Validation date: 19 02 2016
Updated on: Never
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46°07'01"N 006°01'34"E
Runway: flying field - 800000m² - Grass
Viry airfield (French: Aérodrome de Viry) was an airfield 412km southeast of Paris.
Viry is noteworthy, because it was a Swiss airfield but actually located in France!
For the first few aerial hops (by the Dufaux brothers among others) three public meetings had been held in the region between 1910 and 1911, which brought out almost everybody in Geneva. A first flight school was set up in autumn 1910.
As there were no lands available where an aircraft could land near Geneva, the French Monsieur le Comte De Viry (the Count of Viry), who was very passionate about the emerging aviation industry, lend a free land of 800.000m square and in 1912, he covered the expenses of first construction and earthmoving in 1912. Unique for Switzerland and a worldwide first: the first airfield in Swiss history was located in France!
1910 - The hangar Dufaux with a Dufaux-4 airplaine animated by an ENV motor. (Courtesy of Jean Plançon Pionnair-GE)
Initially, four hangars were built. The winter months did not allow the use of the land until in April. Then, various pilots took their first flights and their first solos. Having only a single-seater aircraft, there was no way to monitor or help the novice pilot!
1910- a Dufaux-4 is flying over the Viry airfield during the meeting "week of aviation". (Courtesy of Jean Plançon Pionnair-GE)
On Sunday August 14 to 21, the Great week of Aviation was held at Viry, a huge event that would not be surpassed until the meeting of Cointrin in 1947. Some 15 pilots flew, but another 5 remained on the ground because they did not have any plane. In addition, visitors would see flights of gliders and hot-air balloons.
1910 - The "Demoiselle" Clément Bayard of pilot Edmond Audermars. (Courtesy of Jean Plançon Pionnair-GE)
At Easter 1911 (April 16-18), the weather was not the side of the organizers and the crowd were about to lynch the pilots, who were unable to take off. Fortunately, Armand Dufaux made a flight in the wind at great personal risk and in doing so he saved the event. The second meeting (13-15 August) was the third of the year, as Plan-les-Ouates (Switzerland) held one only two weeks before.
Other meetings are practiced throughout Switzerland in fine weather claiming the available pilots. They are only three aviators to do the show in Viry. It was a very successful summer in 1910.
In late May the Dufaux sold their patents in Vaud and stopped the construction of aircraft at and the use of Viry airfield. All activities were transferred to Avenches (CH). A few pilots would still use Viry airfield until winter, but then the activity ceased. In 1912 the shareholders of the SAAV decided on its dissolution. After three years, in which the aerodrome had been instrumental in the rise of Switserland and particularly Geneva in aviation, it returned to a role of fields and pastures.
After 1911, no other events were held in Viry wth the exception of military maneuvers in 1919, 1933 and in March 1935. Aviation did not return until the famous large gathering on the afternoon of 19 May 1935, when between 14h and 17:30, 20,000 spectators came to see fifteen airplanes.
1935 - aerial vue of Viry. Some planes are visible in front of the hangar. (geoportail.fr)
World War II prohibited any event from taking place until the liberation, as the Germans had plowed the field. After the war an attempt to revive the airfield was made, when in 1945 some Frenchmen wanted to catch up with lost six years. They were working extra hard to develop a gliding group. Unfortunately it was not to last, as political affairs, difficulties with the owners of the castle, and dark affairs of petrol coupons (petrol was still rationed immediately after the war) spoiled these promising beginnings.
1945 - On Sunday, September 16 held the first international meeting of gliders postwar of France. Several pilots and dignitaries attended the event. It was to be the last one.
1952 - Nothing remains about the former airfield excepted one of the four hangars built. (geoportail.fr)
The De Viry family continued to maintain the field for possible airfield use and the last wooden hangars from 1910 and 1945 were not dismantled until 1970. The report by the State decided to close Viry in favour of Annecy airfield in 1948, thus closing this beautiful chapter in aviation history.
You can discover all the stories of this airfield and the pilots on this book by Jean-Claude Cailliez.
"Viry-Aviation, chronique des pionniers genevois (1909-1948)" in French.Thank you to Mr. Jean Plançon for his permission to publish this article.
Original article from the website (in french): La Mémoire de Veyrier(Research by Olivier)
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