Patrouille de France: the aerobatic team of the French air force

Eight jets in blue, white and red, wingtip to wingtip, with three smoke trails in the colors of the tricolor behind them: once you have seen the Patrouille de France live, you recognize it instantly. The aerobatic team of the French Air and Space Force is one of the oldest and best-known teams in the world. Its roots go back to 1931, and it has flown the Alpha Jet since 1981. This guide explains the history, the structure of the team and the maneuvers. You will also learn how to get good shots of the team as a spotter.

Patrouille de France: the short answer

The Patrouille de France, PAF for short, is the official aerobatic team of the Armée de l’Air et de l’Espace. It is stationed at Base aérienne 701 in Salon-de-Provence and flies its displays with eight Alpha Jets. The team consists of nine pilots and, according to the air force, more than 60 people in total: mechanics, operations officers, photographers and other specialists. On the road the unit is fully self-sufficient, so it brings its own maintenance and equipment.

Organizationally, the Patrouille is one of the French air force’s demonstration teams. Its job is representation at home and abroad and recruiting. For spotters this means the team does not only perform in France but regularly appears at major airshows in other countries as well.

The history: from Étampes to Salon-de-Provence

The beginnings in 1931

The first French patrol display took place in 1931 in Étampes, south of Paris. It was flown with three Morane-Saulnier MS.230s, a parasol-wing trainer of that era. This Patrouille d’Étampes later became the air force academy’s patrol, which moved to Salon-de-Provence in 1937. That ties today’s home base to French formation flying for almost 90 years.

The name arrives in Algiers in 1953

The team got its name more or less by accident. On May 17, 1953, four F-84G Thunderjets of the 3rd Escadre from Reims flew at an air show in Algiers. The announcer Jacques Noetinger spontaneously introduced them as “Patrouille de France.” The name stuck, and on September 14, 1953, the general staff confirmed it officially.

In the following years the Patrouille changed wings and aircraft type several times. In 1964 the formation, then flying the Mystère IV, was disbanded for cost reasons. The name and the mission were taken over the same year by the air force academy’s patrol in Salon-de-Provence, which was then flying the Fouga Magister. Salon has been its permanent home ever since.

Five generations of aircraft

Period	Aircraft type	Note
1953–1954	Republic F-84G Thunderjet	US fighter-bomber with which the name originated
1954–1957	Dassault Ouragan	first French jet fighter in series production
1957–1964	Dassault Mystère IV	followed by disbandment for cost reasons
1964–1980	Fouga Magister	jet trainer with a V-tail, last display in September 1980
since 1981	Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jet	initially seven, from 1982 eight aircraft

Two of the five types, the Ouragan and the Mystère IV, come from Dassault Aviation. The Alpha Jet is also half a Dassault product: it was created in the 1970s as a joint project with Dornier. In Germany it served with the Luftwaffe as a light attack aircraft but was retired there long ago. In French fighter pilot training it has largely been replaced by the Pilatus PC-21, but the Patrouille keeps flying it.

Milestones

• 1986: Appearance over New York.
• 1992: Display at the Winter Olympics in Albertville, with smoke in the Olympic colors.
• 2009: On November 25, Virginie Guyot became the first woman in the world to lead a military aerobatic team.
• 2017: Tour of the USA.
• 2023: 70 years of the Patrouille de France, including an appearance at the Belgian Air Force Days in Kleine Brogel.
• 2026: According to the air force, participation in the “Liberté 250” mission with flyovers in the USA for the 250th anniversary of American independence.

How the team is organized

Nine pilots with the callsign Athos

On the radio, the Patrouille is called Athos. Each pilot has a fixed number that corresponds to his or her position:

• Athos 1 is the leader and leads the formation.
• Athos 2 and 3 fly as inner wingmen directly next to the leader.
• Athos 4 has the nickname “Charognard” and flies behind the leader.
• Athos 5 and 6 are the soloists, who show their own maneuvers in the second part.
• Athos 7 and 8 are the outer wingmen.
• Athos 9 is the spare pilot.

Three new pilots join every year. Experienced fighter pilots with many flight hours on jets are selected. Because the lineup changes so regularly, every season is a little different. The newcomers have to learn the complete program over the winter.

Mechanics and escort aircraft

Behind the eight jets stands a large ground crew. Around three dozen mechanics look after the aircraft. On longer trips, an air force transport aircraft accompanies the team with equipment and personnel, according to French sources a CN-235. For spotters that is a nice bonus: where the Patrouille arrives, its escort is often parked on the apron as well.

The program: formation, synchro and the Heart

A Patrouille season program consists of two parts. In the first part, the “ruban,” all eight jets fly in tight formation. The basic shape is the Diamond, from which the team transitions into further formations. In the second part, the “synchro,” the group splits into smaller units. The soloists fly crossings and opposing passes while the rest of the formation draws new pictures.

