Three Mirage 2000 jets of L’armée de l’air fly north towards the Franche Comte/Lorraine border in this odd postcard from Ronchamp*. The aerial view is not particularly flattering to a building that was designed to be approached from the slopes below. The previous chapel on the site was bombed by the Luftwaffe during the Second World War and the remains were used as building materials in the new building. I suppose the chapel is being protected rather than threatened by the jets but what is the meaning of the title on the postcard back: flagrant delit?**
Mirage fighters were a feature of motorway travel in France in the ‘seventies and, flying in formation above the Autoroute near Dijon, evoked the over-dubbed delights of The Aeronauts*** a Saturday morning TV programme shown alongside Robinson Crusoe and The Flashing Blade.
*bought in the early ‘nineties and found in ‘the bottom drawer’
** in flagrante delicto
*** Les Chevaliers du Ciel in France (link)
A great article and the photo on the postcard was a great find!
Hate to say it but what an aicraft the Mirage Fighter Jet was.
Seeing these flying alongside the motorway would be awesome.
Look out for The chapel of Notre Dame du Haut, designed by Le Corbusier, located in Ronchamp. The structural design of the roof was inspired by the engineering of airfoils.
I love the photo in this article!
The view from above makes the dynamic form of the chapel appear static and ordinary. Quel dommage…