I wanted a special activity, a little out of everyday life… Come on, I'll take you up in the air for a discovery flight by plane from Villefranche de Rouergue.
To fulfill this childhood dream, I contacted the Rouergue Aero Club , located at the Château de Graves airfield in Villefranche-de-Rouergue. Its members are all passionate aviators, and among them was a woman named Danielle. Accommodating, smiling, and relaxed, she gave us a very warm welcome on one of those balmy summer afternoons.
I've never flown before, so just in case I prefer to inform our pilot. "Everything will be fine, our small planes are safe and the weather is mild, a little windy today, but nothing too bad." Perfect, off she goes to get our plane.
On track !
We sit inside, my companion takes the two-seater bench seat in the back and I sit next to Danielle.
We put on our headsets so we can communicate during the flight. Our pilot closes the cockpit and starts the engine! And there we are, taxiing peacefully on the airfield : I hadn't imagined a "flight" like this! More seriously, Danielle contacts the local controller by radio; we're going to position ourselves at the runway's departure point: takeoff is imminent!
“Piste and surroundings free, you can go there” our pilot at his green light, here we go! She pushes a few buttons, pulls on the stick and the plane takes off, we pick up speed and then we're in the air… The runway narrows, the clouds seem to be getting closer, the houses are very small.
Before boarding, Danielle had asked us if we had a preference for our 30-minute flight in the air: working at Najac for a few years already, I would have liked to contemplate it from the sky, that's what we will do.
Leaving Villefranche by the west and heading south, we will first have the chance to admire the Cistercian abbey of Loc Dieu et its superb park.
A quick glance at the speedometer: 200 km/h. Indeed, we left 10 minutes ago and we can already see Najac very clearly.
A sensational view of Najac
What a sight! The village is so clearly visible, this fortified town , once heavily fortified and considered an exceptional defensive site. From atop its rocky spur, stretching for 1.5 km, the Aveyron River embraces it at its base in a meander, the schist outcrop on which the village is built forcing it to divert from its usual calm and straight course. This creates a few rapids that entice some canoeists and kayakers to explore it…
The houses on the ridge, the Place du Faubourg where the tourist office is located , the Rue du Barriou: everything is visible in miniature! The fortress itself remains impressive, even from the heights. The expert eye of some enthusiasts of the site can even discern the 6.80-meter arrow slits flanking the keep. I even spot a group listening to a guide!
And then there, the superb Church of Saint John the Evangelist appears: first gothic church of Rouergue. Its 45 meters in length are easily contemplated and its massiveness also. Impressive in every way.
Here we go again for another flight, soaring over the Château du Pic, the VVF holiday village, the hills of Najac where my hiking boots have already taken me on many walks, and the Aveyron River still flowing through its gorges, with the little Romanesque bridge of Saint Blaise – it's so beautiful. I'm getting goosebumps!
Return to the bastide town of Villefranche de Rouergue
It's time to go back, we pass by the same side as on the way there, imagining the Monteils stone quarry, the village of Vailhourles or even the bell tower of Sanvensa on the other side of the Aveyron gorges.
For our enjoyment, our pilot treated us to two flights over Villefranche-de-Rouergue: the grid pattern of the bastide town was a sight to behold, and the 58-meter-high bell tower of the collegiate church was truly breathtaking. We passed the Calvary , one of the most beautiful viewpoints overlooking the town, as well as the Chartreuse Saint Sauveur and the Chapel of the Black Penitents ; the cloister of the former remains immense, and the roof of the latter is dazzling.
Comes the time to land, the runway widens and the wheels of our small plane touch the ground, here we are back on earth.
It is still under the spell that we descend from this little flying cocoon, maybe we will fly again with one of these days...
Your turn !
12200 Villefranche-de-Rouergue
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