47°56'23"N 001°52'58"E
runway: 06/24 - ...x..m - asphalt
Air field Saran (Aérodrome de Saran, also known as Aérodrome de Orleans-Saran or Saran Army Air Field) was an airfield in Saran, a town just north of Orleans, France
The decidion to build the airfield was taken in 1911 and the airfield opened in 1913. It was not inaugurated until 14 July 1924 however. The airfield was the playground of many famous French aviators. Its assigned units were not stationed at the airfield, but were instead dispersed along France. The airfield was instead used as a practice field for aviation schools of the French Air Force, such as Groues.
Saran in September 1922 when the location indicator was already present at the airfield (IGN-Photothèque Nationale, via
Anciens-aerodromes.com).
Between World War I and World War II the airfields annually attracted only 300 flights, half of them for exercises. For a while the airfield was even used as a release site for Belgian racing pigeons. It did have its own weather station, hangars, fuel tanks, a night beacon and a circle locator, and the landing terrain was marked by red/white blocks. As such it was classified as an emergency landing site. With all these facilities it soon had an aeroclub: l'Aéroclub d'Orléans et du Loiret. The activities sparked the interest of the Orleans Chamber of Commerce and the city of Orleans, who supported aviation events at the airfield.
In 1933 the Armée de l'Air installed the Regional Circle of Air Reservists Observers (french: Cercle Aérien Régional de Réservistes d'Observation), or CARRO. The name would be changed a few times later, but ultimately it was known as Air Observation Group GAO505, assigned to Orleans-Bricy, but based at Saran.
Saran sometime around 1938 as seen from the west, shows Saran had gained some infrastructure in the form of hangars (via
Anciens-aerodromes.com).
After the German invasion the airfield was used by the Luftwaffe as an intermediate field for light aircraft. On behalf of the Wehrmacht the airfield was used by Messerschmitt Bf 108 "Taifun," Fieseler Fi 156 "Storch", Henschel hs126, Bücker Bü131 or Gotha 145. A twin-engined Focke-Wulf Weihe provided a regular service to the airfield. Aside from two Ju52/3m aircraft based at the field, and occasional stopovers from aircraft based at nearby Bricy, 1941 and 1942 were quiet years.
By the end of 1943 forty trainer aircraft of Jagdfliegersstaffel 2./JG2 (formed out of Jagdfliegerschule 3./JFS103) arrived at the airfield. Trainer aircraft consisted of the Arado Ar96, the North American NA-57 (about 110-120 aircraft out of an order of 230 that were ordered by France had been pressed into service by the Luftwaffe), the Arado Ar68 biplane and Bücker Bü 181.
2./JG103 left the airfield in March 1944. After their departure, the airfield had again been rendered unusable, so much so that on 25 June 1944, a Messerschmitt Bf 109 in trouble had to land in a wheat field southwest of the airfield.
Before and after D-Day the Allies bombed strategic points in France and the airfield at Saran was not spared. Several tons of explosives were thrown at what was known to be a secondary airfield. On 10 August 1944, the Germans destroyed all of the installation before they evacuated it, only the military hangars escaped destruction.
On the evening of 15 August 1944 127th Light Artillery Battallion of General Pattons 3rd Army entered Loiret. Aided by the resistance they went for Orleans from the north. The first American aircraft to land at Saran was a Piper L-4 "Grasshopper", which was one of the aircraft assigned to Gen. Patton to support the advance of the Leclerc tanks to Paris.
Saran, around the time of its capture by Allied forces. Note the Orleans marker: it is still there, but camouflaged (IGN-Photothèque Nationale, via
Anciens-aerodromes.com).
After the war, activity was reduced to flying model airplanes and gliders, an activity in which Bricy soldiers were actively involved. Only on 24 August 1947 did flying restart fully.
In 1952 the U.S. Army installed 4th Signal Corps in Orléans-Saran, with its headquarters located in the Coligny-Orleans barracks, while men, equipment and aircraft were based at Saran. 4th Signal Corps operated the "24 hours a day" telecommunication-zone "USAREUR COM Z (USA Europe)". Their area of responsibility was communications between French Atlantic ports and U.S. forward positions in France. The Signal Corps used De Havilland L-20A/U-6A "Beaver" and U-1A "Otter". Their silhouettes and humming roar became familiar to residents around the airfield. The people of Orleans and the airfield seemed to coexist in perfect harmony with each other. L-19A/O-1A Cessna "Bird Dog" (nicknamed Scouts) also flew for the various units of the Signal Corps. From 19 October 1956, the 5th Aviation Detachment was attached to the group, its mission was to coordinate the flights of the U.S. Army in Europe.
Between 1958 and 1967 the 2nd (Army) Aviation Company FWTT (Fixed Wing Tactical Transport) was attached to the 8th TC Group (TM) stationed in Germany (flying 8 U-1A "Otter"), but based in Verdun to support USAREUR COM-Z Orleans and Poitiers. It covered operational missions in Spain, England, Scotland, Italy, Turkey, Belgium, Greece, France and Sweden. Beechcraft U-8 "Seminole" of 56th Aviation Detachment carried personalities such as Major General Anderson, Commander of USAREUR COM-Z. At the same time the Armée de l; Air used Saran to store North American AT-28 Fennecs after returning from Algeria. Some were refurbished at Saran to be sold to Argentina and Morocco.
Only the interwar period can compete with the influence of this "American period" on life in the town and on the airfield. There were plenty of bars, the bar "Baptême de l'Air (Baptism of the Air)", facing the runway, was humourously renamed "The Western".
Saran, March 1961. The Americans had provided the airfield with a proper runway, but left the indication marker intact (IGN-Photothèque Nationale, via
Anciens-aerodromes.com).
The airfield was not the success expected by those who from its inception had bet on the tremendous opportunity offered by airlines for a town in central France. The "emergency landing field" always had a secondary role, however, it stuck in dreams of several generations of enthusiasts and has seen two world wars, and has thus pearned its place in the history books. The end nevertheless did not come completely by surprise. The first warning was the departure of the Americans in 1967, when they were forced to leave for Heidelberg, Germany by President (ret. General) De Gaulle.
To France, the U.S. represented the Allied presence of liberation after the war and the return of peace and freedom, but it was soon replaced by a silent, Cold War. 1972 marked the "END OF AERONAUTICAL ACTIVITIES" and the aeroclub, the only survivor, moved to Saint-Denis-de-l'Hôtel.
The airfield, although having been closed for over 40 years, partially still exists. The runway is deteriorated but largely still present, as did the faded location marker until at least 2006. Some taxiways, platforms and hanagars also appear to have survived. On the east side most changes had taken place, due to the construction of the E60/A701 and N60 Highways.
Saran in 2006. Amazingly after 35 years the airfield is still largely intact, albeit in a severely deteriorated state (Google Earth).
The location indicator at Saran was faded, but still existed in 2006 (Google Earth)
In February 2014,
Friend of the Website Olivier drove by Saran. He found the airfield was now the location of a prison and a hospital. The good news ini this is that aviation had returned to the site, in the shape of a helipad which serves the hospital. Although it appeared to be complete, Olivier doubts whether it is operational yet, as there was no access road available for ambulances or gurneys.
The former runway appeared to remain intact, at least for a large part, in this photo taken in late February 2014. To the left the hospital, to the right the prison (2014, Olivier).
The newly completed helipad for the Orleans hospital "pôle santé Oréliance" (2014, Olivier)
Saran 
Saran