Meeting des Ailes de Cambrai 2024 La patrouille Tranchant

Video from the channel duchateau hubert about Meeting des Ailes de Cambrai 2024, linked on its Above Ten Thousand entry. Duration: 7:51. Language: French. Video type: Air show.

The Patrouille Tranchant, a French aerobatic team, performs at the Meeting des Ailes de Cambrai 2024. The announcer introduces its pilots, among them a former solo leader of the Patrouille de France from the era when it flew the Magister.

As the aircraft fly past in formation in front of the audience, the commentary runs through the history of the aircraft and of the French national display team. It explains that the École de l'air's team adopted the radio call sign Athos, that in 1953 the display team of the 3rd fighter wing became the Patrouille de France, and that it kept the École de l'air's call sign: to this day its pilots identify themselves as Athos followed by their position number. At the end, a representative of the French Air and Space Force talks about careers in the institution and about aspiring-volunteer contracts.

The Fouga CM.170 Magister was designed by engineers Castello, a glider specialist, and Mauboussin, known for light aircraft from before the Second World War. Fouga had bought the Bernard company in the 1930s, and the engines were entrusted to Turbomeca. According to the announcer, the aircraft first flew in 1952.