SAFRAN : 07/28/2015 European Heritage Days: try your hand in the cockpit at the Safran Aerospace Museum Add to cart

Paris, July 28, 2015

Whether you're an aviation or history buff, or just out with the family for a fun visit, the Safran Aerospace Museum will introduce you to its unrivaled collection of historic aircraft engines and other aerospace artifacts, some over 100 years old, during European Heritage Days on September 19 and 20, 2015.

The museum is teaming up with different associations to organize a number of special events for visitors of all ages.

• The museum lets you take the controls of simulators featuring special Oculus Rift virtual reality displays to see flight demonstrations by the Patrouille de France aerobatics team as if you were there, a truly unforgettable experience.
• A cockpit from the Airbus A320, powered by the CFM56 - the best-selling aero-engine in the world - will be set up at the museum. Visitors can try their hand at flying a commercial jet, from takeoff to landing.
• Flight simulator for the Bell 206 helicopter. Visitors will be able to take the controls of this highly realistic flight training system and learn about flying under VFR (Visual Flight Rules) and IFR (Instrument Flight Rules).
• A workshop on motorized paper planes will allow youngsters to build their own planes of light cardboard, and fit them with a small electric motor so they actually fly.
• Workshops on water-propelled rockets and solid-propellant model rockets will be offered to youngsters 8 and older, a fun way to teach them about rocket propulsion. Rockets will be launched from the museum parking lot, reaching an average altitude of 20 meters.
• A workshop on radio-controlled model helicopters will teach people how to fly these electric machines.
• Two workshops will test youngsters' knowledge of jobs available in the aerospace industry.

The public will also be able to visit the Museum's permanent collection from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm on both days. Some of the highlights of this collection include:

• A Messier car from 1925, the first with an oleopneumatic suspension.
• Gnome & Rhône D3 motorcycle with its own gas generator from 1929.
• Mirage III C fighter and Alouette II helicopter: visitors can have their photos taken in these aircraft.
• Blériot XI airplane, powered by the first Gnome Omega engine.
• Demonstration of the Coléoptère vertical takeoff and landing vehicle.

On Saturday and Sunday, September 19-20, an American school bus will be available to shuttle visitors between the Safran Aerospace Museum and the neighboring city of Réau, which is offering other special events.