From our hotel at Paris’ Orly Airport, we had a very crystal clear morning view, and as we are known for our love for aviation, we watched lots of big planes landing and taking off. Orly is one of the two largest airports in the Paris area, about 18km, or 6.9 miles from the center of Paris.

It was only a few minutes from Orly Airport to Coulommiers-Voisins Airport (LFPK), which is in the Brie region 30 miles east from Paris. The airport used to be controlled by NATO until 1966, while the United States Military used it, as well. The airport’s long runaway was shortened to accommodate the smaller private planes like gliders, pipers, and the ULM.

Seth and I went to see someone unique, who not only drives on roads but flies airplanes. Let’s see where “No Barriers with Joel Barish” takes us today.You know, in America we have some Deaf pilots scattered throughout the United States, but France has their own group of Deaf pilots, just like us, which made my visitation a homage to the world of Deaf aviation. Because, that is one hard barrier to break in becoming a pilot, it takes a lot of training, mentorship, and the right mental objective and purpose to undertake flight training to become a licensed airplane pilot. If you have the right make-up, the ambition and have someone willing to take you on and teach you how to fly, then anything is possible.

Such a pilot is a profoundly Deaf man by the name of Henri Corderoy du Tiers, he is well known internationally for flying airplanes. He is also the husband of Fanny Yeh-Corderoy du Tiers, the sister of Viable founder John T.C. Yeh, who runs his company from the United States.

Fanny runs newly established Viable France, which is the same company as Viable but the French version, with LSF (French Sign Language) interpreters. The siblings manufactures and sells videophones with wifi capacity, and in the current wifi craze, many Deaf people have one now, thanks to them and other providers. Fanny will be hosting a premiere of the new Viable France office on June 4, 2009. If you want to watch the Live Internet streaming from Paris the Viable France premiere, tune into our website for the webcast! More information is posted on the www.deafnation.com website.

As for Corderoy du Tiers becoming a pilot, it took him 25 years before he got his flying license in France; in fact, he obtained his own flight license in several countries first, including in England, Australia, and the USA before France awarded him one, too. France finally accepted his determination in recognizing him officially as a pilot who can legally fly over the French airways. That was a long way to go in accruing 1,700 hours of flight time recorded by the persistent flier.

Corderoy du Tiers also founded the French Deaf Aviators Association (ACSF) in 1996. He is currently an instructor of ULM (Ultralight Machine) airplanes. Additionally, he is the Aéro-Club des Sourds de France President, which is translated to French Aero-club of the Deaf. Being that flying is Corderoy du Tiers’ hobby, he is also a strong advocate of the International Deaf Pilots Association (www.deafpilots.com), an organization I did a video story on in 2002 in Frederick, Maryland on one of their annual fly-ins.

Corderoy du Tiers, a Certified Ultralight Motorized Aircraft Instructor since 2004, recruited and brought many Deaf French folks in joining the ranks with American Deaf pilots. Noting that, it is his big heart that prompts him to bring the French to places around the world. He always shared his experience and advice to anyone who asked, making him an invaluable asset to the Deaf piloting world.

Corderoy du Tiers has owned other airplanes in the past, some were different models, and he sold them in past years, impressively. He just purchased a brand new ULM, renting out his own hangar for it, using it to share with Deaf French pilots and new flight students.

“I encourage Deaf people in France to become airplane pilots,” said Corderoy du Tiers, “it’d be nice to see more Deaf people flying the skies.”

Aphay Singomvgsa, who came from Laos 25 years ago, is one such student and intern of Corderoy du Tiers, sharing a special connection with him, you could see Singomvgsa glow from his face when he engages into dialogue about aviation with his mentor.

Before Singomvgsa met Corderoy du Tiers, he loved flying but couldn’t understand the hearing instructor. Ever since they met, Corderoy du Tiers took him under his wing and taught him so much, and if it wasn’t for him, Singomvgsa would have had a more difficult time learning the things he knows now, and he now has a flying license.

“Come here, I need to show you something,” Corderoy du Tier beckons Singomvgsa, “let’s check the new plane out.” The hangar opened and a flash of sun rays shone in, giving me an exciting sensation as they were about to go on a training flight around the airport, I watched, mesmerized as the plane taxied out of the hangar into the runaway for takeoff.

They returned from the training flight, and still in action, they reviewed Aphay’s flight path related to wind conditions, the landing, and the take-off, the flight around the airport and the flight controls, the whole works. It was a very special moment in witnessing a very mutual relationship between the Deaf instructor and the Deaf student, bringing me to awe. It was a beautiful moment.

“Aerodynamically harmonious,” I would say!

I caught the gleam in Corderoy du Tiers’ eye, and I knew the twinkling gleam meant it was my turn to go up the skies with him, with goosebumps instantly popping up all over my arms in the same instant.

