The Somme from the air with Visit-Somme
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aerialsky viewplane, gyrocopter, helicopter
©Olivier Leclerc

The Somme from the air

  • 19091st flight by the Caudron brothers
  • 40planes on display at the 'Musée de l'Aéronautique'
  • 5ways to fly over the Somme

The Somme

Cradle of aeronautics

The Somme is not just the cradle of Gothic architecture but also of Aeronautics. From the Caudron brothers, born in the Baie de Somme, up to the creation of Albert-Picardie airport built to receive the Airbus Beluga, the Somme has always been closely linked to flying. Today you can discover the whole of the Somme from the air in a plane, a micro-light, gyrocopter, helicopter or hot-air balloon!

Fly over the Baie de Somme, the mysterious meandering Somme valley with its castles and châteaux, archaeological sites or the Battlefields and their great war memorials !

Montgolfière, Somme©ADRT80-DR
Régnières Ecluse Chateau, Somme©ADRT80-DR
Amiens-Aeroclub de Picardie-survol Amiens ©Aeroclub de Picardie©Aeroclub de Picardie
Survol en montgolfière Somme©www.montgolfière.com
Baie de Somme-vue du ciel ©Olivier Leclerc©Olivier Leclerc
baie_vue_du_ciel©altimage_smbs-glp.jpg©Altimage_smbs-glp

5 ways to fly over the Somme

Here's how ....

In an aeroplane with Philippe, Jacques, Mathieu and the others...
Fly over the Battlefields, the mine crater at La Boisselle, Thiepval, Beaumont-Hamel...

Aero-Club Picardie Amiens Métropole Contact : 06 07 04 08 50
Tour of Amiens with commentary - from 95€ for 1 to 3 people. Special flight in Second World War plane
Aero-Club Amiens Glisy Contact: +33(0)3 22 38 01 01
Aero-Club de Péronne Contact: +33(0)3 22 85 67 80
Aero-Club d'Albert-Méaulte Contact: +33(0)6 12 25 66 59

Flight over the Baie de Somme
Aero-Club d'Abbeville Contact: +33(0)3 22 24 08 48

Hot-air Ballooning with Sophie
Amiens Balloon Contact: +33(0)6 07 68 74 44
Hot-air balloon flights in the Somme, different departure points, as agreed with Sophie

Gyrocopter with Dominique: fly over the Somme valley and Battlefields
Aero'Dom Contact: +33(0)7 83 54 39 01
Experience flying in a gyrocopter over the meandering Somme valley - from 80€/person.

Helicopter with Greg
Greg Helico à Abbeville Contact: +33(0)6 83 56 74 85
A memorable helicopter flight over the Baie de Somme - from 130€/person. Romantic flight at sunset - from 150€/person.

montgolfiade, Somme©ADRT-DR
Marais-chevaux henson, Somme©SMBDSGLP-Altimage
autogyre ©Glisy-Air Flash©Glisy-Air Flash
Le musée des frères Caudron à Rue, Baie de Somme©CRTC-Comdesimages

Focus on the Caudron brothers

An extraordinary saga

The Caudron brothers, involved at the very beginning of civil and military aviation, left their mark on the skies over the Baie de Somme. They were born in Favières, a little village next to Le Crotoy. Their first flight, in Spring 1909, was between Ponthoile and Forest Montiers... During World War I, in 1917, Henry Potez created the famous Eclair propeller. He was a friend and associate of Marcel Dassault and re-established his factory at Méaulte in 1923. After the firm was nationalised in 1937, the Potez factory became involved in the aerospace industry: Airbus and today Stelia Aerospace, a subsidiary of the aircraft manufacturer, EADS.

Discover the Museum 'Frères Caudron' et Rue - in the Baie de Somme

Want to take it further? Go to Albert where you can see forty old aeroplanes, military and civil, which flew between 1944 and 1970: Caravelle, Boeing 727, Mirage 3E, plane belonging to the Patrouille de France... A truly impressive collection !

Find out more about the 'Musée de l'Epopée de l'Industrie Aéronautique'