Known throughout the world, even if its performances abroad and particularly in France are rare, the famous Green March Patrol is the demonstration team of the Royal Moroccan Air Force. It is also Morocco's official national patrol.
Its spectacular acrobatics and choreography thrilled the Toulouse public at the last edition of the "Des étoiles et des Ailes" airshow at Toulouse Francazal airport.
It flies eight Cap 232s. The pilots are known for taking off and flying with the planes connected by cords usually used by parachutists, for automatic opening jumps to attach the lower end of the opening strap (the "SOA," attached at the top in the plane). During the jump, the strap tightens and opens the parachute bag, which begins to deploy, and then under the pull, the cord breaks, hence the name "break cord." The skill of the Moroccan pilots is to connect the planes, then take off in formation without breaking the cords.
The patrol was created in 1984, led by Jean-Pierre Otelli. It celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. Its name refers to the "Green March" carried out on November 6, 1975. The Green March was a large peaceful march from Morocco to Spanish Sahara, launched by King Hassan II to reclaim it. It mobilized about 350,000 Moroccan civilian volunteers.
Throughout its history, the Moroccan patrol has used different planes, including FFA AS-202 Bravos, and Cap 10s, 230s, 231s, and now 232s.
The aviators of the Green March perform several exceptional maneuvers. Besides the takeoff with cords, they are also the only ones to perform the "mirror loop": a loop executed by two planes facing each other, one in normal flight and the other upside down.
Photo Maxime Garcia, Spot’Air.