I have flown on many different kinds of airplanes, but going on the ULM plane was a first for me. I enjoyed observing him do the check-list, the rush intensified as the plane taxied down the runaway, feeling the motor purring when it took off. It was an amazing take-off experience for me.

I felt a surge as he banks left hard, a feeling I live for.

During the flight, I kept seeing many gliders being towed by tow-planes every five minutes. It reminded me of my experience in Hawaii. I videotaped the beautiful countryside of Paris.

“This is the Disneyland Paris,” Corderoy du Tiers pointed in the distance, “and you can see Paris.”

Corderoy du Tiers states, “I can fly to many airports that don’t have a control tower, but it’s more rare for me to land in some small commercial airports,” his hands motioning with the sign for airplane,”I have to inform each control tower in advance with a specific time of landing when I do.” If he misses the designated landing time, he says, “I wouldn’t be able to land at the certain airport.”

Teasing my French pilot buddy, I asked if he would “love to fly the world’s most brand new and the largest airliner, the Airbus A380.”

Corderoy du Tiers couldn’t resist a smile when I said that, he didn’t have to give an answer. The smile spoke a thousand words. Any aviator enthusiast will give you a look that you can’t possibly misinterpret, because you know of their love for flying and because they are avid airplane pilots, living and breathing in the skies.

It was my turn to smile as he made a perfect landing back at the airport.

Another French Deaf pilot by the name of Ion Berindey, also a plane mechanic, met us at the hangar.

Introducing me to him, Corderoy du Tiers gave a brief history of their acquaintanceship,”We worked many hours together at the hangar,” explaining that when he first brought Berindey to the United States showing him that there are Deaf pilots who fly, “He was stunned and inspired, thus his fascination with flying began.” Added Corderoy tu Tiers, “Berindey loves to fix any kind of airplane engines, he finds it hard to stay away from those engines,” which is obvious how he found his own niche as a plane mechanic.

The strong bond was evident between them. I felt like both Berinday and Singomvgsa were in good hands under the guidance of a Deaf leading pilot in Corderoy du Tiers.

It was time to leave the airport so we can drive to Paris, and upon arriving there, we met up with a local Deaf Parisian, Stephane Robert, who had strong French facial features.

Corderoy du Tiers dropped us off by the famous Les Invalides, a huge complex with different old buildings along with the golden domed church. Les Invalides are a complex of buildings in the city containing museums and monuments, they exhibit the military history of France, containing a hospital and a retirement home for war veterans, which was the building’s original purpose.

With only one hour of walking time by the famous Seine river,  we were able to have a good view of the Eiffel Tower from a distance. I was tempted to head straight for the Eiffel Tower but tucked the idea away in my back pocket saving the best for the last of my France tour.

Walking around in Paris made me feel a little impulsive, because there was so much to see, I grew up with a mental picture of Eiffel Tower in my mind, and here I was so close to finally touching with my hands the Eiffel Tower and its’ gigantic towering personality.

We kept on walking around the plaza, there were so many beautiful works of architecture.

Finally we arrived the very heart of Paris where Corderoy du Tier’s home was, which appeared very clean with a very original look that has been maintained since the 1600’s. You can see the pride of his noble families who from generation to generation kept things as it was. Old horse stables are a mainstay under his home. He and Fanny even have their own door from the gate in the street, and when you go inside, you can see that the home had the tall ceiling and big wall of books like we see in any medieval home.

His wife, Fanny, came from the United States, coming to France after they tied the knot. They have a beautiful baby daughter, who is a lovely 15 months old.

It was time for us to catch an airport bus a few blocks from his home to get on a flight to Bordeaux, a port city on the Garonne River in southwest France, in a region once inhabitated by neanderthals.

Now even Deaf people can fly, how times have changed from clubbing undereducated neanderthals in prehistoric times to the French Deaf taking the flight controls in an advanced society. I am happy to be living in this day and age, and am very impressed by the sophistication of the French deaf community.

Walking off the airport, the first impression I got was the grape vineyard at the airport, bringing me to mind that Bordeaux is very famous for its’ wines. The airport practically gave Bordeaux away as a wine country by the vineyard that sat square on the airport premises. It’s quite a welcome seeing how some airports present their own cultures, showing their pride. The city of Bordeaux is among the world’s major wine industry centers.

Bordeaux wine has been produced in the region since the 8th century, wouldn’t it be nice to open an aged bottle of wine and find that it’s still good, not flat-tasting?

Hungry, we drove 90 minutes to the village of Bergerac, discovering all eateries were closed except for one sole restaurant at 11pm, as it was to eat some chow before I hit the sack with yet more blogging to do.

Nice to have Deaf French people as allies who fly the skies just like the Americans. Au revior!