An aerial crossing of French Africa
In 1933, French Air Minister Pierre Cot launched a major long-distance air expedition of nearly 25,000 kilometres across the French possessions in Africa. Twenty-eight Potez 25 T.O.E. aircraft, under General Joseph Vuillemin, flew from 8 November 1933 to 15 January 1934, linking mainland France, North Africa, West Africa and Equatorial Africa.
This flight plan turns that historic raid into a Flight Simulator journey. It keeps the spirit of the expedition: long legs, changing territories, demanding weather, military or colonial stopovers, and airports that often carry different names today.
A large round trip around French Africa as it was known at the time.
From Istres to the final arrival at Le Bourget.
A slow or vintage aircraft makes the route feel much more authentic.
Helpful for long crossings and isolated stopovers.
Historical context
The Black Air Cruise was more than a prestige raid. It was also a way to test military air routes that could later support civil aviation. The route crosses places whose names have changed over time: some colonial names disappeared, while others remain visible in old aviation maps and period accounts.
Fly this journey with that double perspective in mind: you are using a modern simulator, but the route follows the ambition, constraints and geographic imagination of early 1930s aviation.
Preparing the flight
- Choose a single-engine or historic aircraft capable of long legs at moderate speed.
- Enable real weather if possible, as distance and climate changes are part of the experience.
- Keep a short logbook for each stopover, especially during the Saharan sections.
- Use GPS as a backup, because some historic stopovers no longer match modern airport infrastructure exactly.
Suggested route
France and Spain
Fly this chapter as an organized sequence, keeping the departures, arrivals and stops shown in the navigation cards.
LFMI → LFMP → LELC
Morocco and Algeria
This chapter sets the logic of the Morocco and Algeria segment: move step by step without compressing the historical progression.
GMME → DAOR → DAUA → DATM
West Africa
This chapter sets the logic of the West Africa segment: move step by step without compressing the historical progression.
GAGO → GAMB → GABS → GAKD → GOTT → GOOY → GOSS → GAKD → GAMA → DFFD → DRRN → DRZR
Equatorial Africa
This chapter sets the logic of the Equatorial Africa segment: move step by step without compressing the historical progression.
FTTJ → FTTA → FEFF
Return to the Mediterranean
This chapter sets the logic of the Return to the Mediterranean segment: move step by step without compressing the historical progression.
DRZR → DRRN → GAGO → DATM → DAUA → DAUE → DAUK → DTTA → DAAG → DAOO → GMFM → LELC → LFMP → LFMI → LFLY → LFOX → LFPB
Navigation tips
This route works best as a multi-session journey. The Saharan legs can feel long, but that is where the experience becomes meaningful: heading, endurance and weather management all matter. For a more immersive flight, vary departure times, use late-afternoon light and keep real weather enabled.
© Michel Lagneau 2021.