53rd edition of France's most iconic historic airshow, held on May 23–24, 2026 at Cerny airfield, marking the 80th anniversary of its founding. Over a hundred aircraft paraded across the skies of Essonne, telling a century of aviation history through themed flying displays. ✈️

The highlight of this edition: a face-off between two "Rafales" separated by 90 years of history.

On one side, the Caudron-Renault C.460 "Rafale" — the world's only airworthy replica, brought back to flight by Renault for its first public airshow appearance. Designed by Marcel Riffard at Caudron-Renault, this razor-sharp racing monoplane reached nearly 505 km/h in the 1930s. It was on an aircraft of this lineage that Hélène Boucher set her women's world speed record of 445 km/h in 1934. A rare and elegant machine, rescued from the annals of French aviation history. 🏆

On the other side, the Rafale Solo Display 2026, a Dassault Rafale in its brand-new tricolor livery designed by Régis Rocca, based at Nancy-Ochey and flown by Captain Rocky. Raw power, breathtaking agility, the roar of twin engines: the combat Rafale closed the show with a bang. 🔥

Two aircraft sharing the same name, two chapters of French aeronautical excellence. 🇫🇷

Full photo collection on pixelfed.social/c/966029257140… 📸

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