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Discover Villeneuve-sur-Lot, a famous airfield

A Total client since 1971, the Villeneuve-sur-Lot flight club has a well-deserved reputation. Champions are made there, and fly there regularly, including Mikaël Brageot, a racing pilot and member of the French Unlimited aerobatic flight team. He was the youngest pilot to ever fly for the national team, and won many medals at European and World championships. He spoke to us about this well-loved airport and its relationship with Total’s teams.

 

An airfield with an impressive list of achievementss

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Built in 1939, the Villeneuve-sur-Lot airfield in the Lot-et-Garonne Département has a paved runway that is 30 metres wide and 1,040 metres long, as well as hangars, parking areas, and a refuelling station supplied by Total. There are many passionate amateurs and professionals who meet there regularly as part of the ACVL flight club, open daily, which manages the airfield, with its 7 associations and companies. The club members include aircraft restorers, pilots, historical aircraft fans, amateur builders, model enthusiasts, and business travellers.

This melting pot of interests has built up the reputation of the club that manages the airfield. “We also have an aerobatic flight school and we organise the annual Villeneuv’Air Cup, an aerobatic flight competition that takes place during the Villeneuv’Air Show, which is in its 10th year. We also participate in many different competitions and are proud to wear the city’s colours” Mikaël Brageot added.

Winning prizes both nationally and internationally

In 2019, the club had 30 licensed aerobatic pilots among its members, 20 of whom compete regularly, including 3 who have been selected for the French Unlimited aerobatic flight team (Louis Vanel, Thomas Libaud, and Mikaël Brageot), as well as the national team coach, Patrick Paris, the 1998 world champion. The club was named the champion of French “two-seat” and “single seat” aerobatic flight clubs. Louis Vanel even won the title of world champion in Châteauroux at the WAC.

Total’s commitment to the flight club

In 2014, Total partnered with the municipality to modernise the airfield’s equipment, bringing it up to standard. This included a new metered pump and a card-equipped automatic fuel distributor, making it possible to anticipate supply volumes... Mikaël was more than pleased: “We went from the stone age, using notebooks and pens, to a modern and easy-to-use system that changed everything. Managing our accounts has been made much easier!” Thanks to these investments, the airfield also saw an uptick in usage rates. “Recreational and professional pilots look for efficient and high-performance services. When we’re able to meet these needs, they appreciate it and come back.

Popular products and services at the Villeneuve-sur-Lot airfield

 

We are very happy to have Total as one of our suppliers. Their teams are reliable and responsive, their deliveries are on time, and their after-sales service is solid and long-lasting.” For Mikaël Brageot, the best part is the uniformity of the facilities in Total’s dense national network. “With the TOTAL card, a pilot can refuel easily, without any obstacles throughout their planned itinerary. They can fly without any concerns.” The club is proud to offer these services to its members and other pilots passing through because they can be assured of their quality.

 

The Villeneuve-sur-Lot airfield in figures

> 1,300 flight hours annually

> 150 licensed pilots

> 15-member management board (President: Philippe Jurquet)

> 1 salaried instructor and 6 volunteer instructors

> 90% of young pilots trained at the club enter the professional world as:

  • airline pilots
  • fighter pilots
  • business aviation pilots
  • air traffic controllers
  • aeronautic technicians
  • commercial pilots

The club is proud of how all of its efforts have paid off!

One great club

- 2019 champion club “two-seat category”

- 2019 champion club “single seat category”

- Individual Unlimited world champion title

- Several French, European, and World titles over the last 10 years

- Participated in the RedBull Air Race with Mikaël Brageot

 

For more information:

www.aeroclub-villeneuve.com

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