Every summer, its arabesques dazzle aviation fans and the general public, during official events or air shows: the Patrouille de France celebrates its 70th anniversary, an anniversary that it will celebrate in flight on Saturday and Sunday, from its base in Salon-de- Provence.
“It must recognize a ’70’ in the sky, which will allow us to blow out our candles at each performance,” predicts Commander Aurélien Declercq, leader this year of the “Grande Dame”, one of the patrol’s nicknames. If the number is significant, it is actually symbolic with respect to the history of the Patrol de France.
The story begins in Algiers
In fact, even before World War II, the Air Force already had aerobatic patrols. But history shakes history on May 17, 1953, during a meeting with the 3rd Reims squadron, organized in Algiers, reminds AFP Alexis Rocher, editor-in-chief of Fana de l’aviation and Planète aéro.
In 1957 a first red smoke bomb was installed under patrol planes and in 1958 the tricolor plume appeared.
Since then, the patrol’s missions have not changed: “We must be ambassadors of the Air Force and Space, (…), awaken vocations (…), be a French symbol, like the Eiffel Tower,” he summarizes. Commander. Declercq.
“For 70 years, I prefer to emphasize what has remained, instead of what has changed, and what has remained is rigor, demand, passion and investment”, abounds lieutenant colonel Hazet.
No more tricks to get past the sound barrier.
“In the very long term, the mood has changed”, Alexis Rocher underlines however: in the 50s or 60s, PAF planes broke the sound barrier during meetings, something “unimaginable” today.
PAF planes, for example, flew so low during their first flight with tricolor smoke in 1958 that the white caps of the officers attending the meeting were dotted with sequins after their demonstration, then-leader Bernard Capillon recalled in Aviation. fanatic.
Threatened to disappear because of its cost, in 1964 the PAF was reborn almost immediately and was perpetuated at the Air Force School in Salon-de-Provence. “Today the problem would rather be that there are ecological disputes (…). It is on a very small scale, but you have to be aware of it”: concludes Alexis Rocher: “It could be – it could be the danger that awaits it in the long term” .
Nine pilots who make the French dream
A danger that will not prevent the nearly 80,000 aviation enthusiasts expected at the 701 airbase in Salon-de-Provence from admiring the feat of the eight members (and one replacement) of the patrol, all fighter pilots with at least 1500 flight hours and holders of the patrol leader rating. Like every year, they multiplied the training sessions between November and April.
With the arrival of spring, the season of meetings and commemorations begins: Saturday and Sunday, these elite pilots in light blue overalls will begin their summer tour on the occasion of the 2023 National Air Meeting, in their lands, at Air Base 701 in Salón – de-Provence.
With eyes raised to the sky, enthusiasts can find a calling there. “The French Patrol is a true vector of recruitment, of influence. At the Salon-de-Provence base, all the pilots have seen the eyes of the French Patrol shine, and I include myself in it”, underlines the lieutenant colonel. Aurélien Hazet, director of the Air and Space Force presentation teams.
Source: BFM TV
