Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Musée de l'hydravier, founded by Marie-Paule Vié Klaze in the early 1980s, is located in Biscarrosse, near Lake Biscarrosse and Parentis. It occupies the location of the former assembly and testing base of Latécoère seaplanes, an emblematic site of French aeronautics. Ranked Museum of France, it presents unique collections: models, mechanical parts, photos, films and restored authentic seaplanes, illustrating the epic of local and world-wide hydravia.

In 1930, Pierre-Georges Latécoère chose Biscarrosse, the Landes Resinier village, to set up a base for the assembly and testing of giant seaplanes, nicknamed "airships". More than 120 aircraft took off, driven by legendary aviators such as Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Jean Mermoz or Henri Guillaumet, serving the Aeropostale and then Air France. The base closed after the disappearance of the transatlantic seaplanes, replaced by land aircraft.

The museum, certified Quality Tourism in 2020, highlights this heritage through thematic exhibitions and eco-responsible initiatives. It preserves the memory of the pioneers of the hydrary, the industrialists like Latécoère, and the aerial exploits that marked the golden age of aeronautics. Archives, uniforms, engines and cabin reconstructions are on display, offering an immersion in this technical and human adventure.

The site, called Lake Latécoère, was a strategic location for transatlantic flights to New York or Fort-de-France. Today, the museum perpetuates this legend by presenting restored documents, objects and seaplanes, while engaging in a process of heritage enhancement and innovative public reception.

External links