Fly with me above Villefranche! Live a unique experience in the air in a microlight…
It's 19 p.m., I'm on the edge of the aerodrome of Villefranche-de-Rouergue in Graves… the track is empty, a cat crosses the grass and then, I hear the dull sound of an approaching engine, I see in the distance like a bird in the sky.
And here he is a few moments later on the track: Ségal descends from his ULM (small plane), with a smile on my face… and it's time for me to start this spectacular journey.
Well attached to the seat behind, a helmet on the head connected with a microphone to that of my pilot, let's go!
Ségal starts the propellers, we advance to the end of the runway to operate a small well-rehearsed U-turn, he puts the gas, the engine races and after a good ten meters on the grass, we take off !
And there... after a few seconds of gentle ascent, here we are flying in the sky... on the horizon, a limpid blue as far as the eye can see on the valleys and hills of Aveyron. Wow! Breathtaking !
La view is 360°, in front of us, the village of Villeneuve d'Aveyron where we spot the bell tower, and below our feet, a few hundred meters from us, the agricultural fields with tractors mowing the wheat and making the hay... and suddenly, hop, we see it appear between the yellow twigs waltzing in the wind: a deer leaps and escapes into the thickets... did we disturb it?
Then we start a 180° turn to go back to Villefranche, feet in the wind, at 80km/h above Aveyron valley… here, the yellow fields give way to the greenery of century-old oaks that follow the Aveyron river… following the stream, my eyes rest on the Royal Bastide of Villefranche ! What a great discovery: seen from the sky, the city is gridded, the red tiled roofs are arranged militarily and the rectilinear streets meet in the center where the Collegiate, with its immense steeple-porch and the majestic Place Notre-Dame.
We are there, spinning like a leaf flying in the wind, above this Medieval city, everyone goes about their business downstairs, and we, we observe these little ants advancing with a determined step… Maybe they hear us? Maybe some have looked up to see this strange bird pass in the sky?
Then comes the time to rest your feet on the ground, Ségal cuts the engines, the propellers slow down their movements, and there is silence! The ULM hovers above the city in the wind, this moment is simply out of time, halfway between wonder and serenity...
After the moment of landing, it's back to reality!
Between Causse and Gorges de l'Aveyron, I was able to admire the 1000 facets of our landscapes, I will remember the feeling of freedom in the sky and the breathtaking views… what a beautiful moment!
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