French Focus #7

11/02/2013 C1C Arnaud Duchesne, CS-13 “Bulldawgs”, French Air Force Academy, 2014 La Patrouille de France : ambassadrice de l’Armée de l’Air You get the Thunderbirds, we get the Patrouille de France: it’s that simple! Known as PAF, this air demonstration... More

11/02/2013 C1C Arnaud Duchesne, CS-13 “Bulldawgs”, French Air Force Academy, 2014 La Patrouille de France : ambassadrice de l’Armée de l’Air You get the Thunderbirds, we get the Patrouille de France: it’s that simple! Known as PAF, this air demonstration squadron takes its roots in 1931 via a team called “Patrouille d’Étampes” because it flew for the first time over the airfield situated at Étampes, a little town close to Paris. The first demonstrations were made aboard three Morane-Saulnier MS.230. Once moved from Étampes to Salon de Provence on the same Air Force base than the French Air Force Academy’s one in 1937, this squadron has been renamed “Patrouille de l’École de l’Air” and then was flying five MS.225. After interrupted activities because of the Seconde Guerre mondiale (WWII), few dissolutions and reformations, Ministre des Armées (minister for the Armed Forces) Pierre Mesmer gave birth in 1954 to the “Patrouille de France”. Thunderjets, Dassault Ouragan, Dassault Mirage IV, Less