Discover the history, team, and facilities of Caen Falaise Planeurs - your gateway to the skies of Normandy.
Our adventure begins in 1976, when gliding enthusiasts from the flying clubs of Caen, Condé and Falaise decided to join forces. The CRVVBN (Regional Gliding Center of Lower Normandy) was created from the merger of the gliding sections of these three flying clubs, and established itself in Falaise.
In 1997-1998, the club was renamed Caen Falaise Planeurs (abbreviated CFP) to better identify the activity, while maintaining a strong link with the cities of Caen and Falaise.
The beginnings: a few sailplanes, a small hangar and lots of elbow grease. Gradually, we built our own infrastructure: a first large hangar, then a second, then our clubhouse, which has become the heart of the club's community life.
Over the decades, our fleet has been modernized. The Pégase C101, Marianne C201, DG500 or Lak19 have joined our venerable wood and fabric machines, allowing us to train all levels of pilots, from the very first flight to performance improvement.
Today, the club is a key player in glider pilot training in Normandy and is part of the Normandy regional committee, with nationally recognized and experienced pilots.
What brings us together is above all a set of strong values that guide our daily actions:
- Safety first - Every flight prioritizes safety. We attach paramount importance to rigor and the quality of maintenance of our equipment, flying or not.
- Transmission - We are committed to passing on our passion to young people. From age 14, girls and boys can learn to fly, supervised by our volunteer instructors.
- Accessibility - Open to everyone from age 14, regardless of background.
- Joy of flying - Excellence in distance and speed achievements, sharing the joy of flight.
- Team spirit - Volunteering is at the heart of our operation: everyone participates according to their skills and abilities.
- Gliding community - Flying in other clubs (St-Rémy, Barcelonnette) and sharing experiences.
Our club brings together more than 50 volunteer members: student pilots, licensed pilots, instructors and aeronautical mechanics - all united by the passion for flight.
- President : Laurent Perez
- Vice-president : Bertrand Gillot
- Treasurer : Florian Landiger
- Assistant Treasurer : Martin Moiroud
- Secretary : Nicolas Massart
- Assistant Secretary : Matthieu Vermès
Our fleet of 11 aircraft includes sailplanes adapted to all levels, from beginner to experienced pilot. Each aircraft is carefully maintained and selected for optimal performance and safety.
Discover our fleet in detail
Explore our 11 aircraft, from the training sailplane to the performance sailplane, all carefully maintained for your safety.
Each season is punctuated by flights, summer camps, landing competitions, but also long winter maintenance days. We also organize trips to other clubs (Barcelonnette, St-Remy-de-Provence), safety training and social gatherings.
Nearly fifty years after our beginnings, we still have around fifty active members, including experienced pilots, students and volunteers.
- 784 flying hours in 2024
- Record of 1,131 hours in 2022
- Our activity is maintained at around a thousand flying hours per year
- Weather-dependent activity - Optimal conditions: sun, cumulus, light wind
- Annual budget of about 50,000 euros, mainly funded by membership fees and flights
- Federal grants - Supporting 14-25 year olds in their aviation journey
We have always been committed to passing on our passion to young people. From age 14, girls and boys can learn to fly, supervised by our volunteer instructors.
Gliding is above all a school of life that develops patience, precision and respect. It's also about learning self-knowledge, seriousness and listening. The practice requires good physical control, more endurance than strength, and allows understanding atmospheric phenomena and the mechanics of flight.
Even though modern life sometimes leaves us less time than before, we maintain this common desire to keep the club alive and open our doors to all those who dream of flying.
The best way to understand what drives us is to come fly with us.
Try a discovery flight
Experience gliding in the skies of Normandy and discover the passion that has driven our club for nearly 50 years.