Aircrash, year 1954
Aicrash, year 1954
Michel Garcia and Jean-Louis Gaynecoetche
Air Force Association
Flight safety has improved enormously in 50 years in all major Western air forces. On the other hand, missions have become much more complex, with fewer flying hours and confined to geographically restricted areas. Each accident is a reminder that the job of a military pilot is terribly demanding.
For many years now, Aircrash has been documenting all French military accidents in detail with information drawn from the best sources. Originally intended mainly for spotters, this compilation was quickly adopted by many other researchers in the field of aeronautics: historians, journalists ... and military.
Each book is divided into three sections:
- An ephemeris of the highlights of the year or decade covered.
- Details of accidents in chronological order.
- One or more listings of aircraft that operated during the period in question.
The information comes from various sources close to the military or aeronautical circles. In the best of cases, the official releases only serve as an alarm bell to start serious research: finding the circumstances, identifying the aircraft and personnel involved.
The authors - Michel Garcia and Jean-Louis Gaynecoetche - have been following French Air Force news for over thirty years, the former as a specialist journalist and the latter as a former senior officer and recognized Mirage III specialist.
The issue devoted to 1954 is of particular interest: 1954 is the most dramatic year for French air operations in Indochina. It was the year of Dien Bien Phu and France paid a very heavy price. In 262 pages and 229 photos - often unpublished - of information that went unnoticed, fragmentary or passed over in silence, this fascinating volume sheds a special light on this crucial year. Note an interesting "Air Spot" section on the AU-7 Corsairs on loan from the US Navy to the 14F in Indochina.
262 pages - in French
Aircrash has the particularity of being available first in digital version, then, through a subscription, in printed version when the number of 250 reservations is reached. To subscribe to the printed version at the special price of 40€ (+ postage), click here.