The French East

We explore the Swiss Jura, the Vosges Mountains, and the Alsace

Our flight begins in Porrentruy (LSZY), Switzerland, a historic small city in the Swiss canton of Jura, strategically positioned on the ancient crossroads between Alsace, the Jura mountains, and the city of Basel. Porrentruy was already an important transit hub in Roman times, and the river Doubs served as a significant waterway connecting it to the wider region. Our first waypoint dominates the city from above. The Château de Porrentruy is a Swiss heritage site of national significance, and its oldest surviving element is the thirteenth-century Réfous Tower. This remarkable tower was probably erected around 1271 and stands 32 meters high to its battlements, with a diameter of 12 meters. Today, the complex houses the judicial authorities of the Republic and Canton of Jura, but its courtyards and towers remain open to visitors. Turning south and then tracing westward and northward along the Doubs, we will cross into France and fly over one of the most scenic river corridors in Eastern France. The Doubs is a 453-kilometre river that strays into western Switzerland, forming the border between the two countries for approximately 40 kilometres north of Saint-Ursanne before turning west and southwest. We land at Courcelles-lès-Montbéliard (LFSM). A notable local memory lives on the airfield: a stele commemorates Étienne Oehmichen, who in 1921 completed his first successful helicopter flight near here.

Continuing southeast, we reach the small aerodrome of Belfort-Chaux (LFGG). This aerodrome was created during the First World War and hosted twenty-one successive squadrons throughout the conflict. One of those squadrons, the Escadrille MS 49, counted among its pilots Adolphe Pégoud, who had made history before the war by performing the first loop in aviation.  Our route now enters the southern Vosges mountains, crossing into the Alsatian side of the range. We land at Masevaux (LF6821), which lies in the southeastern Vosges, where the valley of the Doller widens before entering the Upper Rhine plain. During the First World War, Masevaux became the administrative capital of reconquered Alsace, welcoming personalities including the President of the Republic, King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy, Georges Clemenceau, and Marshals Joffre and Pétain.  Continuing northward through the forested southern Vosges, we land at the small ULM field of Ramonchamp (LF8851), situated in the Vosges department in the Grand Est region of France. I recommend landing and departing on runway 09 due to power lines. The village of Ramonchamp itself lies in the upper Moselle valley, a deeply wooded and historically remote part of the mountains that acted for centuries as a natural barrier between Lorraine to the west and Alsace to the east. The Vosges act as a natural barrier against oceanic weather coming from the west. The crest experiences significant rainfall, sometimes more than two metres per year, while the towns along the Alsace Wine Route benefit from a protected microclimate. The Foehn effect explains much about the mild and sunny conditions enjoyed by Colmar and its surroundings.

We land at Colmar (LFGA). Colmar is one of the jewels of Alsace and a city where every street seems to belong to a different century. The first documentary mention of the city was attested in 823, and in 1226 it was elevated to the status of an imperial city by Emperor Frederick II.  The city is also the birthplace of Auguste Bartholdi, sculptor of the Statue of Liberty, and is home to the Unterlinden Museum with its extraordinary Isenheim Altarpiece. Colmar sits at the heart of the Alsace Wine Route, surrounded by grands crus vineyards that stretch northward toward Strasbourg.

Heading northeast into the western Vosges foothills, our next stop is the aerodrome of Saint-Dié-Remomeix (LFGY), a civil airfield managed by the local aeroclub. The airfield carries a distinguished name: on 21 June 2009, on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of the aeroclub and the centenary of aviation, the field was officially named after René Fonck, the celebrated French ace pilot of the First World War. A full-scale replica of the SPAD S.XIII aircraft Fonck flew was constructed by eighty students and now adorns the entrance to the aerodrome. Now we reach the Château du Haut-Königsbourg, situated on a rocky ridge at 757 meters. The castle takes its name, meaning "royal castle," from its commanding position, and its origins go back to the twelfth century when it was first constructed. At the turn of the twentieth century, Wilhelm II commissioned an eight-year restoration that returned the fortress to its former glory, and after the First World War, it became the property of the French state. Just north of the Haut-Kœnigsbourg, we descend toward the intimate Val de Villé, a quiet valley tucked between the Vosges foothills. We land at Albé (LF6721), runway 09 is recommended for landing.

Our final destination is Steinbourg (LFQY), a quiet Alsatian village. The aerodrome is used mainly for gliders and ultralight aircraft.

The flight is 174 miles long with 7 landings. Most airfields have short, soft runways. We want to fly low and slow. The Pipistrel, Piper Cup, or the Draco, among others, are suitable. I will probably be in the Draco X. As always, please fly what you like. We want to cruise around 100 knots.

The flight plans are here. Porrentruy is not in the GTN database. The GTN flight plan starts at LSZQ!

Recommended scenery:

Porrentruy – SZY

Montbliard – LFSM

Chaux – LFGG

Colmar – LFGA

Remomeix – LFGY

Steinbourg – LFQY

The complete package is here.

We try real weather. Please set your simulator for a 9 am local departure.

Multiplayer Particulars
Date and time: Saturday, April 5, 2025. 1900 UTC
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Microsoft Flight Simulator Multiplayer: South East Asia server.

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