Parisian museums

I'll be spending the new year in Paris and I came to wonder if there are any good museums with artefacts relating to WW1. Heck, I would even settle for one of those aeroplanes-things! So, how about it chaps anypne w a spot of info out there? I seem to remember there is a SPAD at a museum out at CDG airport which is REALLY original, even the original coverring left, although this is fastened ontop of a new cover after its restoration. Any help appreciated.

[PeterL]

Invalides is amazing. Packed to the gun'l's with all the things you usualy only see in books plus Napoleon's tomb, worth a visit in itself IMO. On the aeroplane side I cannot visit Paris without going to the Musee d l'Air at le Bourget, truely awesome. Wish I was going with you.

Peter L

Hello Maxwell,

- If you want to see planes then go to the Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace at Le Bourget Airport (20 mn from Paris, to the North East) Take bus 152 from Porte de La Villette bus station, or bus 350 from Gare de l'Est, Gare du Nord or Porte de La Chapelle bus stations. The collection of pre-WW1 and WW1 planes is fantastic ! (including the original and famous Spad VII n°S 254 of Georges Guynemer). Open daily except Monday if I remember well, from 10 AM to 5 PM.
- If you want to see documents, then go to the Service Historique de l'Armée de l'Air (SHAA) in the Château de Vincennes (East of Paris). Take bus 46 or 56 to bus station Château de Vincennes, or subway line n°1 to Château de Vincennes metro station (end of this line). At the ground floor are the books and files (open dayly except Saturday and Sunday from 9 AM to 5 PM), at the first floor the prints (open Monday and Tuesday morning, wenesday and thursday evening).

Hope you'll enjoy your trip !
Christophe

Mon Dieu! Quelle details! Merci bien Monsieur! It was indeed Bourget that was the place that I was eluding to in my original thread. I'm most grateful for the outstanding directions! The French public records office must be equally interesting though I fear my French is simply not uo to that challenge! Another thing which is too bad; the Paris-Dakar start isn't held in Paris anymore, I remember the wonderful spectacle seeing the start out at Versaille was! Well, again I offer my gratitude and offer my seasons greetings! VBR Maxwell

[stephen]

Maxwell: you can still see all the competitors and their machines leave from Paris, although the competition itself will not officially start until they depart Dakar. Paris is still the staging and inspection site, and I think they fly out on the 2nd or 3rd. More info is available on the Paris-Dakar-Cairo official web site:

www.dakar.com

I'm announcing the race on Speedvision and will be there as well (see the post "The Great Adventure" on this forum).

Also, Christophe, many thanks for the great directions. I'm taking a few extra days in Paris on my return from Cairo. I printed out your directions and will use them to take the subway to the museum... thanks again.

Stephen; I understand there is some form of pre-race activity in Paris during the last days before the comp. ship from Paris, technical scruteneering, that sort of affair. But is this open to the public? Is it the intention that peoI ple should come and see whatever there is to see. Knowing what a nationalistic affair, much like the Tour de France, the "raid" is it wouldn't surprise me. Still, I haven't found anything about these days in the website, it's as if they don't want people to bother about those first days. Any further tips would be most appr! Also, regarding Le Bourget, apart from the fairly good (but no English version...)off site, take a peak at www.paris-tourisme.com/museums/espace5.html, if your French isn't up to par at the moment
Again most grateful for any practical info on the "raid"!PS When will you be in town yourself, any chanse of sneaking into the pit-lane courtesy of Vous? (doesn't hurt to ask n'est pas?)VBR Maxwell

I remember that Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace (Le Bourget) and Service Historique de l'Armée de l'Air (Vincennes)are "English spoken" places !
Christophe.

[Reinout]

I was in Le Bourget in 1998 and I don't remember any English texts, only French.

Oooohhh! That DVII!

P.S.: the WWI collection is awesome but don't miss out on some of the other gems: Ariane V rocket, the first Concorde and a He 162 Salamander among other things!

Kind regards,

Reinout

[stephen]

Maxwell:

I'm the last person on earth... well, almost... who could tell you about the Paris activities re: Dakar. This is my first event, and I'm hanging on for dear life. I have no idea what I'm getting into, and since Speedvision has never done it before there's no one to tell me. Maybe next year I'll have a chance at getting you inside, but this year I'll be lucky not to get left behind or blown up in Libya. Very sorry. I'll get into Paris on the afternoon of the 3rd and leave again for Senegal early on the 4th. Will spend a few more days in Paris on the way home. Will arrive from Zurich on the 26th and stay for a few (?) days before heading on home.

I hope that you have an absolute blast and that your reporting works out. Unf. I don't get that channel o/w it would have been great to watch! I just got back and I must say the Le Bourget museum was nothing short of brilliant! A very modern, French architectural style created a stunning contrast and thus brought out the machines on display in full splendour! I hope you got to see/saw it. VBR Maxwell