Breitling Jet Team join A380 in formation flight over Toulouse

In the build-up to the massive Paris Air Show 2011, the Breitling Jet Team joined the iconic Airbus A380 for a formation flight over the Toulouse region.

The A380, with its 80-meter wingspan and 72-meter length, looked serene and majestic with its escort of seven Breitling Jet Team high performance display jets. With a mere wingspan of 9.5 meters each, the seven Czechoslovakian-designed Aero L-39C Albatros high-performance jets joined the giant of the skies for a flight lasting 50 minutes, averaging speeds of 500 km/h.

The flight took place the day before the Airexpo show at Muret-Lherm where both the Breitling Jet Team and the Airbus performed alongside other legendary display teams including the British Red Arrows.

The Breitling Jet Team is usually seen performing breathtaking displays at airshows and sporting events around the world. The seven L-39C jets fly within three meters of each other, at speeds of almost 750 km/h, with pilots enduring forces of up to 8G as they accelerate.

The leader of the Breitling Jet Team, Jacques Bothelin, has clocked up over 10,100 flight hours on 145 different aircraft types and has performed over 2700 demonstrations.

“Flying with the Airbus A380 was an awe-inspiring experience and I have achieved a dream with this flight,” Bothelin says.

The A380 is assembled in Toulouse after components have been constructed around the world. This impressive aircraft is also a highlight at any aviation event and returns to display this year at the Paris Air Show, where it was first unveiled in 2005.

The Breitling Jet Team joins the Paris International Air Show at Le Bourget Airport from June 20-26, and they’ll be joined there by the Breitling Wing walkers.

Yes, we too wish we were going.

All images are courtesy of Breitling.