The COUPE ICARE.ORG association

The Coupe Icare is organised by «COUPE ICARE.ORG » a not-for-profit association of 1901, created in 1989

Coupe Icare.Org, affiliated with the French Federation of Free Flight and authorized by the Minister of Youth and Sports is registered at the Tourist Office of St Hilaire du Touvet.

The Coupe Icare.Org association acts the mastermind and overall master of ceremony of this event. All decisions and directions related to the event are taken either by vote during the annual General Assembly, if not during meetings of the Board of directors or main office.
The work is then undertaken by personnel (one part time salaried employee year round) as well as by volunteers and partners of the association.
The efforts and contribution by volunteers is enormous and diverse, covering: the general organization of the air shows and programmes to cleaning up the site, selling tickets, managing showers and restrooms, organizing a welcome drink, setting up the Expo tents or areas, to arranging the parking lots, the organization of the concerts, tending drink stands, selling T shirts, cleaning the cafeteria, assistance on launch and landing sites, etc.… The Coupe Icare.Org could never carry out this gigantic organizational endeavour alone! For this reason, certain programmes or responsibilities have been delegated over the years to association partners.

Today, over 25 partners of the association contribute to this event, making a total of over 900 volunteers (650 in St Hilaire and 250 in Lumbin) participants!

The Coupe Icare.Org association receives assistance and support from numerous associations (of the Plateau, of Lumbin and from outside of the flying site) who, each in its own way, contribute to the tremendous success of this event by assuming the responsibility of a specific role.

Team of flight directors

The flight directors themselves comprise a team that deserves high praises for their excellence and devotion to task. It includes Gérard VIEUX, and Eric GRANDJEAN (assistant flight director) and other assistants responsible for specific air demos, and flight attachés responsible for an airstrip or landing area… In total there are over forty people dedicated to handling this overall job of organizing the flyability of the festival. Two thumbs up for their efficient work!

THE TEAM OF THE FILM FESTIVAL

A few Film Festival names worth mentioning...
- Laurent SIMONET, Film Festival director, handles the presentation of the film sessions.
- Stéphanie CAILLON, the quiet one who constantly sniffs out new films year round.
- Gilbert LAURENT, loyal film projectionist for 30 years who is versed in every format: super 8, 35 or 16mm, beta, DVD.....
Not forgetting the film selection committee composed of 12 members who watch every single film entered in contest every year, trying of course to select the best possible programme for the event.

IN THE OFFICE

The Tourist Office of St. Hilaire-du-Touvet  kindly shelters the Coupe Icare organization year round. This modest but convivial space is a true beehive of administrative activity where a tremendous amount of busy buzzing goes on to produce this event.

This is where you are likely to find Daniel RAIBON-PERNOUD, overall President of the organisation, and Martine LANGE, his devoted assistant for 30 years, plus other founding or active members of the organization.

Take a step backstage, meaning enter this unsuspecting office, where friends and a whole family of volunteers come to lend a big hand in numerous different ways before, during and after the event.