Airplane crash in Le Lavandou. Tribute to D Berger
Categorized in French Riviera
August 16, 2024, we are preparing, as we do every year, to attend the annual show of the Patrouille de France in Lavandou, in connection with the anniversary and festivities surrounding the Provence landings. We did not expect to experience this disaster of an air crash in Lavandou.
The Patrouille de France show in Lavandou takes place every year, preceded by aerial demonstrations from other aircraft, such as a German aerobatic plane, the Extra 330SC of the French Air Force, or in 2023, a demonstration of the Rafale Solo Display, and in 2024 during the training sessions, the Fouga Magister.
The Fouga Magister, piloted in August 2024 by Didier Berger, a passionate and experienced pilot, former member of the French Air Force, had impressed spectators during the training sessions held on August 14, 2024, above the Anglade beach in Lavandou."
What is the Fouga Magister, the airplane of Didier Berger?
The Fouga CM.170 Magister is an aircraft that served with the Patrouille de France for 16 years (from 1964 to 1980). It was chosen by the PAF for its excellent qualities, such as its maneuverability and reliability, and also because it is a French aircraft. One of the most memorable features of this aircraft is its distinctive V-shaped tail.
During the annual Patrouille de France show in Le Lavandou on August 16, 2024, as planned, Didier Berger began his aerial demonstration in the second part of the show, following the Air Force aerobatic aircraft's performance. The spectators, along with ourselves, were impressed by the speed of this vintage aircraft, its power, its low noise level, and its stunning chrome fuselage.
We did not intend to film
Initially, we didn't plan to film because we had already done so during the training sessions. We wanted to enjoy the show instead. But when the Fouga Magister began a very tight turn, we felt that the situation could become tragic, so we started filming. Five seconds later, Didier Berger's plane crashed into the sea, and this catastrophe was captured by our smartphone, which was then in video recording mode.
We were stunned, shocked, and bewildered... We couldn't comprehend what had just happened, and around us, for a few long seconds, there was silence, then screams. The moment was truly distressing.
With a video of excellent quality (4K, 60 frames/s) capturing the moments just before the crash and the crash itself, we felt it was important to share this video with TV channels, particularly BFM, France Info, and TF1, so that it could be used to aid the investigation.
Screenshot of our video, shown on TF1 TV channel, August 17th, 2024.
(Replay TF1)
Tribute to Didier Berger
On this page of our website, we wanted to pay tribute to Didier Berger, a passionate and generous pilot who sought to share his love of aviation with as many people as possible.
Didier Berger purchased the Fouga Magister aircraft upon leaving the Air Force and, within two years, restored it to flying condition!
He amazed thousands of spectators with his exceptional piloting skills and the ease with which he performed highly technical and visually stunning maneuvers in his Fouga Magister.
As spectators, we lose an extraordinary pilot, but in the sky above Lavandou, we gain a star. Every time we look up at the sky above Lavandou, we will think of this pilot who left a lasting impression on our memories.
