Jean Lassalle, the walk seen from the air
In 2013, Jean Lassalle undertook a walking tour of France from the National Assembly to meet French citizens and collect their concerns. Michel Lagneau turns it into a very dense aerial translation, close to the towns, villages and airfields crossed.
To make the page usable, the redesign keeps the spirit of the route but structures it into major chapters: Paris departure, North and East, Burgundy and Rhone, Provence and Corsica, Southwest, Atlantic coast, Brittany, Normandy and return to Paris.
A political and human itinerary transformed into an aerial route.
Fly slowly and low, connecting places of encounter.
A simple aircraft suits small stages.
Many airfields, manual points and overflown towns.
Understanding the flight
Here, the aircraft is not the main subject: it is a way to read a human path. The plan should therefore stay close to the ground, towns and regions crossed.
The original article is extremely detailed. The new version favours a clear reading, with major waypoints in the text and navigation steps at the bottom of the page.
Before departure
- Choose a light and slow aircraft with good outside visibility.
- Fly by regions rather than in one session: North, East, Rhone, South, Atlantic, Brittany, Normandy, Paris return.
- Prepare important manual points such as National Assembly, Le Creusot, Concarneau, Vitre and Bayeux.
- Keep a reasonable altitude: the meaning of the plan is to recognise places, not to overfly them too fast.
Suggested route
Paris, Picardy and North
Orly, National Assembly, Persan, Creil, Amiens, Abbeville, Berck, Le Touquet, Calais, Lens, Lille and Valenciennes set the northbound walk.
LFPO → LFPA → LFPC → LFAY → LFOI → LFAM → LFAT → LFAC → LFQL → LFQQ → LFAV
Ardennes, Lorraine and Alsace
Charleville, Sedan, Verdun, Rouvres, Florange, Metz, Nancy, Luneville, Strasbourg, Kehl and Baden-Baden create the eastern arc.
LFAV → LFQV → LFSJ → LFGW → LFQE → LFGV → LFSF → LFSN → LFQC → LFST → EDSK → EDTB
Burgundy, Rhone and Auvergne
Colmar, Mulhouse, Belfort, Montbeliard, Besancon, Dijon, Beaune, Le Creusot, Macon, Lyon, Saint-Etienne, Clermont and Valence form the inland core.
LFST → LFSC → LFGB → LFGG → LFSM → LFQM → LFSD → LFGF → LFGM → LFLM → LFHV → LFLY → LFHG → LFMH → LFLC → LFLU
Provence, Corsica and Southwest
Montelimar, Orange, Avignon, Salon, Marseille, Bastia, Ajaccio, Toulouse, Albi, Gaillac, Agen, Marmande, La Reole and Bordeaux bring the route toward the Atlantic.
LFLU → LFLQ → LFMO → LFMV → LFMY → LFML → LFKB → LFKJ → LFBO → LFCI → LFDG → LFBA → LFDM → LFDR → LFBD
Atlantic, Brittany, Normandy and return
Nantes, Saint-Nazaire, Vannes, Lorient, Concarneau, Quimper, Brest, Landivisiau, Morlaix, Saint-Brieuc, Saint-Malo, Vitre, Bayeux, Caen, Deauville, Le Havre, Rouen, National Assembly and Orly close the loop.
LFBD → LFRS → LFRZ → LFRV → LFRH → LFRQ → LFRB → LFRJ → LFRU → LFRT → LFRD → LFRK → LFRG → LFOH → LFOP → LFPO
Experience tips
Do not try to fly everything in one sitting. The page becomes much more enjoyable if each region is a separate session.
The pleasure comes from transitions: towns, countryside, coasts, terrain and the symbolic return to Paris.
Copyright Michel Lagneau 2014