The largest professional civilian aerobatics team performing on jets

precision. speed. audacity. aerobatics is one of the world’s most demanding disciplines – and one of the most fascinating sights. a concentrated blend of technique, mastery and style. inorder to share its passion for aerobatics with a broad audience, Breitling has created the Breitling Jet team, the world’s largestprofessional civilian flight team performing on jets. with its fast and powerful aircraft piloted by flying aces, this unique aerobatics team illustrates the brand’s cherished values: performance, precision, aesthetic sophistication and innovation. each appearance of the Breitling Jet team is a breathtaking vision. a meticulously coordinated ballet in which planes sometimes fly within 3 meters of each other, at speeds of over 700 km/h! a rapid-fire succession of figures that are perfectly calculated, mastered, synchronized and fine-tuned down to the smallest details. exactly like a Breitling chronometer movement… welcome to a world where outstanding feats are the rule!

l-39c AlbAtroS

MAXIMUM SPEED FLYING LEVEL: 750 KM/H

MAXIMUM SPEED IN A DIVE: 910 KM/H

CEILING: 11,000 M

THRUST: 1,800 KG

MASS WHEN PERFORMING: 4,000 KG

MAXIMUM GS: + 8 G / – 4 G

LENGTH: 1,213 CM

WING SPAN: 946 CM

SEVEN SUPERB PLANES

the Breitling Jet team is made up of seven l-39C albatros aircraft, Czech-made twin-seater military training jets that can also be used for passenger flights. this magnificent plane represents an excellent compromise between performance, aesthetics, reliability and operating costs. it was widely used in all former soviet bloc countries. the Breitling Jet team planes were acquired in exceptional technical condition. to accentuate their powerful, taut and dynamic appearance, Breitling has equipped them with a black, anthracite gray and metal gray livery perfectly reflecting their spectacular feats – while also improving the visibility of the breathtaking feats they perform. a bold, high-impact design in which each pilot’s number appears in an extremely original way, tightly framed and cropped to follow the shape of the wings and ailerons. another spectacular detail lies in the dark shade of their fuselage, which creates a vivid contrast with the metal gray of the underside of the wings and sometimes makes the jets look almost like missiles when viewed from the ground.

flight helmet

visor

oxygen mask

oxygen tube

radio connector

flight suit

anti-g suit

flight shoes

SEASONED PILOTS

the pilots of the Breitling Jet team are all highly experienced professionals, mostly from the French air force or the patrouille de France. the team has its own mechanics in charge of guaranteeing the availability of planes and safety at air shows thanks to extremely meticulous maintenance. in all, a dozen people work full time to back up the performances of the Breitling Jet team which represents a unique blend of professionalism and passion.

Jacques BOTHELIN

leader and manager of the Breitling Jet team, Jacques Bothelin – nicknamed “speedy” – is one of the world’s most experienced aerobatics pilots. he has clocked up over 10,000 flight hours on 145 types of planes, and performed around 2,500 demonstrations in 23 countries. as manager, he handles the flight team’s schedule and defines the show program. as leader, he heads the formation, flying plane no. 1.

Bernard CHARBONNEL

a fighter pilot specializing in ground attacks, “Charbo” mainly flew on Jaguar and subsequently Mirage 2000 nuclear aircraft. he shares a passion for old planes with “ponpon”, and they jointly collect certain trea-sures from the past. “Charbo” has 7,000 flight hours behind him.

Christophe DEKETELAERE

Christophe, known as “douky”, carved out a career as a fighter pilot on Jaguar and alpha Jet planes before joining the team headed by Jacques Bothelin. he is passionately interested in kitesurfing, snowboarding and diving. he has 5,400 flight hours under his belt.

François PONSOT

a Mirage F1 and Mirage 2000 fighter pilot as well as a Mirage 2000 flight presenter at international air shows, “ponpon” has nonetheless remained pas-sionately dedicated to vintage aviation. he devotes most of his leisure time to flying and restoring leg-end ary planes (stampe, t6, zlin and other warbirds). “ponpon” has 6,200 flight hours to his credit.

Frédéric SCHWEBEL

“Fredo” is the latest addition to the team. he has flown Jaguar, Mirage 2000 and rafale fighter planes. his experience to date includes several seasons performing two-plane aerobatics demonstrations (pairing a fighter plane with a light aircraft), and he has over 6,200 flight hours behind him.

Philippe LALOIX

after a career as a fighter pilot on Mirage F1 and alpha Jet aircraft, “sheriff” became part of the patrouille de France, where he stayed for five years. in 1998, he joined Jacques Bothelin’s team and flew four seasons on a pC-7, before switching to an l-39C. he has over 8,600 flight hours to his credit. an acknowledged expert in formation aerobatics, he is both the Breitling Jet team instructor and a pilot capable of replacing any of the others within the team.

