The Jurca Air Force (JAF) was born in 1989, with three Jurca's planes lovers : Jean Pierre Garibaldi de Kritescu, Maurice Genty & Jean-Louis Genty.
Jean Pierre Garibaldi has built Sirocco #42-F-PYTN in Castelet and Maurice Genty (the father) and Jean Louis (the son) were finishing theyr own Tempete #54-F-PGTY in Romans airfield.... The passion of the Jurca planes linked them and they decided to found an association.
The first meeting of very new Jurca Air Force thus took place in 1991, on the Issoires airfield, where Vincent Martinez had flown for one year with his Sirocco #46-F-PZZQ. The weather did not favor this first meeting and it was determined to organize the following one on a ground or several Jurca were based: it was Nangis. On the "Seine et Marne" airfield, 15 Jurca planes joined together June 17 & 18, 1992, under a nice sunny weather which allowed the planes south to approach the pole.
1993, the JAF is now organized by Vincent Martinez who selected an airfield half way from Belgium and the Mediterranean: it is Saint Rambert d' Albon and its collection of old planes. 15 planes are again joined together during two days under a "storm of blue sky".
But the luck leaves Jurca Air Force and Vincent is desperate when only 5 planes reached "Chalons sur Saone" in 1994.
1995 is the year of " weather transition" with a JAF organized on in "Til Chatel" airfield, where Éric Perrin is building a Sirocco #45-F-PEMJ.
Fortunately 1996 nice weather came back and the JAF which took place this year in "Saint Flour" marks the team spirit. Many planes came, especially the MJ 7 Gnatsum built by Alain Anziani from Corsica, and the MS Rally of Mr. Jacques Noettinger designer of the JAF's logo.
But Vincent tires and requires to pass the hand.
Francis "Jimmy" Heindryckx took again the organisation with the help of his wife, Régine, to manage the organization's back-office. It will be the first JAF organized on a restricted airfield: Bar sur Seine, with its Champagne. 1996, it is also the year of the recasting of the statutes and resumption of association by a team which undertakes to ensure continuity in the development of the Jurca Spirit.
Second JAF of the Heindryckx era is held in Montceaux Les Mines and the tradition goes on:
we need a small airfield or Jaffreux (neologism from Pierre Missol designating the members of the JAF) can fly, patrol and hunt the balloons. The JAF is thus accommodated with the help the members of the "Aéro-club du Bassin Minier". It is also the year of the appearance of a new prototype: the MJ-55 Biso built by Remi Blondeaux.
In the dash of JAF 98, the 1999's one took place on Briare Chatillon airfield, near the edges of the Loire, airfield where Marcel Jurca provided some flying instruction when, in 1947, he joined the French territory. The JAF 99 is a little anxious because Marcel Jurca must be heart operated at fall.
Nevertheless, the JAF seems to have taken a cruising speed with its 35 to 40 members, its bulletin (French) and its 15 to 20 planes present every year. The record will be beaten in Gray (2000) with 22 Jurca planes on the platform of the edge of the Saone. And as in more Marcel Jurca returned with a repaired heart bright burning coal, all goes for best in spite of a canicular weekend than nobody had to anticipate.
In 2001, the JAF went to Sologne, at Aubigny-sur-Nère, in the middle of sand and heather. Marcel Jurca is in full health and the meeting proceeds marvelously well. Francis Heindryckx is in the search of a successor because the trade of Cardichal (supreme rank of Jurca Air Force) starts to use him a little.
Marcel Jurca will enter to the hospital in the middle of the summer to look after a benign infection and will succumb to it on 19th October having contracted a "hospital germ".
Jurca Air Force then created the Committee Marcel Jurca to continue the diffusion of the work of Marcel Jurca and Francis "Jimmy" Heindryckx decided to stay Cardichal again for a few times in order to ensure the transition.
The 2003 meeting in Autun gave us a new Chairman: Jean-Claude Ceysson. Ten years after, again in Autun, Olivier Murcott became the new Charmain.
In 2018, Ludovic Pascal became the 6th Charmain (aka "Cardichal VI" or C6) of the JAF.
The previous JAF fly-in, summer each year:
1991 Issoire
1992 Nangis
1993 Saint Rambert d'Albon
1994 Chalons sur Saône
1995 Til Chatel
1996 Saint Flour
1997 Bar sur Seine
1998 Montceaux les Mines
1999 Briare Chatillon
2000 Gray St Adrien
2001 Aubigny sur Nère (last JAF with Marcel Jurca)
2002 Joigny
2003 Autun
2004 Beaune
2005 Pierrelatte
2006 La Ferté Alais (Tempete is 50 year-old)
2007 Montélimar
2008 Semur en Auxois
2009 Saint Rambert d'Albon
2010 Juvancourt
2011 Saulieu
2012 St Yan (Sirocco is 50 year-old & Autan is 20)
2013 Autun
2014 Saintes-Thénac
2015 Belvès
2016 Libourne (Tempête is 60 years old)
2017 Brioude
2018 Villeneuve sur Lot
2019 Montceau les Mines
2020 (canceled Covid-19)
2021 Pouilly-Maconge (20 years after Marcel Jurca passed away)
2022 Nuits St Georges (MJ5 Sirocco is 60 and MJ53 Autan 30)
2023 Chatillon sur Seine (Marcel Jurca would have been 100 year-old)
2024
2025
2026 (Tempête will be 70 years old)
2027
2028
2029 (MJ51 Sperocco will be 10 years old!)
JAF annual Bulletins "Le Jaffreux" (in french only) available from the members' area.