Coupe Icare 2016
Coupe Icare is a truly unique event, perched above an enormous craggy ridge the village of St Hilaire du Touvet is a stunning setting for the World’s largest free-flying festival. Thousands of people descend on the normally sleepy French village filling it with all the colour, noise and excitement you’d expect from a music festival. Unlike most festivals though the activity doesn’t stop at ground level, the air is almost constantly filled with paragliders, hang gliders, sailplanes, sky divers, wingsuiters, balloons, acrobatic aircraft and even at one point Jetman!
Judith’s a Coupe Icare veteran but this was a first for Caedmon, so we thought we’d share our experiences and photographs here…
Judith
This was my fourth Coupe Icare. I missed last year, thankfully, as the weather was bad. This year was glorious, with sunny days and balmy nights. There didn’t seem to be as many people this year than in previous years. What was also nice was that the evening entertainment changed after several years of identical stuff going on. For me, St Hilare is a mixture of work, fun and seeing friends. But the atmosphere is always magical. I can’t wait for next year…
Caedmon
This was my first Coupe Icare, I headed over with my wife, three year old son and three non-flying friends who I’d convinced it would be fun for everyone and that I wouldn’t spend the whole time flying. We had a few days there before the festival began and although it was a bit late in the season for anything epic I did manage a couple of great little flights down the valley, it’s a pretty special place to fly. The festival itself was spectacular and as I’d hoped it’s really a great event for non-flyers and definitely children! We’ll be back, perhaps with a costume…