Masters of the sky and aerial acrobatics, ambassadors of French aviation beyond France’s borders, the Patrouille de France is always one of the highlights of the traditional July 14 military parade on the Champs-Elysées. But what is the story behind this tightly knit formation that fills the sky with tricolor smoke every time it flies overhead?
There are nine of them, and not one more.
Nine highly skilled pilots who, as they slice through the air, demonstrate their squadron’s aerobatic expertise while paying tribute to the aeronautical excellence of the professionals of the Air and Space Force by reproducing figures and scenarios observed in theaters of operation.
The history of the Patrouille de France owes as much to a few adventurous men at the dawn of modern aviation as it does to the exploits of the aces of the First World War. Like the Red Arrows of the British Royal Air Force and the Blue Angels of the US Navy, they form the elite of French aviation. To be eligible, they must demonstrate a high level of skill in flying jet aircraft.
Adolphe Pégoud, pioneer of aerobatics
In September 1913, Adolphe Pégoud, the son of farmers from Montferrat (Isère), performed the first loop in aviation history in Buc (Yvelines) aboard his Blériot XI.
Stunned by the high number of pilot deaths, he had the idea of testing the first Bonnet parachute in real life, sacrificing his own aircraft. During this test, he noticed that the plane continued to perform arabesques in the sky despite the pilot abandoning the cockpit.
At the request of Louis Blériot, he became the first person to fly upside down on September 1, 1913, and two weeks later, he managed to perform a complete aerial loop. By managing to “close the loop,” he became famous throughout Europe and gave numerous demonstrations as far afield as Russia. On October 12, he gave the first aerial demonstration in front of a crowd of 200,000 people. The tour began in Vienna, Berlin, Hanover, Ghent, and Brussels.
In 1914, when war broke out, Adolphe Pégoud turned down a major contract with the United States to train future pilots for the new French Air Force, created on March 29, 1912. At the age of 26, he became the first ace of the Great War. But after six victories, Second Lieutenant Pégoud was unfortunately shot down by a German pilot in August 1915.
Although he died for his country, his exploits inspired many pilots who, once peace returned, resumed the demonstrations, including Albert Fronval, Marcel Doret, and Michel Detroyat.
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Featured photo: Julio Wolf/Unsplash
