Musée de l'Aéronautique locale
Small museum in Bétheny tracing a century of civil, military and industrial aviation around Reims and the former Base aérienne 112.
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About the museum
The Musée de l'Aéronautique locale in Bétheny opened in June 2012. It tells the story of roughly a hundred years of civil, military and industrial aviation in the Reims region, on a site marked by the beginnings of flight.
On October 30, 1908, Henri Farman flew a Voisin from Bouy to Reims in about twenty minutes, which is presented as the first flight from city to city. The Grande semaine d'aviation de la Champagne, held at Bétheny from August 22 to 29, 1909, is described as the first international air meeting; further meetings followed in 1910, 1911 and 1913. On September 29, 1913, Maurice Prévost exceeded 200 km/h over Bétheny and won the Gordon Bennett Cup.
The Base aérienne 112 operated on the site until its closure on June 30, 2011. It hosted bomber, test, fighter, observation and parachute units, and the Patrouille de France was created there after the war. A Max-Holste MH 1521 Broussard, built in Reims in the 1950s, is displayed in the museum courtyard.
Highlights
- History of the first flights and aviation meetings from 1909 to 1913 at Bétheny
- Memory of the Base aérienne 112, closed in 2011
- Max-Holste MH 1521 Broussard displayed in the courtyard
- Creation of the Patrouille de France after the war
Permanent exhibition
- Un siècle d'aéronautique civile, militaire et industrielle – Route on the first flights, the pre-1914 aviation meetings and the history of the Base aérienne 112, with a Broussard in the courtyard.
- Founded
- 2012
Admission & discounts
Admission is free.
| Groups | €5 per personWeekday group visit, by reservation: €5 per person. |
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Free admission on Sundays.
Accessibility
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Kids & families
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Getting there & parking
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Amenities & dining
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Events & venue rental
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Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
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| Good to know | Guided tours and weekday group visits by reservation by email (musee@ville-betheny.fr). The phone number listed is that of the Bétheny town hall. |
