Paris–Le Bourget Airport

Paris–Le Bourget Airport Aéroport de Paris-Le Bourget Advanced Landing Ground (ALG) A-54
Aerial view of the airport
IATA: LBG – ICAO: LFPB
Summary
Airport type	Public
Operator	Aéroports de Paris
Location	Le Bourget
Elevation AMSL	220 ft / 67 m
Coordinates	48°58′10″N 002°26′29″E / 48.96944°N 2.44139°ECoordinates: 48°58′10″N 002°26′29″E / 48.96944°N 2.44139°E
Map
LBG Location of Paris–Le Bourget Airport
Runways
Direction Length Surface m ft 03/21 2,665 8,743 Bituminous concrete 07/25 3,000 9,843 Bituminous concrete 09/27 1,845 6,053 Bituminous concrete
Source: French AIP[1] French AIP at EUROCONTROL[2]

Paris–Le Bourget Airport (French: Aéroport de Paris-Le Bourget) (IATA: LBG, ICAO: LFPB) is an airport located within portions of the communes of Le Bourget, Bonneuil-en-France, Dugny and Gonesse, 6 NM (11 km; 6.9 mi) north-northeast^[2] (NNE) of Paris, France. It is now used only for general aviation including business jet operations. It also hosts air shows, most notably the Paris Air Show.

History

The airport started commercial operations in 1919 and was Paris's only airport until the construction of Orly Airport in 1932. It is famous as the landing site for Charles Lindbergh's historic solo transatlantic crossing in 1927 and as the departure point two weeks earlier for the French biplane The White Bird (L'Oiseau Blanc), which took off in its own attempt at a transatlantic flight but then mysteriously disappeared.

On 25 June 1940, Adolf Hitler began his first and only tour of Paris, with Albert Speer and an entourage, from Le Bourget Airport.^[3]

On 16 June 1961, the Soviet ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev defected at Le Bourget Airport.

In 1977, Le Bourget was closed to international airline traffic and in 1980 to regional airline traffic, but remains serving both domestic and international business aviation.

Since 1975, Le Bourget Airport has hosted the Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace, France's main state-owned aviation museum. Following the discontinuation of regular commercial traffic in 1977, space available to house museum collections and displays has progressively increased^[4][5]

In odd-numbered years, the Paris Air Show, the world's oldest, takes place at Le Bourget Airport.

The airport hosts a statue commemorating Frenchwoman Raymonde de Laroche who was the first woman to earn a pilot's licence. There is also a monument honouring Lindbergh, Nungesser, and Coli.

In 2002, Erik Lindbergh, grandson of Charles Lindbergh made a flight to commemorate his grandfather's 75th Anniversary historic solo flight. Erik's plane dubbed as "The New Spirit of St. Louis flew solo transatlantic. Erik's flight time completed with 17 hours and 7 minutes. '

Accidents and incidents

• On 29 August 1948, SNCASE Languedoc P/7 F-BATG of Air France crashed at Le Bourget.
• On 7 April 1952, SNCASE Languedoc P/7F-BATB of Air France was damaged beyond economic repair when it overran the runway on take-off. The aircraft was operating an international scheduled passenger flight from Le Bourget to Heathrow Airport, London.^[6]
• On 3 June 1973 a supersonic Tupolev Tu-144 crashed during an aerial display at the Paris Air Show, in an incident known as the 1973 Paris Air Show crash.

Facilities

The Bureau d'Enquêtes et d'Analyses pour la Sécurité de l'Aviation Civile (BEA) is headquartered in Building 153 on the grounds of Le Bourget Airport and in Le Bourget.^[7][8] Le Bourget Airport hosts the Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace, which is also located in the commune of Le Bourget.^[9]

Media appearances

Le Bourget Airport is the base for the "Paris Airshow Demonstration Flight" mission supplied with Microsoft Flight Simulator X.

Gallery

• 

  Bureau d'Enquêtes et d'Analyses pour la Sécurité de l'Aviation Civile head office

• 

  Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace

• 

  Statue honouring the 1927 transatlantic efforts of Charles Nungesser, Francois Coli, and Charles Lindbergh, placed in 1928 at the aerodrome's entrance.

References

1. LFPB – PARIS LE BOURGET (PDF). AIP from French Service d'information aéronautique, effective 28 Apr 2016.
2. EAD Basic
3. "Hitler Tours Paris, 1940". Eyewitnesstohistory.com. Retrieved 21 May 2012.
4. fr:Musée de l'air et de l'espace
5. "Présentation". Musée Air et Espace. Retrieved 1 March 2015.
6. "F-BATB Accident description". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 27 February 2014.
7. "Plan d’accès au BEA." Bureau d'Enquêtes et d'Analyses pour la Sécurité de l'Aviation Civile. Retrieved on 17 June 2010.
8. "header_logo_et_coord.gif." Bureau d'Enquêtes et d'Analyses pour la Sécurité de l'Aviation Civile. Retrieved on 17 June 2010.
9. "Address and Directions." Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace. Retrieved on 9 September 2010.

External links

• Aéroports de Paris (official site) (English)
• Aéroport de Paris-Le Bourget (Union des Aéroports Français) (French)
• Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace (Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace) (French)