Star items and Zero-G flight on offer at Artcurial's Paris charity auction

Scheduled for June 18 at Le Bourget, the Paris auction will raise funds for Aviation Without Borders' hospital-plane project with rare collectibles, flight experiences, and celeb donations

France’s leading auction house, Artcurial, is set to conduct a special charity auction on June 18 in support of Aviation Without Borders, a humanitarian organisation that uses aviation to aid vulnerable populations. The auction will be held alongside the International Aeronautics and Space Show at Le Bourget, near Paris, with actor and pilot José Garcia lending his support.

 

This one-of-a-kind event aims to raise funds for Aviation Without Borders’ groundbreaking project — a miniature mobile hospital-plane that can be deployed to remote and underserved regions across the globe.

Star-studded donations and rare collectibles up for bidding

A host of celebrities, artists, athletes, and companies have come together to contribute rare experiences and iconic items. Among the standout lots:

 

-A weightless flight aboard the Airbus Zero G

-A T-shirt worn by astronaut Thomas Pesquet on a mission

-A pilot’s helmet from the elite Patrouille de France

-A captain’s uniform signed by John Travolta, the famed actor and aviation enthusiast

 

Also on offer are once-in-a-lifetime flight experiences, including flying in formation with migratory birds on a paramotor and taking to the skies in a legendary WWII-era Curtiss P-40E Warhawk.

Exclusive encounters and historic aviation items

The auction will also include unforgettable encounters, such as:

-Dinner in Paris with adventurer Bertrand Piccard, along with a piece of the Breitling Orbiter 3 balloon

-An electric flight over the Alps with Solar Impulse co-pilot André Borschberg

-A full day with aerobatics champion Catherine Maunoury

 

Collectors can also bid on historical artefacts, including a rare 1:10 wooden wind tunnel model of the Falcon aircraft, donated by Dassault Aviation; a Messerschmitt KR200 microcar once owned by French comedian Coluche; and an engraved Breitling pilot watch celebrating Aviation Without Borders’ 45 years of service.

 

Two original paintings of the Rafale Solo Display by artists Arthur Thomas and Régis Rocca — each requiring over 600 hours of work — will also be auctioned.

Supporting a unique global health innovation

The funds raised will help develop what is being described as the “world’s first hospital-plane” — an innovative solution to deliver emergency care in isolated locations. “In a world more uncertain than ever, the challenges are numerous,” said Gérard Feldzer, President of Aviation Without Borders. “Only your generosity will allow us to finance projects like our hospital-plane and humanitarian drones.”

 

Aviation Without Borders has worked for over four decades to provide humanitarian support through air transport. Its missions include medical evacuations, aid delivery, and youth training through programmes like Les Ailes de l’Avenir (Wings of the Future).

 

At the Paris Air Show, the group will also showcase a Nynja ultralight aircraft, assembled by young trainees and available for sale — further demonstrating how aviation can empower communities and support humanitarian goals.