Set some 50 miles to the east of Brest in the Finistere region of Brittany, Landivisiau is the land base for the French Aeronavale aircraft, when their parent carrier is in port. Four primary units are based here being;

Having visited Landivisiau in 1997 in the period around the air show I was disappointed about the weather and the amounts of Crusaders seen.

I decided to go back in 1998 to see, and if possible photograph, the Crusaders of 12F. With Rafale due to enter service, at Landivisiau, in December 1999, this could well be the last chance I had. This time the weather was good and so was the flying. I just had to take my change on photographing these magnificent airplanes.

Since their inception way back in 1957, Crusaders have served in various versions with US Navy, Philippine Air Force and the French Navy – they having purchased 42 F-8E (FN), with provision for Matra 530 air-to-air missiles in 1964. Having always the reputation of being the last true US fighter, or the "last of the gun-slingers" periodic up-grades have kept this aircraft in the same aviation world, if not comparable to, today’s techno-jets.

Resplendent in a dark blue/grey colour scheme, all aircraft carry the 12F badge on the nose, just aft of the jet intake and before the rails for the AA missiles. Power is supplied by a Pratt and Whitney J57 turbojet, which, with reheat, gives the F8E Mach 2 capability. These, now dated (and smoky) engines give the spotter possibly his last experience of what, in the 1950s and 1960s, was common to all US built reheated jets – the loud bang and sheet of flame that accompanied the application of reheat.