William Molinié, edited by Gauthier Delomez 08:56, June 03, 2022

Air Force fighter pilots carried out a mission this Wednesday in the sky of Paris to recognize the route of the next July 14 parade.

Europe 1 boarded to witness the final preparations of these professionals ready to dazzle the spectators during the next military parade.

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They were seen and heard in the Parisian sky on Wednesday afternoon.

Nine helicopters circled at low speed above the Champs-Élysées.

Air Force fighter pilots carried out a visual reconnaissance mission of the route of the next July 14 air parade.

On this occasion, Europe 1 flew with them to attend the last essential preparations, a month and a half before the big day.

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First stage: Europe 1 embarks from the Vélizy-Villacoublay air base in the Hauts-de-Seine with Alexandre, the corvette captain, under the roar of the engines.

Ten minutes later, a right turn.

La Défense is just opposite, it's a trap for all pilots.

"Yes, there are 18 degrees between the Grande Arche de La Défense and the axis of the Champs-Élysées", notes Alexandre.

“Fortunately, there is the front esplanade which allows you to focus well on the avenue, so that compensates for these famous 18 degrees”, continues the corvette captain.

A location to "know the limits in altitude"

On July 14, Captain Thibault will be at the controls of a Rafale.

It's her first fashion show, so everything has to be calibrated to the nearest millimetre.

"The trap is above all the antennas, the work cranes ...", he notes at the microphone of Europe 1. "You have to see them before to know the limits in altitude especially."

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On the ground, General Louis Péna supervises.

He is the conductor of this 2022 air parade. "There are a lot of things that we are learning and training for that are going to be implemented as part of July 14, but just to be beautiful in front of the French and respect the timing as we were asked," he said, adding: "Beautiful at the right time because it is a very privileged moment, first for the nation in the sense broad, but singularly for aviators."

This year, 92 planes and helicopters will fly over the most beautiful avenue in the world.

The starting signal will be given by the usual signal: that of the President of the Republic at the very moment when he sits down in his chair.