On Sunday, March 1st, 2026, at 4:00 pm, the Mégacastillet cinema will premiere the documentary “Athos, at the Heart of the Patrouille de France”, which chronicles a year in the prestigious aerial acrobatics formation. Former mechanic of the patrol, Chief Warrant Officer Marie, who now works at the Perpignan recruitment center (Cirfa), will be present. Meeting.
Chief Warrant Officer Marie worked for 35 years in the Air and Space Army, including six years as a mechanic in the Patrouille de France. “When I was recruited to the unit in 2019, I was the third female mechanic to join. I left in July 2025, while the filming of the movie had already started,” she said. The film in question is “Athos, at the Heart of the Patrouille de France” by Mathieu Giombini, which takes its title from the radio call sign of the nine pilots (including one replacement) in the acrobatic formation.
“They filmed the opening scene in October 2024, during the end-of-season ceremony,” recalls Chief Warrant Officer Marie. “Every year, on this occasion, three pilots leave the patrol and three others join. It’s a highlight. For me, it was doubly moving because I knew I would be leaving soon.”
No downtime for the showcase squadron based in Salon-de-Provence. While closing out the summer season, during which the pilots perform about 50 shows in France and abroad, the ceremony also marks the start of winter training. An intense training regimen (two to three flights per day) during which the film focuses on the immersion of the new “Athos”, who all come from fighter squadrons. In the background, there are around forty mechanics working around them.
“The director wanted to make something very visual,” continues Chief Warrant Officer Marie. “There are incredible aerial shots from a helicopter or from a transport plane, with the Alphajets flying very close by. The film also shows the pilots’ daily lives. We really get a behind-the-scenes look at the patrol.”
The documentary also addresses the accident that occurred in Saint-Dizier (Haute-Marne) on March 25, 2025. On that day, two patrol planes collided. The pilots managed to eject and survived despite their injuries. The incident, which occurred during filming, was a test for the patrol. “They wanted to show the resilience and cohesion of this team,” explains Chief Warrant Officer Marie.
The former mechanic, who has just joined the team at the Information and Recruitment Center of the Armed Forces (Cirfa) in Perpignan, will be present this Sunday for the film premiere at 4:00 pm at the Mégacastillet cinema. She will answer questions from the audience about her experience in the patrol, as well as about the professions in the Air Force and how to enter. “We want to recruit. We don’t hide that,” she confides. Currently, the Air and Space Army is looking to fill 4,000 positions in over 50 professions.
