Tunisia, cradle of the “Arab Spring” that started in January 2011 by establishing the first democracy in an Arab country, is completing its redemptive work in all areas, including that of civil aviation.
Because we tend to ignore it, this country is undergoing with aeronautics, long standing bounds marked by several “premières” worldwide. This rich past remained for a long time confined in the register of history, before a group of individuals who are fond of aviation to which they had devoted all their professional life as pilots, mechanics or air traffic controllers, founded in 2013 the Tunisian Aeronautic Association (ATA).
This association sets the objective to revive the aeronautic flame in the country, by resuming activities in dedicated spaces gradually hindered by the authoritarian power which ruled Tunisia during the last decade.
Thus, it had multiplied its demonstrations and meetings thanks to the commemoration of various events occurring in the past, particularly, the first inter-continental flight (Tunisia-Italy via Sicily) in December 1912 or the first link Tunisia-France (frejhus-bizerte September 1913), two gains achieved by the French pioneer of aviation Roland Garros.
Through the events organized since 2013, ATA intends to act into axes:
The promotion of the discovery of Tunisia by flights, (ULM, Delta Plane, Paramoteur…) and the restoration of the taste of flight, among the amateur of aerial sports, in particular, youth, for which it places its coming promenade, under the motto aviation for all!
In fact, the dynamic office of ATA, under the chairmanship Habib Soussia, aeronautic engineer, intends to take advantage of the freedom breath, which overwhelms Tunisia in a safe context and to multiply initiatives. The country despite being small, disposes of varied landscapes and propitious contrasts to all form of discoveries including air ones.
Privileged bounds are immediately established between ATA and analogue structures in France, particularly the aero club of France. In paramoteur, Romain Biégnon of Ailes d’Horus, Sébastien Veillard as well as the French-Tunisian Ali Barouni implemented demonstrations during the last event held in September.
From the Tunisian side, ATA makes the most of an active support from the national carrier Tunisair, the Tourism office, and civil aviation bodies ( DGAC and OACA) as well as the army.
Definitely, after a long hibernation, a new era started in Tunisia at aeronautics with a promising future.
TunisianMonitorOnLine (MNHN) translated from Paramoteur +
