Dax-Seyresse (Base école Général Navelet)

Dax-Seyresse, also known as Base école Général Navelet, is a military airbase located in Dax, in the Landes department of France. The facility traces its operational history to the establishment of the Army Light Aviation Specialization School (ES ALAT) in 1957. Following initial deployments in West Germany, mainland France, and Algeria, the school was completely repatriated to Dax on July 3, 1959. In 1994, the Dax facility and the base at Le Cannet-des-Maures were administratively unified under a single command, which was later renamed the Army Light Aviation School (EALAT) in August 2009. The Dax installation is named after General Jean Navelet, a former commander of the ALAT.

Operated by the French Army Light Aviation, the base houses the Base école Général Navelet component of the EALAT. Its primary mission is conducting initial helicopter pilot training for the French armed forces. Trainees include officer candidates from the Army, Air Force, Navy, and Gendarmerie, joining from academies such as Saint-Cyr, Polytechnique, Navale, and École de l'air. The curriculum spans 12 to 15 months, covering basic flight instruction, very low-altitude flying, night-vision goggle piloting, and military instrument flight in military air traffic. Upon completion, graduated pilots transfer to the Le Cannet-des-Maures base for specialized tactical training.

Flight instruction at the base is conducted using fleets of H120 / EC120 Colibri helicopters. Under a partnership agreement initiated in 2008, the private contractor Hélidax provides and maintains these aircraft, which replaced the legacy Gazelle helicopters previously used for initial training. The airbase infrastructure also encompasses the Army Light Aviation and Helicopter Museum, which displays historical aircraft across 2,500 square meters of hangar space.