18th Bond film “Tomorrow Never Dies” starring Pierce Brosnan. I’ve read, the logistics for that small place in Pyrénées were amazing: 250 technicians, 50 tons of equipment, 50 war vehicles, 50 actors and stuntmen, and L39 Albatros, a Czech training aircraft from the 1980s, had to be brought to the valley. Around 260 locals were hired for filming the scenes.
The L39 landed at Peyresourde, while others were brought in by road and parked at the altiport to create the imagery necessary for a blockbuster movie. For the occasion, the production of the film signed a contract with Électricité de France to bury several kilometers of high-voltage lines. Twenty years later, the aerodrome was renamed “Altiport 007” in homage to the film.
The airport is located at 5,200 feet and one can enjoy some magnificent views from there:
Peyresourde runway is 385 meters long, and has 16% slope gradient. You cannot see the whole runway from the take-off position, but if you walk to the edge, you can actually see the rest of the runway, which is very nice when you need to check it prior the take-off:
In 2017, the Peyresourde-Balestas Altiport was the arrival point of a stage of the Tour de France, won by the French cyclist Romain Bardet, known for his climbing and descending abilities.
Gilles and I took off and continued the day’s flying program.
Unfortunately, we never managed to land in Hautacam due to the wind. It was otherwise on my wishlist… But there should be something left for another time! The airstrip is located at 5,512 feet. We flew over every day, and every time our decision was “not to land”. I indicated the airstrip with a blue line (center left):
On our last day of flying, the weather conditions were finally suitable, but there were too many animals by the side of the aerodrome, and there were horses:
Horses are unpredictable; they can suddenly decide to gallop across the runway, you never know what to expect. Therefore, also that time, our decision was “not to land”.
It was our last planned airstrip that day, and we turned back to Tarbes-Lourdes-Pyrénées airport, the home base of F-JHKY Aeroprakt A22LS, we were flying with Gilles.
Mountains are never the same. The weather conditions change all the time, which only amplifies your experiences:
Stunning views were everywhere, and I tried to capture them in my memory as much as I could:
It was my best week in Pyrenees, at least that time. Many thanks to the Leon Morane flying club for giving me the opportunity to rent their Aeroprakt A22LS, and to Gilles – for all those unforgettable hours of mountain flight training!
