🇫🇷 Orléans-Bricy (BA 123) Air Base

Orléans-Bricy Air Base (BA 123) (ICAO: LFOJ) is a French Air and Space Force (Armée de l'air et de l'espace) facility located near Boulay-les-Barres, approximately 15 km northwest of Orléans, France,.

Type of Facility and Operations: The base is primarily a military tactical airlift facility. It serves as the home for the French Air and Space Force's Airbus A400M Atlas fleet, as well as Lockheed C-130H Hercules, Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules, and Lockheed Martin KC-130J aircraft,. No civil cargo or scheduled passenger access is available.

Notable Features and History: The base was established between 1927 and 1931 and was used as a test center for equipment in 1933. During World War II, it was seized by German forces in June 1940 and used by the Luftwaffe. It was liberated by Allied ground forces around August 22, 1944, and subsequently became USAAF Ninth Air Force combat airfield "A-50". After the war, the base was completely rebuilt with an 8000-foot jet runway and two circular "marguerite" systems of hardstands. In 1946, the SO.6000 Triton, the first French jet aircraft, took off from Bricy. The base specializes in troop transport, supporting operations in various regions including Indochina, Algeria, and Africa.

Current Status: Orléans-Bricy Air Base is a major operational base for military air transport. It houses the entire French fleet of A400M Atlas aircraft, along with C-130 Hercules variants,. The base has a main runway of 2400 meters (7874 feet) with an asphalt surface,. It employs approximately 3,000 people, including over 2,450 military personnel.

*Sources researched: en.wikipedia.org, freight-academy.com, fr.wikipedia.org, skyvector.com, anciens-aerodromes.com*