The Voltige Victor is an aerobatic team formed in the 1990s and 2000s by two fighter pilots from the 3/30 Lorraine fighter squadron, flying Mirage F1s.
For a decade, they left crowds in awe with their aerial displays. Indeed, the great agility of the aerobatic maneuvers performed by these two older-generation aircraft, which lacked electrical flight controls, in (very) tight formation, made this team unique and surprising.
But on March 10, 2003, the team suffered a brutal and tragic end: a mid-air collision resulted in the deaths of both pilots.
Today, we can only reminisce about the feats accomplished by Lieutenants Guillaume Coffin and Michel Vernat by watching their videos online:
The Split-Air team now seeks to represent this aerobatic team and its spirit in virtual airshows, using the DCS: Mirage F1 module by AERGES.
In 2024, the Voltige Victor participated in several virtual airshows. The VSAF kicked off the season in August, and the Victor Voltige team presented the 2023 demo, with Stub and Tom at the controls.
Following the VSAF, Robin replaced Tom as wingman, and the team took on the challenge of modifying their figure sequences for the end-of-year shows. The goal was to integrate more figures and passes without extending the demonstration, pushing the aircraft further in its flight envelope while drawing inspiration from various figures seen in real-life demonstrations.
The new display included high G turns and climbs (6G in tight formation), afterburner passes, and breathtaking crossovers. The difficulty of piloting the Mirage F1, along with the absence of avionics and modern flight control systems, made the team’s preparation for the last airshows of the year challenging, but the result was impressive.
On December 7, the Voltige Victor were present at the final and largest airshow of the 2024 season, the VIAF, with a clear objective in mind. The event organizers decided to set up a voting system, allowing the public to choose their favorite performances, with trophies awarded to the winning teams.
It was with immense joy that the Voltige Victor won the prize for best duo performance. The team ended 2024 in the most spectacular way, but their activity didn’t stop there.
The Voltige Victor team wanted to perform one last demonstration, this time at the Château de Versailles, with unique views from the aircraft. You can find this demonstration in its entirety on the Split-Air YouTube channel.