1981

In June, the Association took possession of its first aircraft, a Nord 1100 “Ramier”, donated by the French Air Force. This aircraft was not to be alone for long, since November saw the arrival of a North American T 6G. Unfortunately, this aircraft was not complete and its restoration took a lot of man-hours.

For its first anniversary present, The Association took reception of a Vautour IIB which flew in from the French Air Force. This was followed before the end of the year by a Morane 733 “Alcyon”.

1982

In this year, the Association saved two F 84 « Thunderjet » aircraft from a firing range, both in a very sorry state, to reconstruct one. The the ALAT (French Airforce, Light Aircraft) gave us a Nord Aviation 3400 and a un Max Holste MH 1521 "Broussard".

Around the same time, the Toulouse Chamber of Commerce made available to us a site inside the perimeter of Toulouse Blagnac airport.

1983

In 1983 the family continued to grow with the aquisition of two Dassault Mystère IV A’s, a Dassault 312 “Flamant”, and a Fouga CM 170 “Magister”, the last two coming from the French Air Force.

1984

This year’s harvest brought in a bumper crop of 5 aircraft.

First to arrive was a Lockheed T 33 “T Bird”, a gift from the US Air Force like one of the Mystère IV A’s. They were followed by a Gloster “Meteor” NF 11 and a Nord Aviation 2501 "Noratlas", both from the French Air Force. The year finished with a Merville SM 30 glider and an unusual (and how!) prototype SNECMA/ONERA “Deltaviex”. This experimental aircraft was built in 1953 and had an unusually highly swept wing at 70°. It was discovered in the French Alps.

1985

In 1985, we carried on our mission by acquiring two Nord Aviation 1300 gliders, and a Dassault Super Mystère B2 from the French Air Force. The emphasis this year then turned away from the acquisition of new aircraft to a parallel task of gigantesque proportions – dismantling a four-engined Brequet 765 “Sahara” otherwise known as the “Deux Ponts” (Double-decker), (45 metres wingspan, 29 metres length, with fuselage depth of nearly 6 metres).

1986

This was the year of the light aircraft.for us. No less than six were added to the collection: a Castel 310 P glider, a Nord Aviation 1100 “Ramier”, a Piper “Cub” C 65, a Morane MS 893A Rallye”, a Réné Founier RF3 powered glider, and an Henri Mignet HM8.

In April, the dismantling of the Breguet Deux Ponts was finalised by the separation of the fuselage and the wing centre-section.

1987

Our collection continued to grow in 1985 with out first helicopter, a Silorsky H34 donated by the French Air Force.

Then the biggest mobile home in the world arrived, all the way from Evreux, near Paris. It was the fuselage of the Breguet Deux Ponts on a wheeled transporter, striking the last note in the biggest recuperation task we had ever undertaken. Yet this was only the beginning of the saga.

We then went from one extreme to the other with the arrival of a Henry Mignet “Pou du Ciel” (Flying Flea) sharing the back of a lorry with the fuselage of a SNCASO 6025 “Espadon”, prototype for a heavy fighter at the end of the 1940’s.Finally, it was the turn of a Jodel 112 from Spain.

1988

A New Year’s present – a De Havilland Vampire T11. Followed by a Republic Aircraft F 84F “Thunderstreak”, offered to us by the Belgian Air Force, from the base at Beauchevain where it had been dismantled the previous year.

1989

Our second helicopter arrived in 1989, a Piasecki H21 “Banane Volante” (Flying Banana). One of our aircraft left us and another came in its place – we exchanged a Nord Aviation 1100 for an F104G from the German Luftwaffe. The most legendary transport aircraft of all was added to our collection : a Douglas C47 “Dakota”.

And for Christmas, the ALAT Museum, which had already provided us with the H21, offered us our third helicopter: a Sikorsky H19B.

We would have to wait for the following Christmas for our “little” present : a McDonnell F 101B “Voodoo”, a present from the USAF from the base at Davis Monthan. The transport for this aircraft was kindly provided by the French Navy.