Alternative Duo’s new aerial ballet inspired by Skyhawks
In January 2023 Rene Fournier sent me a French magazine article introducing a new formation display team – The Alternative Duo – flying a superb aerial ballet with a pair of Fournier RF4s and apparently inspired in part by the Skyhawks Aerobatic Team. I was, needless to say, curious and excited, and a little bit taken that my display from the 1980s had inspired a new generation! This is their story, and I wish them every success in the future.
Benoit David and Anthony Bézard have been working together since 2017 at Air Projet, an aeronautical company founded by Anthony in 2015 at Dijon-Darois aerodrome and specialising in engineering, design and maintenance services for the light aviation and vintage aviation sectors. Both had separately dreamed of creating a display team long before they knew each other. Both of them had apparently come across the Skyhawks Aerobatics display video on the internet several years earlier and watched it many times, with the thought …. “maybe one day”! So they began flying a simple formation sequence with DR1050s, and made an unplanned debut at aeroclub events at Darois and Dinan 2019, with hugely positive feedback.
At the end of 2020, on a whim, Air Projet bought the RF4D G-AVNZ used by Skyhawks, transferred it to the French register and discovered what “an extraordinary machine” the RF4 is. The plane was in good condition but needed some updating, so they set about completely overhauling the fuselage: carpentry repair, mechanics, marouflage and painting.
Air Projet then purchased RF4D No 4012, which had spent forty years in Noumea in New Caledonia and was transported by air to Darois. The restoration of this aircraft was intensive and took 800 hours good teamwork! As Benoit put it “everything went – carpentry, engine, mechanics. This is the opportunity for us to adapt the aircraft to its future mission: formation flying.”
Both aircraft were airworthy and sporting new livery by 3 September 2022 – just a week before the Club Fournier International gathering rally in Blois. “Team Birthday Salute” had updated their formation flypast for Rene Fournier’s 101st Birthday at the event, but yet again the weather stopped the UK aircraft from crossing the channel. Benoit and Antony stepped in and presented their brand new display for Rene flying their Jodel well known routine for the first time with their RF4D.
It received an enthusiastic response from the club members and the pair returned to Dijon even more motivated!!
Alternative Duo launched their unique formation display team at Salon de Provence on 20 May 2023 and enjoyed a busy airshow season. 30 year old Benoit David is the Duo Leader. He has 1,800 hours and has been flying since he was 2 months old! Wingman is 39 year old Anthony Bezard with 1,600 hours.
I first met Benoit and Anthony in April 2023 at Rene’s 102nd Birthday party at Blois, having travelled by car to be sure of getting there! Mike Dentith (my wingman in the original Skyhawks Team) and Trevor Bailey were the only two Fournier owners from the UK to dodge the bad weather over the channel. Mike and I really enjoyed meeting the “youngsters” and wishing them well! I travelled back to France in September to watch them display at Meeting Aérien, Dinan and was truly impressed with their presentation. I also got to sit in my old aircraft, felt immediately at home and wanted to go flying straight away!
The Alternative Duo aerial ballet
The Duo climb to their start height of 1,500 ft and commence the display with the tricky line abreast formation into two successive loops. Ben then turns away to use the B axis straight towards the audience with Anthony in close attendance. The formation then breaks into a series of following turning circles and a nicely executed tailchase segment that includes following loops and barrel rolls. It was clear they had thought carefully about keeping position in front of the audience.
Rejoins are always difficult to achieve quickly but the guys again show thought with careful positioning by Ben in the lead Fournier and Anthony making clever use of cutting corners to catch up. The closing phase of their presentation uses the very exciting step-down formation. This really shows of the graceful lines and performance of Rene Fournier’s brainchild as a super-efficient aerobatic motor-glider. Well done guys ..!!