Meet the members of French association C.H.A.N, in Nîmes

Breguet Atlantic BR 1150 ATL1 © Gilles Guillot

The C.H.A.N, origins of the association

Inaugurated in 1961, the Nîmes naval air station welcomed its first flotilla that same year, followed by two more in 1962.

Primarily dedicated to military support, the flotillas also took part in civilian search and rescue operations. It was from this base, for example, that several aircraft set off in search of French sailor Alain Colas, when he disappeared at sea off the Azores during the first Route du Rhum, or French singer Daniel Guichard, lost in the Ténéré desert after an emergency landing in 1977.

Unfortunately, as the armed forces were restructured, the flotillas were disbanded or transferred to other naval air bases in the mid-90s. However in 2011 the land previously occupied by the Nîmes naval air base was taken over by the French Army (503rd Train Regiment), the Nîmes Métropole Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the French Civil Security (including the Canadairs). The French Navy then entrusted two decommissioned military aircraft to the C.H.A.N association, “made up of former naval aviation and air force marines”, an association founded for the occasion.

Now custodians of a Breguet Atlantic Br 1150 no. 31 (retired from active service and placed on base in 1996) and a Breguet Alizé Br 1050 no. 48 (placed on base since 2015 following an accident on the aircraft carrier Clemenceau in 1994), the members of the C. H.A.N association (including 38 active members) have been taking turns on the military base, carrying out the various technical repairs and works required, not to mention maintaining the plot of land where the aircraft are parked in the El Parras district, between the route de Saint-Gilles and the Nîmes airport runway.

Breguet Atlantic and Breguet Alizé: A brief presentation

The Breguet Atlantic are maritime patrol boats designed for anti-submarine warfare, commissioned in 1965. Some of them were assigned to the Nîmes naval air station. Built in 115 units, the Breguet Atlantic, “an aircraft that felt right at home anywhere of the world”, explains Marc Guittard in an interview with Radio Aviva, were produced in 2 versions, the ATL 1 (Atlantic 1), the ATL 2 (Atlantique 2) and the ATL 3.

Today, this latest version continues to provide excellent air support for both the Navy and the Army, as well as for civilian operations, with its 16 hours of autonomy, giving it a wide field of action and enabling it to take part in rescue missions at sea and “a long distance from its take-off point”.

With its 13 crew members, the Breguet Atlantic, with its characteristic two-lobed fuselage and long cargo is perfect for transporting equipment or weapons, and drawing advantage, like the Alizé, from the 2,400 m runway, before the closure of the Nîmes naval air station.

Breguet Alizé BR 1050 © Sylvie Duplan

As for the Breguet Alizé, specialists in maritime surveillance and anti-submarine warfare, they were embarked on the Arromanches, Clemenceau and Foch aircraft carriers. Commissioned in 1960, 89 Alizés were built, retiring in 2000 after 43 years of loyal service.

A single-turboprop aircraft equally at home taking off or catapulting from an aircraft carrier, the Alizé was crewed by a maximum of 4 people. With an autonomy of 4 h 30, its missions “soon included protection and warning for the naval air group, including above the surface, with protection of the aircraft carrier being virtually the goal of its last missions”.

While “several Alizés can still be seen in France, only one continues to fly, No. 59, presented at air shows by the Alizé Marine association”.

Breguet Atlantic BR 1150 ATL1 © Gilles Guillot

The C.H.AN association's missions

The link with the French Navy and aeronautics remains strong among former servicemen who, through the association, wish to commemorate the important role played and is still being played by the flotillas in the defense sector.

Their work on the aircraft is coordinated and tasks are divided between the various trades (mechanics, electricians, etc.) present on site, sometimes with the help of a drone.

Some examples of repairs? Installing new curtains in the cockpit of the Breguet Atlantic, replacing the old socks on the broomsticks, checking the condition of the hydraulic or electrical circuits, or the radome (from radar and dome) used to detect radar or magnetic fields, the protective, waterproof shelter protecting the antenna from the elements and prying eyes, or ensuring the good condition of the coffee bean, the Arome, "a nickname referring to the similarity with the term Radome. Knowing that the equipment on the ATL is an ARAR 10/ARAX, the shelter in this case is called Arome".

The cargo bay, which had been closed for many years, has now been reopened. One of the technical team's greatest successes!

Visits and presentations of actions at sea or on land

CHAN members welcome visitors (on reservation) to present the history of the base, the aircraftand the association's numerous activities.

“We provide a dynamic, educational, historical and attractive presence, while ensuring the safety of visitors” adds Charles Desclos, who supervises the UzEssentiel editorial team's visit.

The role of each aircraft within the French army is explained, as are their specific features, the distance they could cover, their range, their duty station, and life on board.

Breguet Alizé BR 1050 © Gilles Guillot

What is more, C.H.A.N members also present their work to keep the aircraft and their equipment in the best possible condition. “Even if the aim is obviously not to fly with them, their technical condition must be monitored, as must the lighting, which is imperative to be able to welcome visitors and the C.H.A.N teams, who were all originally from the Nîmes aeronautical base”.

Visitors can discover the aircraft, and those who wish can climb aboard. A 100% immersive and exciting adventure.

The Marins du Ciel (Sky Marines), still nostalgic for “the time spent on these planes”, hope to pass on their passion to new generations of members. The association is indeed open to new applications to help preserve the memory of French naval aviation. Good to know!

Many thanks to Charles Desclos, member of the C.H.A.N, for his welcome and guided tour of the aircraft, Marc Guittard, President of the C.H.A.N and Pierre Lipinski, Vice-President.

Many thanks also to Sylvie Duplan and Gilles Guillot, from the Photochouet club in Uzès, for their collaboration on this article.

*Marc Guittard, Radio Aviva interview.

The right address: C.H.A.N, caserne du 503rd Régiment Train de Nîmes, Route de Saint-Gilles, 30128 Garons. Find the association on Facebook.

To book a visit, contact the association's president by @: president@chan-nimes.org,via the C.H.A.N website by calling 07 77 20 03 93.

Worth knowing: The C.H.A.N association is a member of the Les Marins du Ciel association.