France by Air
The exploration of the skies have fascinated mankind since the dawn of history. While the Greeks tell us about the tragic fate of Daedalus and Icarus, it is during the Renaissance, in the Loire Valley where he had retired, that Leonardo da Vinci first sketched his parachute and his amazing flying machines. Looking then at his drawings, one could probably foresee that the dream of flying through the air would, one day, become reality. History then suggests that the Marquis de Bacqueville, in 1742, would have flown across the river Seine, taking flight from the terrace of his mansion. If this were true, the Marquis would be the first man to accomplish such a feat. However, we remain uncertain of his technique.
In 1783, the brothers De Montgolfier, putting to good scientific use the properties of hot air to rise, were the first humans to ascend in an aerostat of their invention, known today as Montgolfière. In 1852, Henri Girard deployed the first dirigible and in 1884, Charles Renard realized the first controlled flight in an airship, landing at the same place where he had taken off. But we need to wait 1890 for the first manned airplane to take flight with a pilot, Clément Ader, in control. This exploit was followed in 1896 by the flights of American Samuel Langley and in 1903 of Orville and Wilbur Wright who, six years later, will startle a Parisian crowd by rounding the Eiffel Tower. The race for the conquest of the skies was now in high gear and the airstrips of France attracted airmen from all over the world, in their quest of new records: legends like the Wright brothers, the Bresilian Santos Dumont, the Englishman Henry Farman and many more. In 1919, Jules Védrines collected a $5,000 prize for landing his airplane on the flat roof of the department store, les Galeries Lafayette, an improvised strip no larger than 35 yards by 10 yards.
Aeronautics is a domain that the French have pioneered and where the legacy of the first moment is visible in every instance. Today, one needs to think of the Concorde or the Airbus civilian aircraft, the Ariane satellite launchers or the military Mirage, among others, to realize that the French continue to assume a leading role in the industry.
Hence, if you fly in France, know that there is a well developed network of airports and a number of carriers of varying sizes. Air France, the national French carrier renowned for the distinctiveness of its service, offers flights to, from and inside France. If you want to look-up sample rates from major American airports to either Paris or Nice, check the fares prepared by Rail Europe's airline partners or that of Corsair, the charter airline operated by New Frontiers.
For flights within France, Air France / Air Inter serves a large number of destinations as does TAT, a subsidiary of British Airlines. Air Liberté flies from Paris to the southern cities of Perpignan, Marseille, Toulon and Nice while Regional boasts a large European network, linking a number of French cities without stopovers in Paris.
If you are not pressed for time, hot air ballooning is a type of transportation you may want to try. For the last couple of decades, the public's interest in this activity has been revived, and a number of operators will be happy to welcome you aboard, for trips overflying the vineyards of Alsace, Chablis and Burgundy or the châteaux of the Loire Valley. A list of such operators is made available by the French Tourism Bureau. You can also contact France Montgolfière, and if nostalgia seizes you, plunge into the history of ballooning.
If you find the idea of flying without wings a little unsettling, you may want to practice parachuting first. And in the eventuality you like retaining somewhat more control over you destination, parapenting or paragliding may be the sports for you. Check the list of schools and clubs from Yahoo search engine. Adventure sports in France are popular, well developed and properly organized. There are approximately 400 designated sites for unassisted flying, mostly in the mountain ranges of the Alps, the Vosges, the Jura, the Pyrénées and the Massif Central.