PRESENTATION

France is the only important democracy which has never been really peaceful for more than 23 consecutive years, from 1939 to 1962. After WWII and the Indo-china War, the first fights began in Aurès only 3 months after the agreements of Geneva for Indo-china. It was led at the beginning by professional troops coming from Indo-china or coming from France. This war ,which did not want to admit its name then received the reinforcement of a generation of conscripts of the contingent. The air force was once again going to prove its importance in conditions for which it was not really prepared. In front of an invisible enemy, it was going to develop new tactics, new technology and led to anti-insurrectionary air force fight. Furthermore, the development of the concept of armed helicopters was born. Besides, the civil and military transport in a country as big as Algeria was essential to a very large extent. The current French Air Force remains very widely influenced by its Algerian experience, and as such, a file on French Wings Over Algeria from 1954 till 1962 had to exist.

Here is presented a file about the French Air Force during these eight years of war. We wish to complete it with your help.

We wish you a good visit and we invite you to contact us in order to give your comments, corrections and testimonies. This period of the French aviation deserves an important place on the internet.

INTRODUCTION OF THE AUTHORS

These pages are built on ideas from Claude REQUI. He wishes to share his passion of aviation through his experiences as a former pilot having participated in the operations of Algeria at the commands of the North American T6G. To do it, he is helped  by Julien LEPELLETIER and Eva BANCEL, young fanatics of aviation and webmasters of the site.

The signature of the agreements of Evian have terminated the war of Algeria about 45 years ago. This war have lasted eight years and have involved a high number of French young people. On the way back, reinstating in the French society for a period of peace and prosperity, their recollections and their history interested nobody. They shut themselves away in silence. All this period belongs to history, and it must be revealed.

We shall not speak about "political" events. The historians have made. So as airmen, we will be proud to show the air force of this period. By showing you planes and helicopters involved in this conflict, we honor the three French forces: the French Air Force, the Army light aviation, and the French Navy as well as civil bodies involved in the transport on requisition of the government.

We want to honor every man and woman who served in this conflict, whether they were pilots, navigators, mechanics or support command people .It doesn't much matter. They were young and served France. They sacrificed a lot. Some of them sacrificed their life, so we must be proud for having known such people.

Claude REQUI