Patrick MARCHAND

patrick Marchand, known as “gaston”, enjoyed a career as a fighter pilot on Jaguar and alpha Jet planes. he performed flight demonstrations over a five-year period as part of a pair of Jaguars, the “raffin Mikes”. he has clocked up 5,000 flight hours.

CrossBow

BlaCKBird

aVenger

BlaCK diaMond

arrowhead

roCKet

EXTREMELY RIGOROUS TRAINING

in early March, the team begins training in order to put together the program of demonstrations that it will perform at each of its appearances. pilots train at a rate of two to three flights per day, four days a week. each training session lasts around 40 minutes and generates tremendous nervous tension (involving planes flying at around 3 meters from the others, sometimes less, at almost 700 km/h and coping with accel-erations of up to 8 g). each flight is prepared, video-recorded and followed by a debriefing – an indispensable prerequisite if one is to progress to the point of perfection viewed from the ground. the Breitling Jet team maintains this rhythm until May, when demonstrations begin. the team then gives two to three shows a week and therefore does not need any additional training sessions. in parallel with the airborne training, the pilots engage in specific physical preparation on the ground in order to enhance their ability to withstand the stresses and strains related to actually flying, including sudden accelerations, acute nervous tension and a breathtaking pace.

A BREATHTAKING SIGHT

Based in dijon, France, the Breitling Jet team performs inter-nationally in around fifty demonstrations each season, at air shows, Formula 1 grand prix races, major sports events, etc. in these dazzling performances, a unique association of speed, precision and audacity matches the sheer beauty of the figures presented. the aerobatics program presented by the Breitling Jet team generally lasts about 20 minutes. the figures per-formed by the seven l-39C planes are highlighted by a (bio-degradable) smoke-trail system, and also enhanced by a musical accompaniment that further heightens the intensity of the sight. during the demonstration, the planes alternate figures perfor-med while flying in formation – at around 2.5 meters from each other – with formation breaks, crossovers and all manner of original and spectacular maneuvers...

A few stats speeds range from 700 km/h at the start of the figure to less than 100 km/h at the peak. the pilots are subjected to accelerations of up to 8 g (the person has the impression of weighing eight times his normal weight). the minimum altitude is 30 m (100 ft) for flyovers, 100 m (330 ft) for aerobatics, while the maximum altitude is 1,500 m (5,000 ft).

Well-defined roles while the leader traces out the flight paths in the sky and ensures safety in respect to the ground, it is the team members who guarantee symmetry and safe distances between the planes. this genuine team effort calls for complete mutual trust.

THE FIGURES

360° turn (in duck formation) synchro pair percussion

1/4 clover apache roll

Vertical split Volute + barrel roll

opposite barrel roll

loop and “B one” bend

Barrel roll

loop Final break

A DAZZLING FINALE

to accompany the “final break”, the spectacular figure marking the end of the shows, the Breitling Jet team has innovated by implementing a system of flares – the thermal decoys generally dropped by planes during combat to confuse heat-seeking missiles. the result is a firework display that accentuates the visual magic of the performance.

CHRONOSPACE “BREITLING JET TEAM” LIMITED EDITION

in tribute to the stunning feats of the Breitling Jet team, Breitling has created a 1,000-piece limited edition of its Chronospace instrument for professionals, featuring a silvery dial adorned with the team logo and with a l-39C albatros jet. Based on cutting-edge electronics, the Chronospace offers a full range of functions that are useful to elite pilots – including 1/100th of a second chronograph with split times, alarm, countdown, dual timezone display with independent alarm, and Coordinated universal time (utC). it is powered by a Breitling superQuartz™ movement that is ten times more accurate than an ordinary quartz caliber. the lCd screens are equipped with a high-performance nVg-compatible backlighting system guaranteeing optimal read-off by day or night. the double caseback is designed to amplify sound signals up to a level of 90 decibels. the circular slide rule serving to handle all calculations relating to airborne navigation is activated by rotating the star-shaped bezel – an original and extremely ergonomic design. the satin-brushed woven steel aero Classic bracelet accentuates the original character of this sturdy, efficient and accurate wrist instrument. an exceptional chronograph, for an exceptional team.

Movement: Breitling Caliber 78, officially chronometer-certified by the CosC, superQuartz™ (thermocompensated quartz), analog and lCd 12/24-hour nVg compatible display. 1/100th of a second chronograph with split times, alarm, countdown, dual timezone display with independent alarm, Coordinated universal time (utC), perpetual calendar, battery end-of-life indicator. Case: steel. water-resistant to 5 bars. Cambered sapphire crystal, glareproofed on both sides. Bidirectional rotating pinion bezel (slide rule). screwed in caseback with resonance chamber. diameter: 48 mm. Dial: stratus silver. Bracelet: woven steel aero Classic.

photos, illustrations and texts:© Breitling sa © alain ernoult © KatsuhiKo toKunaga

all rights reserVed

apaChe aViation • 9, rue de l’aViation • 21121 darois • FranCe

01/2011 • printed in switzerland • © 2011 Breitling sa

www.breitling-Jet-teAM.coM