45°48'38"N 001°17'36"E
Runway: 11/29 - 800m - grass
Runway: 03/21 - 850m - grass/asphalt
Limoges-Feytiat airfield (french: Aérodrome Limoges Feytiat) was an airfield 350 kilometers south of Paris.
It was built after an agreement was signed by the prefect of the Haute-Vienne, the mayor of Limoges and the President of the Chamber of Commerce in July 1929. The agreement was to build an airfield on the former Saint-Lazare cavalry exercise grounds, located on the border between the towns of Limoges and Feytiat. In August 1935 the land was classified by decree as a private aerodrome open to public air traffic.
Potez 36 F-ALAB "La ville de Limoges", photographied in 1933(Photo courtesy of Conservatoire Aéronautique du Limousin ).
In February 1938, a beacon navigation station was put into operation near Mas-Gauthier, 2.3 km SSE of the airfield location. It was shut down in October 1940 after finding that, although excellent for air navigation, it meant aircraft having to approach the airfield had the disadvantage of being too far away, on a hill that allowed only 80m/240ft clearance during a cloud base of 750ft and corresponding to an arrival direction substantially perpendicular to the prevailing wind direction. Due to the surrounding terrain, no other site was available to allow blind approached with sufficient ground clearance.
During 1941 and 1943, research for suitable sited continued throughout the entire department until the discovery of a more suitable location 17 kilometers south of Limoges near Saint-Maurice-les-Brousses.
Limoges Feytiat airfield in 1951 (source: geoportail.fr)
Although Limoges-Feytiat was not for beginners, it was open without restrictions to public air traffic by Ministerial Decree of 6 February 1947. A comparative study was requested to explore the benefits of other locations, such as Beaubreuil and Saint-Maurice-les-Brousses.
Locally, however, the abandonment of Feytiat was not even considered, due to the existence of a reinforced concrete hangar, a terminal building and various other buildings that had been built at great expense.
However, after a new comparative study with competing sites Beaubreuil and Feytiat, it was finally unanimously agreed that only light aircraft would continue to be allowed at Feytiat.
All sorts of flying were represented: air travel, sports aircraft, gliders, model airplanes and skydiving. During air shows, local and French national aviators, some of them well known names, amazed the crowds. On Sundays, the public would come on foot, by bike, by tram and trolley-bus to see aviators.
Glider club of Limoges 1965. (source: Photo courtesy of Conservatoire Aéronautique du Limousin).
1967 Philippe Coudurier on board this Bell 47 of the French Police after refueling at Feytiat. (Photo courtesy of Conservatoire Aéronautique du Limousin with permission of Mme Simone Coudurier).
In 1967, a bituminus runway had appeared (source: geoportail.fr)
In 1967, the development of traffic saw the airfield's efforts rewarded with the creation of the first regional airline, "AIR Limousin" and the need to create adaptations to the requirements of commercial aviation airport. This led to the opening of the Limoges Bellegarde Airport in 1972.
The fate of Limoges-Feytiat was eventually sealed much more radically on 27 March 1974, by closing it to all air traffic.
1970 Limoges Feytiat airfield. (source: Photo courtesy of Conservatoire Aéronautique du Limousin )
2012, nothing remains about the former airfield. The place is now occuped by the golf club "St Lazarre" (Google Earth)
(research by Olivier)
Limoges Feytiat 
Limoges Feytiat