Hands joined on his knees, facing his men, the squadron leader of the Patrouille de France stares into the space before him and begins a curious litany : "And 10 on the radio... We'll roll to the right... duck formation... turn to the left... take some some trim, smoke... Set, intermediate break-up, the outsides... Set" This monologue, the "music" that the pilots know by heart, is the last general and mental rehearsal for what they will carry out in flight in a few moments.
Eyes closed to better concentrate,the pilots have all mimed the movements to come. Still a few minutes to go then the patrol takes off, soaring in groups of four. After a first veer to the left, it takes on the diamond formation, and then starts nearly an hour of show, a sequence of the most audacious acrobatics : looping, flying upside down, vertiginous dives, up to the crowning finale in the form of a blue-white-red heart. A fluid and well-knit show will be presented fifty times between May and September, everywhere in France but also in Europe, Africa and Russia. A magical show that the Patrouille de France puts itself through, the oldest and most prestigious aerobatics on the planet.