Happy new year!!!

F-105 and F104 from differant NATO airforces lined up, ready to take off from
Chaumont AB runway during a Tactical Weapons Meet in the 1960's. © USAF 
(click to enlarge)

To every reader of this new version of my blog, I wish all the best for 2012 : have a very pleasant year full of hapiness, friends, good times and strong health!

From France-Air-NATO's point of view, this new year will sure be an interesting one, with already two reunions scheduled in France :

- the first one, from june 20th to 25th, will bring together USAF vets and alumni from Evreux Air Base (more to come soon)

- then from august 23rd  to 28th, former RCAF Marville 1 wingers will gather in France and Belgium. A Facebook page is already devoted to this event.

Prepare also your bookshelves for - at least - two forthcoming publications :

- a book in english devoted to canadian night and all-weather fighters will come out this january : Night Fighters: Stories from the Flyers of Canada’s All-Weather Fighter Force, Canada and Europe 1953 to 1984. Compiled by an all-weather committee headed by John Eggenberger, Bob Merrick, and Doug Munro, this new title focuses on CF-100 and CF-101 days.

- a study in french devoted to the former Coulommiers-Voisins NATO DOB will be published by the Anciens Aérodromes association. Release date to be specified soon.

Of course, this is only a sketch, more to come in the following weeks. To stay up to date with events, book launching or articles, come and visit regularly this blog! Do not hesitate to share informations with me if you plan an event or if you are aware of some news I would miss!

Once again, Happy New year to all of you, all the best for 2012!!

Berlin crisis and operation "Stair Step", 50 years later...

This month, in Air Fan french magazine (n° 397 décember 2011), you can read the article I wrote to celebrate the 50th anniversary of operation "Stair Step", as a US response to the Berlin crisis. 

In 1961, as USSR & East germany started building the Berlin wall, the USA decided to strengthen their military forces in Europe, and especially USAFE. To do so, president Kennedy called several Air National Guard (ANG) units to active duty. Several squadrons, mainly ffighter-bombers ones, were deployed to France, Germany and Spain to face the soviet threat.

F-84F Thunderstreak belonging to the 110th Tactical Fighter Squadron from 
Missouri ANG, en route to Toul-Rosières

For the USA, this crisis made possible to reactivate some airbases in France, after several years of stand by status. As a result Chambley AB, Etain AB, Chaumont AB and Toul-Rosières AB each host a F-84F squadron. Meanwhile a whole fighter-bomber wing take possession of Phalsbourg AB,  with its F-86H Sabre.

These F-86H Sabre of 101st TFS were integrated to USAFE during 

the Berlin crisis and sent to Phalsbourg AB, France.

Here is only a part of the deployment focused on France. But to get a detailed inventory of the whole "Stair Step" operation, illustrated by some pretty unseen and rare pictures, order your Air Fan sample now!

You can also take a look at last september's issue of Air Force Magazine :

Berlin crisis 50th anniversary

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