It was in Mignières, a small town in Eure-et-Loir (28) near Chartres, that the first drone practice site opened its doors. Not just anywhere: in the former golf course of the splendid Boulard castle.
Anyone who practices the drone in France knows how complicated it can be to find areas where it is allowed to fly your machine in complete peace of mind. Overflight restrictions are numerous (see the map below), this is particularly the case for areas located around Chartres, Châteaudun, Dreux and a large part of the Beauce region. To remedy this, the Château des Boulard in Mignières has decided to open its domain.
A nice conversion
The owner of the castle, Bruno Boulard, aware of these restrictions, decided to convert the former golf course into a huge park dedicated to drone practitioners. According to him, the maintenance of the golf course was really no longer in line with current ecological considerations because of the intensive watering that it required. So he decided to give it a second life, and who knows, also promote an activity to save the environment.
In 2016, this land had already hosted an important event: the French drone racing championships, which gave it very good publicity at the time. The lord had then been rather convinced that this discipline had a place to be done within his property. “ We mainly affect young people, it’s in tune with the times and it’s modern “, he explains. The fact that his son is also passionate about drones must have also tipped the balance favorably in the decision.
A suitable and approved ground
The land, located in the middle of a park of century-old oaks, is large enough and suitable for flying these small machines. The General Directorate of Civil Aviation has officially approved it so that practitioners can fly their drones up to 120 meters high at speeds of up to 200 km/h. More than enough for leisurely fun.
In addition to this, pilot training will be provided by two professional pilots, Guilhem Villard and Cyrille Verdier. Like any activity, this one requires a little practice to be able to do it independently, as well as a good knowledge of the regulations in force (such as those of the CNIL recently for the use of drones by the police for example) .
We welcome the initiative, which will allow a wide audience to come and practice: FPV enthusiasts, beginners or experienced practitioners and even company employees during team building events. To maintain its good momentum, the castle even aims to be able to host the French championships in 2024. The Lordship of Bérou, which built the castle in 1768, would certainly be happy to see that its estate does not fall into disrepair!
Source : The Parisian
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