A deafening sound that tears through the Blesois sky at lunchtime! This is surprising, and those best placed will have been able to recognize the tricolor aircraft of the Patrouille de France. Knowing that nothing of the sort had been announced, how can we verify the information? By simply referring to a Blesois specialist in military aviation, Flavien Cuperlier. “It was a surprise passage on the way between the Salon-de-Provence parking base and Villacoublay air base 107,” explains the man who is responsible for press relations for the Loir-et-Cher Departmental Council, but who is also a former member of the Air Force who has kept solid contacts in his heart. “I called my public relations colleagues at the Patrouille de France who confirmed the information.”
At nearly 700 km/h above the Château de Blois
Flavien Cuperlier continues: “The Patrouille de France will be in place until Saturday as part of the 90th anniversary of the Air and Space Force, commemorated Friday at the Château de Versailles.” We also learn that it is common for the tricolor squadron to choose to fly over points of interest and often historical monuments. The passage over Loir-et-Cher would have been decided that same morning by the chief leader during the flight briefing. “It’s part of the exercises for young pilots to locate a point on a map and reach it.” This is how, by complete surprise, the Patrouille de France crossed the Blois-Chambord axis at an altitude estimated at 300 feet (a little over one hundred meters), according to the Blesois aviation specialist, and a speed estimated between 300 and 400 knots, or between 640 and 700 km/h!
