L'Envol des Pionniers, the story of aviation in Toulouse

Toulouse has many nicknames and several themes revolve around the pink city. Aviation, or more generally aeronautics, is probably the one that best designates the Garonne prefecture. L'Envol des Pionniers offers to tell you where it all began within its museum. An aeronautical history not only from Toulouse or France, but international.

Image

What is L'Envol des Pionniers?

It is a museum entirely dedicated to the close history of Toulouse and aviation. It is relatively recent, since its opening dates back to 2018 in the student city, 100 years after the crazy adventure of Aéropostale! The latter was an airline departing from Toulouse and used to transport mail to the other side of the world. And more particularly in South America.

The museum is located in the Montaudran district, in the south-east of the Occitan capital. It is not insignificant if this location was designated for the creation of the establishment. Indeed, this is the area where the Toulouse-Montaudran airport runway, known as the “Piste des Géants” (Giants' Runway), used to be. And more particularly, it is a historic site where the first planes were built in Toulouse.

A guided tour of approximately one hour awaits you with a reconstruction of certain emblematic places that have marked the history of Toulouse aviation. Find the office of Didier Daurat, responsible for the proper distribution of mail by air, but not only. Observe the airfield as the big boss did, without forgetting the radio house. Then embark on the postal wagon to complete your experience! Discover mythical characters, who have marked the history of aviation, such as Henri Guillaumet, for example.

This historic site is labeled "tourism and disability", which means that the reception has been trained to receive people with disabilities.

The origins of Aéropostale

The origins of Aéropostale go back to Pierre Georges Latécoère, who started building goods and wagons. He then extended his production to ammunition for the First World War, as well as the construction of aircraft.

Image

He had inherited his father's mechanical carpentry factory and therefore made it possible to innovate his company. Contrary to what one might think, this man was absolutely not a pilot! However, he had a wonderful idea: that of using aviation technology for civilian purposes. That is to say, to be able to transport mail and passengers on board, for recreational purposes.

The first line created was by taking off from Toulouse Montaudran and landing in Barcelona, aboard its Salmson 2A2. Then, flights developed to other destinations: Morocco and Senegal. This is where Aéropostale was born.

Pierre Georges Latécoère then went to South America, where he sold his airline in order to develop the postal network to Argentina. It is a success, since the man who buys Aéropostale is very rich. This is Marcel Bouilloux-Lafont, a political banker who takes care of the financing of infrastructure in Argentina and Brazil. The network will develop rapidly, which will allow mail to be transported by air with more than 17,000 km of airline.

Can L'Envol des Pionniers be visited with children?

Yes, the guided tour remains very immersive, which allows you not to lose the toddlers when you visit the museum. In fact, the guide will be dressed in period clothing, to allow a better projection during the time of the Pioneers. Your child will therefore relive the real journey that was Aéropostale, especially with the various reconstructed places of the former Toulouse-Montaudran airport. And even if it doesn't take off for real, his imagination will take care of the rest.

Finally, a fun workshop consists of sorting the mail, decoding the different messages coded in Morse code. What to make the experience even more fun for your children, and we are sure that you will also enjoy it! Check the times carefully, as it is only possible to participate on Wednesdays, weekends and during school holidays!

Image

With what other activities to combine L'Envol des Pionniers?

We advise you to continue your discovery of the pink city by stopping at La Halle de La Machine. It is located in the same district and will allow you to discover another universe, just as attractive! The different animatronics exhibited in this museum will not leave you indifferent, especially when the machinists animate them! This is probably a must during a stay in Toulouse with the family.

To complete your passion for aviation, do not hesitate to visit the Aéroscopia museum and why not visit the Airbus factory. And if you wish, do not hesitate to contact the various flying clubs of the Lasbordes aerodrome to take your first flight!

In which hotel to sleep near L'Envol des Pionniers?

Book a double room, a standard room or even a twin room in one of our establishments. Why not make the reservation in the B&B HOTEL Toulouse Cité de l'Espace Hurel? This one is located next to the famous theme park that we no longer present, symbolized by its replica of the Ariane 5 rocket. By choosing this hotel, you and your family are sure to enjoy an excellent night's sleep. Indeed, we carefully select our bedding for maximum comfort.

The breakfast served as a buffet in the morning is unlimited: something to really please you to start your day happily. We choose our products carefully with trusted partners while favoring made in France.

So don't wait any longer and book your accommodation at the best price on our website now.

Other establishments to discover to stay in the pink city at a reasonable price: hotels near Toulouse airport.