Air Alpes - Creation

Creation

Mr. Michel Ziegler Air Alpes in 1961.

He was backed up by Henri Ziegler and Mr Sylvain Floirat. These two became the two first shareholders, followed later on, by Joseph Szydlowski, himself an important aeronautical manufacturer.

From the start, Ziegler called at his side Mr Robert Merloz, a Savoyard school friend. Merloz helped Ziegler during the first stages of the company. Further on, Merloz pursued a career as an Air France pilot.

The registered office was established in Chambéry. During the building of the Chalet/Air Terminal the registered office was transferred to Courchevel Altiport, and was the registered office in Europe with the highest altitude (2.016m altitude).

Mountain aviation had started on July 30, 1921 when François Durafour landed on the "Dôme du Gouter", altitude 4.330m, on board a Caudron G.3 (the Caudrons brothers). During the mid-1950s the Swiss pilot, Hermann Geiger, improved flying techniques. From Sion, on board his Piper, he carried out many rescues and supply missions in the Alpes Valaisannes.

Another French pilot, Henri Giraud, also a student of Geiger, had begun to open the way to this mountain aviation, he will visit famous for its landing at Mont Aiguille, but especially on June 23, 1960 by asking his Piper PA-18. A Super Cub F-BAYP the summit of Mont Blanc in 4807 metres altitude.

It is with him that Ziegler and Merloz learnt and perfected the art of mountain flying and landing techniques on snow.

It started with a Piper Aircraft PA-18, Super Cub, registration F-BKBP (s/n 18-5094). This activity was made up primarily of "General Aviation" and "Land Supplies" to High Mountains refuges and a flying school.

A comparative study between the Dornier Do 27 and the Pilatus Aircraft "Porter" will see the leasing of a Pilatus PC-6 equipped with a piston engine Lycoming 340CV, registration HB-FAZ. On September 2, 1961, it was destroyed during a training flight at the "Col du Dome" in the Mont Blanc mountains (Crew safe and sound). During 2001, the restaurant/chalet manager, situated at the base of the "Glacier des Bossons", found parts of the aforementioned plane. It took 40 years for the Pilatus to reach the foot of the glacier.

The High Altitude Altiport at Courchevel was built with the support of the Town Council and the station manager, Gilles de la Rocque. It is a runway with short landing strips, in high altitude, covered in snow in winter. The aircraft are ski-equipped for landing.

The runway was 300m long x 30m wide with a medium slope of 15 degrees. Construction of a chalet used either for offices or mini-air-terminal and a hangar.

The Paul-Emile Victor's old caterpillar shuttle was bought to transport the passengers between the ski resorts and the Altiport.