{"id":12630,"date":"2016-08-08T19:07:32","date_gmt":"2016-08-08T19:07:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.proj3ctm4yh3m.com\/urbex\/?p=12630"},"modified":"2026-05-04T19:48:48","modified_gmt":"2026-05-04T19:48:48","slug":"urbex-aircraft-graveyard-france-september-2015","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.proj3ctm4yh3m.com\/urbex\/2016\/08\/08\/urbex-aircraft-graveyard-france-september-2015\/","title":{"rendered":"Urbex: Aircraft Graveyard, France – September 2015"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

There is a specific kind of silence found in an aircraft graveyard. It isn’t just the absence of noise; it\u2019s the heavy, metallic stillness of machines designed for speed and power now surrendered to the elements. During my trip through France in September 2015, I came across a small but fascinating collection of retired airframes. While not the sprawling “boneyards” of the American desert, this trio of aircraft offered a concentrated dose of French aviation history, ranging from post-war transport to Cold War interceptors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The three aircraft resting here are icons of the Arm\u00e9e de l’Air (French Air Force), each representing a different era of flight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. The Workhorse: Dassault MD 312 Flamant<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The most prominent twin-engine aircraft in the collection is the Dassault MD 312 Flamant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Developed immediately after World War II, the Flamant was a cornerstone of the rebuilt French Air Force. It was one of the first successful designs by Marcel Dassault after he returned from the Buchenwald concentration camp.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Details: This specific model, the MD 312, was primarily used as a pilot trainer and light transport. It is powered by two Renault 12S radial engines, which give it that classic, rounded nose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Decay: Seeing the Flamant in this state is bittersweet. Once used to train the next generation of French fighter pilots, its cockpit is now a skeletal remains of analog dials and stripped wiring. The “Flamant” (Flamingo) name seems fitting as it sits perched on its landing gear, seemingly waiting for a flight that will never come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. The Bush Plane: Max Holste MH.1521 Broussard<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Sitting nearby with its distinctive high-wing profile and twin tail fins is the Max Holste MH.1521 Broussard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the Flamant was the trainer, the Broussard was the “jeep” of the skies. It is a rugged, six-seat utility aircraft designed for “STOL” (Short Take-Off and Landing), making it perfect for the rough, unpaved strips of the French colonies during the 1950s and 60s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Details: It is often compared to the de Havilland Canada Beaver. It uses a massive Pratt & Whitney R-985 radial engine. You can identify it by its “triple-tail” look and the way the wings are braced high above the cabin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The History: The Broussard saw heavy action during the Algerian War as a reconnaissance and medical evacuation plane. In this graveyard, the corrugated metal of its airframe has begun to oxidize, but its sturdy build is still evident.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. The Cold War Icon: Dassault Mirage III (or 5)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Resting further back, identifiable by its sleek, needle-like nose and delta-wing silhouette, is the legendary Dassault Mirage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Mirage III was the first European combat aircraft to exceed Mach 2 in level flight. It became a symbol of French military tech and was exported all over the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Details: While it’s hard to tell the exact variant without a serial number, these airframes were the backbone of French air defense for decades. The delta wing (triangular wing) design allowed for high-speed performance but made landings notoriously “hot” and fast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The State of Play: Seeing a supersonic interceptor, a machine built to pierce the sky at twice the speed of sound, sitting motionless in the long grass is the ultimate “Urbex” juxtaposition. The cockpit canopy, once the interface between a pilot and the stratosphere, is now clouded and cracked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reflection<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Walking between these titans of aluminum and rivets, you realize that an aircraft graveyard isn’t just a scrapyard; it’s a museum with no curators. There are no plaques here, just the wind whistling through empty jet intakes and the smell of old hydraulic fluid and sun-baked earth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While I\u2019m still hunting for that massive, endless field of planes, this “handful” in France provided a rare, intimate look at the machines that once defined the French skies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Aircraft
Aircraft Graveyard France<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Aircraft
Aircraft Graveyard France<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Aircraft Graveyard France<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Aircraft
Aircraft Graveyard France<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Aircraft
Aircraft Graveyard France<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Aircraft
Aircraft Graveyard France<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Aircraft
Aircraft Graveyard France<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Aircraft
Aircraft Graveyard France<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Aircraft
Aircraft Graveyard France<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Aircraft
Aircraft Graveyard France<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Aircraft
Aircraft Graveyard FranceAircraft Graveyard France<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Aircraft
Aircraft Graveyard France<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Aircraft
Aircraft Graveyard France<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aircraft<\/strong><\/td>Role<\/strong><\/td>First Flight<\/strong><\/td>Key Feature<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
Dassault MD 312<\/strong><\/td>Pilot Trainer \/ Transport<\/td>1947<\/td>Twin Renault radial engines<\/td><\/tr>
MH.1521 Broussard<\/strong><\/td>Utility \/ Bush Plane<\/td>1952<\/td>Twin tail fins, high wing<\/td><\/tr>
Dassault Mirage III<\/strong><\/td>Supersonic Interceptor<\/td>1956<\/td>Delta wing, Mach 2 capable<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Limited Edition prints and Canvases, as well as regular prints, are available for all of the images above on request and visit the store for more prints and products.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Urbex<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A collection of abandoned aircraft parked up at an old airfield in France. I always enjoy abandoned planes but I still haven’t had much luck visiting a decent sized collection and this handful were not going to alter that fact :). the 3 planes which were there were however, a nice varied set with each having their own individual features…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":12635,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[2464,2,3],"tags":[4,1135,7,8,97,134,9,10,12,1836,2664,187,1300,1103,14,1519,1694,1205,22,23,2603],"class_list":["post-12630","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-military-sites","category-site-reports","category-urbex","tag-abandoned","tag-cockpit","tag-decay","tag-derelict","tag-derp","tag-empty","tag-exploration","tag-explore","tag-forgotten","tag-france","tag-lost-places","tag-military","tag-plane","tag-proj3ct-m4yh3m","tag-proj3ctm4yh3m","tag-project-mayhem","tag-projectmayhem","tag-ue","tag-urban","tag-urban-exploration","tag-urbex"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.proj3ctm4yh3m.com\/urbex\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Aircraft-Graveyard-France-6.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paxsWc-3hI","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.proj3ctm4yh3m.com\/urbex\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12630","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.proj3ctm4yh3m.com\/urbex\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.proj3ctm4yh3m.com\/urbex\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.proj3ctm4yh3m.com\/urbex\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.proj3ctm4yh3m.com\/urbex\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12630"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.proj3ctm4yh3m.com\/urbex\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12630\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16423,"href":"https:\/\/www.proj3ctm4yh3m.com\/urbex\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12630\/revisions\/16423"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.proj3ctm4yh3m.com\/urbex\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12635"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.proj3ctm4yh3m.com\/urbex\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12630"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.proj3ctm4yh3m.com\/urbex\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12630"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.proj3ctm4yh3m.com\/urbex\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12630"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}