French Transall Retirement

The retirement of the C-160 Transall from the French Air Force marks the end of an era for military aviation. After more than 55 years of service, this iconic transport aircraft made its final flight on March 31, 2022, concluding a career that began in 1967. On May 20, 2022, an official ceremony was held at Évreux Air Base 105 to pay tribute to this versatile aircraft, which served in numerous missions, both in France and abroad.

Fruitful Franco-German Cooperation

An Early End of Service
The retirement of the Transalls was decided due to their high maintenance costs and low availability. Indeed, around ten aircraft cost more than €80 million for an availability of only 20%. General Frédéric Parisot, Major General of the French Air Force, explained: "I am responsible for the retirement of the Transall 'Gabriel' and I accept responsibility for it." Rather than making cuts elsewhere, I chose to retire them from service."

A Transition to Modern Aircraft

A National Tribute
To celebrate the retirement of the C-160 Transall, a farewell tour was organized between March 14 and April 1, 2022. Aircraft 64-GL, wearing a special livery designed by designer Régis Rocca, visited 24 French cities and air bases, offering a final salute to the personnel who served alongside it. This tour concluded with an official ceremony at the Orléans-Bricy airbase, where the Transall flew over the base alongside its successor, the A400M Atlas.

I would like to particularly thank the Gendarmes , Army & Air Force personel for their accessibility and kindness, without their accreditations some photos would not have been possible !
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