The best-known maneuver is the Heart: six jets form a Y-shaped figure, and the two soloists cross it, drawing a heart in the sky with their smoke. Speeds range from about 300 to 800 km/h depending on the maneuver, and in tight formation only a few meters separate the aircraft.

How to recognize the Patrouille in the sky

• Eight jets: The Red Arrows usually fly with nine aircraft, the Frecce Tricolori with ten. Eight jets in formation are a good first hint that it is the French team.
• Silhouette: The Alpha Jet has a high-mounted, swept wing and two engines at the sides of the fuselage.
• Colors: Blue as the base color with white and red stripes. The Red Arrows also trail blue, white and red, but are painted completely red.
• Smoke: White plus blue and red, often a tricolor of three parallel trails during flyovers.

You can find a comparison of all European teams in the overview of Europe’s aerobatic teams. The Italian counterparts are introduced in the article about the Frecce Tricolori, the Swiss in the article on the Patrouille Suisse.

The season: winter in Salon, summer on tour

The Patrouille’s year follows a fixed rhythm. From about October to May the team trains in Salon-de-Provence. During this time the new pilots learn their positions, and the program is built up step by step. From early summer the team goes on tour. According to French sources, a season adds up to around 50 displays plus numerous flyovers.

One fixed date is July 14. On the French national holiday, the Patrouille traditionally opens the flyover at the Défilé in Paris. Nine Alpha Jets fly over the Champs-Élysées in the “Big Nine” formation, trailing the tricolor behind them. The date is especially reliable for spotters because it stays the same every year.

Outside France, the Patrouille regularly shows up at major airshows. The overview of airshows in Europe shows which events are candidates. Good candidates are the Royal International Air Tattoo in Fairford or, in odd-numbered years, the Paris Air Show at Le Bourget. Whether the team flies at a particular show is only ever confirmed in that show’s program.

Safety and accidents

Aerobatics in tight formation remains risky, and the Patrouille has lost several pilots in its history. In 1967 a pilot crashed next to the grandstands at the Salon du Bourget. There were also fatal accidents with the Alpha Jet, mainly in the 1980s and during training flights. On March 25, 2025, two Alpha Jets collided during a rehearsal near Saint-Dizier. Both pilots and a passenger were able to save themselves with the ejection seat.

For airshow visitors, such accidents are the reason for strict rules: show lines, safety distances and flight restrictions over the crowd. How the rules in Germany changed after the Ramstein air show disaster of 1988 is explained in the dedicated article on it.

How to photograph the Patrouille de France

An aerobatic team makes different demands than an airliner on final approach. The subjects are fast, widely spread out and constantly change direction. The basics are in the guide Photographing airshows; here are the points that matter most with the Patrouille.

The formation as a picture

With the Patrouille, the formation is the real subject. Leave some air around the group instead of chasing individual jets to fill the frame. Especially with the Heart you need plenty of room in the frame, because the figure gets very large. If you zoom in too far, you cut off the smoke. For the soloists at crossings, a fast burst helps: the moment when the two jets seem to touch lasts only fractions of a second. You can find more on the settings in the article Autofocus for aircraft and on choosing a lens in the guide Focal length for plane spotting.

Smoke, wind and background

The smoke makes the Patrouille’s pictures, but it depends heavily on the wind. In a crosswind it blows away quickly; in calm air it stays up for a long time and becomes the backdrop for later maneuvers. A blue sky with a few clouds is ideal. Under overcast skies, crops with the smoke in the foreground help. For pictures with a sense of motion, you can also pan with a longer shutter speed on passes, as described in the guide to the panning technique.

Spotting around Salon-de-Provence

Base aérienne 701 is a military airfield, not a spotters’ hill. In France, military installations are strictly protected, and entering protected zones without permission is a punishable offense. So do not photograph the base deliberately from close up, and follow all signs. What applies in France in general is explained in the guide Photographing at French airports. You will find general tips in the article Photographing military airfields.

You will experience the team more relaxed at public events. If you also want to see aviation history, plan a visit to the Musée de l’Air et de l’Espace in Le Bourget. There is plenty of French military aviation to see there, and the spot at the museum is right at Le Bourget airport. Modern French fighter jets such as the Dassault Rafale or the Mirage 2000 can be found at many airshows right next to the Patrouille.

You can find what else belongs in your bag in the checklist for airshow day. And since jets are loud when they pass, it is worth a look at the article Aircraft noise and your hearing.

Conclusion

The Patrouille de France combines almost 100 years of French formation flying with an aircraft that has long since ended up in museums elsewhere. Eight Alpha Jets, smoke in the colors of the tricolor and maneuvers like the Heart make it one of the most beautiful subjects on the airshow calendar. You are most likely to see it on July 14 over Paris and at big airshows in France and abroad. Plan light, focal length and position, check the program in good time and take in the team’s arrival. Since the Alpha Jet stays in service with the Patrouille until about the mid-2030s according to French sources, it is worth capturing the current generation now.