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Origin and history

The Besançon-Thise aerodrome was founded in 1934 in the plain of Thise, 5 km northeast of Besançon, after a subsidy from the Ministry of Air in 1932. The project aimed to create a departmental air club and airfield for the region. The two iconic metal hangars, built in 1938 by engineer Fernand Aimond, were declared an alternate airfield for the military bases of Dole, Dijon and Luxeuil. Their Eiffel-type beam structure, with rolling doors and a rolling bridge system, makes them rare examples of the aeronautical architecture of the interwar period.

During the Second World War, in 1944, the airfield was briefly used to evacuate the wounded from the Colmar pocket and the Battle of the Vosges. The Americans stationed Douglas C-47 and Piper Cub there, while an attack by German Focke-Wulf 189 damaged the hangars, whose bullet strikes are still visible today. A Boeing B-17 also found refuge there. After the war, the aeroclub recovered the remaining military hangar, now classified with its twin since 2007.

The hangars, with a total area of 5,000 m2, are characterized by their braided metal farms and apses. Their renovation, completed in 2020, was financed by the State, local authorities and the Heritage Lotto. The airfield now houses five associations dedicated to light aviation (airplanes, gliders, ULM, modeling), perpetuating its role in training and aviation practice in Burgundy-Franche-Comté.

The history of the airfield began in 1911 with an aerial meeting organized in Palente, near Besançon, inspired by the exploit of Louis Blériot in 1909. In 1932, two pioneers, Jacques Weinmann and Louis Bigeasson, founded the Doubs Aeroclub, with its first hangars in 1932 and 1934. The army expanded the site in 1937 to install a regional air group, marking its strategic importance before the war.

Classified as a 20th century heritage, the Thise hangars illustrate the evolution of civil and military aviation in France. Their industrial architecture, combined with their operational history, makes it a unique site in Franche-Comté. The aerodrome remains active with a grassy runway of 970 m, used by approximately 150 members in specialized clubs.

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