Historic flight plan

1950: Aigle Azur, from France to North Africa and beyond

A Michel Lagneau historic route presented as a clear cockpit briefing, ready to help you prepare the simulator, follow each stopover and enjoy the journey.

Period1950AuthorMichel LagneauReading3 min

29Waypoints~ 22 827 kmDistance4Segments

Interactive route, leg by leg, with animated playback.

Real route map

Approximate track based on the article waypoints and available aeronautical coordinates.

01France, Corsica and Maghreb02Europe and Mediterranean03Toward Morocco04Central and West Africa

Pre-flight briefing

Aigle Azur, from France to North Africa and beyond

Understand the mission

Start with the historic context: it sets the atmosphere, aircraft choice and overall logic of the journey.

Prepare the simulator

Check scenery, recommended aircraft, fuel and weather before launching the first leg.

Follow the legs

Use the airport codes, flying times and route notes to build your navigation leg by leg.

Enjoy the journey

Let the route shape the experience: adjust lighting, document waypoints and take time to rediscover the story.

Historic flight plan

Michel Lagneau route notebook

Settle into the cockpit, prepare your aircraft and follow the journey as a proper historic crossing.

A post-war French airline

Aigle Azur was founded in 1946 by Sylvain Floirat. After the war, the airline developed a network toward North Africa, Corsica, Switzerland, Spain, then longer routes into West and Central Africa.

The Douglas DC-3 is the ideal aircraft for this rhythm: Mediterranean sectors, family and school-holiday traffic, then larger routes toward Dakar, Gao, Niamey, N’Djamena, Bangui and Brazzaville.

Period1950

AirlineAigle Azur

Suggested aircraftDouglas DC-3

NavigationGPS with VOR/DME and ADF/NDB

Network structure

Routes 1 to 17 mainly cover France, Corsica, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Switzerland, Spain and Italy.
Route 18 descends into Central Africa via Algiers, Gao, Niamey, N’Djamena, Bangui and Brazzaville.
Routes 19 and 20 build an Atlantic route toward Dakar, Conakry, Bamako and Abidjan.

Suggested route

France, Corsica, Tunisia and Algeria

This chapter structures the France, Corsica, Tunisia and Algeria segment with regular legs and distances to monitor in the navigation block.

LFPB → LFMN → LFKJ → DTTA → LFMN → LFKB → LFKJ → DTTA → LFML → DTTA → LFBD → LFBO → DAOO → DAAG → DTTA → LFML → LFKJ → LFKC → LFMN → LFKJ

Europe and Mediterranean

This chapter structures the Europe and Mediterranean segment with regular legs and distances to monitor in the navigation block.

LFML → LFLY → LSGG → DTTA → LICJ → LICT → LFMN → LFML → DAAG → LFMN → LFKJ → DAAG → LEVC → DAOO → LEVC

Toward Morocco

This chapter structures the Toward Morocco segment with regular legs and distances to monitor in the navigation block.

LFMN → LFML → GMTT → GMMC → LFBD

Central and West Africa

Fly this chapter as an organized sequence, keeping the departures, arrivals and stops shown in the navigation cards.

LFPB → LFML → DAAG → GAGO → DRRN → FTTJ → FEFF → FCBB → LFPB → LFBD → GMMC → GMMH → GQPP → GOOY → GUCY → GABS → DIAP

Navigation steps

France, Corsica, Tunisia and AlgeriaParis / Le Bourget LFPB → Nice LFMN → Ajaccio LFKJ → Tunis DTTA 374 NM, 126 NM then 311 NM
Nice LFMN → Bastia LFKB → Ajaccio LFKJ → Tunis DTTA 120 NM, 48 NM then 311 NM
Marseille LFML → Tunis DTTA 457 NM
Bordeaux LFBD → Toulouse LFBO → Oran DAOO → Algiers DAAG → Skikda / Philippeville → Tunis DTTA 114 NM, 489 NM, 196 NM, 179 NM then 158 NM
Marseille LFML → Ajaccio LFKJ → Calvi LFKC 183 NM then 36 NM
Nice LFMN → Ajaccio LFKJ 126 NM
Europe and MediterraneanMarseille LFML → Lyon / Bron LFLY → Geneva LSGG 138 NM then 58 NM
Tunis DTTA → Palermo LICJ → Trapani LICT short sector then 33 NM
Nice LFMN → Marseille LFML → Algiers DAAG 88 NM then 415 NM
Nice LFMN → Ajaccio LFKJ → Algiers DAAG 126 NM then 407 NM
Algiers DAAG → Valencia LEVC 242 NM
Oran DAOO → Valencia LEVC 232 NM
Toward MoroccoNice LFMN → Marseille LFML → Tangier GMTT → Casablanca / Anfa GMMC 88 NM, 691 NM then 156 NM
Bordeaux LFBD → Tangier GMTT → Casablanca / Anfa GMMC 596 NM then 156 NM
Central and West AfricaParis LFPB → Marseille LFML → Algiers DAAG → Aoulef → Gao GAGO 350 NM, 415 NM, 594 NM, 646 NM then 209 NM
Gao GAGO → Niamey DRRN → N’Djamena FTTJ → Bangui FEFF → Brazzaville FCBB 756 NM, 508 NM, 555 NM then Congo arrival
Paris LFPB → Bordeaux LFBD → Casablanca GMMC → Dakhla GMMH → Nouadhibou GQPP → Dakar GOOY 279 NM, 749 NM, 733 NM, 177 NM then 372 NM
Dakar GOOY → Conakry GUCY → Bamako GABS → Abidjan DIAP 384 NM, 379 NM then 498 NM