Patrouille de France
The Patrouille de France is the official aerobatic team of the French Air Force.
History
The first French aerobatic team was first proclaimed in 1931 as a patrol d ' Etampes Etampes. For the realization of the project Capitaine Amouroux was blamed. With a three formation of school machinery of the aircraft type Morane 230, the training began under the team name Patrouille d' Etampe. 1934, the machines were replaced with nine more Morane 225. 1937 moved to the squadron to Salon- de - Provence, where it was renamed the Patrouille de l' École de l' air.
After the Second World War, the formation in 1947 Escadrille de présentation de l' Armée de l'air was re- established by the Minister of Aviation. As aircraft they received twelve Stampe S4. With the growing success of flying demonstration events came within the French Air Force on several aerobatic formations, such as the formation of Commandant Pierre Delachenal, which consisted of four Republic F - 84G.
In the period that followed the French Air Force formations occurred on air shows at home and abroad under the name Patrouille de France. In 1964 this tradition should almost come to an end, since the operation of Dassault Mystère IV was too expensive for aerobatics, so that the Patrouille de France on the training aircraft Fouga Magister had to dodge.
On September 16, 1980, a new era was ushered in, as the more modern and efficient Alpha Jet was used, with the Patrouille de France still flies.
Pilots
Most pilots are 30-33 years old, her service period is an average of three years.
Others
The PaF - as the Patrouille de France is often called shortly - flew as penultimate aerobatic team before the air show disaster at Ramstein about 13 clock there their full program.
At the International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition in Berlin in 2000, the Patrouille de France was allowed to occur again in 1988 in Germany as the first military organization aerobatic team on jet aircraft to Ramstein, which caused a sensation. However, the former flight program was subject to strict conditions. So, for example, could only the so-called " first part of the program " are shown without soloists maneuvers and encounters flights.
French National flies the Patrouille de France, the only time in the year with nine instead of eight machines. The number of nine jets guarantees the uniform number of contrails of three - three - three (blue-white -red) in the sky above the Champs Elysees.
The Patrouille de France played in 1988 to the French song Aviateur ( sung by Veronique Jannot ) twisted music video guest starring.
In the summer of 1986, the Patrouille de France completed in parallel with the Italian Frecce Tricolori a North American tour, which culminated for the season with a concert at the Abbotsford International Airshow in Canada.
Aircraft used
- Republic F - 84G Thunderjet ( 1953-1954 )
- Dassault Ouragan (1954-1957)
- Dassault Mystère IV (1957-1964)
- Fouga Magister (1964-1980)
- Alpha Jet ( since 1980)