There will soon be no more flight school, nor baptisms by plane in Oyonnax (Ain). The future of the Hangar Zero 1 festival, held at the end of May, is also uncertain as the city's airfield will close. Manager of the site, the town hall (which we solicited without success) has indeed decided to denounce the convention that binds it to the State. A choice that forces the flying club and its members to leave the premises.
"The aerodrome will close on December 31 because there is a desire to recover land. About fifteen planes are based here, and their owners have not been offered any solution, "regrets Baptiste Grein, president of the flying club Jean Coutty. He denounces a real waste for a structure "that was created in 1933 and will therefore cease to exist". "We plan to move to Bourg-en-Bresse and merge with the local flying club to continue our activities," he announces.
"If we have to go to the administrative court, we will go!"
For this, the flying club oyonnaxien is in great need of money and wants to sell as soon as possible the site, of which it claims ownership. "The footprint is 30 ha. What belongs to us is everything that is tarred (about 4 ha) as well as buildings. There are five hangars, a workshop, housing and a gas station," explains Baptiste Grein. The whole is estimated at more than 1 million euros and must be sold to Bugey Agglomeration, during the agglomeration council of June 8. Problem, the municipality, which built the buildings, also claims this real estate heritage.
"The dispute concerns the buildings located on the plots," confirms Baptiste Grein. But for him, the situation is clear: "The ownership of the sheds goes to the owner of the land." In this case, the flying club he chairs. "Every year we pay the tax for the soil and buildings, which amounts to almost 6,000 euros." Under these conditions, the flying club refuses to pay any euro to the town hall of Oyonnax, once the sale is over: "And if we have to go to the administrative court, we will go!"
