Patrouille Acrobatique de France gears up for Yorktown flyover

Lieutenant General Mark D. "Shack" Shackelford climbs into the Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jet belonging to the Patrouille Acrobatique de France ("French Acrobatic Patrol") for an incentive flight. General Shackelford is the military deputy, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition at the Pentagon. The general was an experimental test pilot in the F-16, the first Air Force pilot to fly the YF-22 Advanced Tactical Fighter prototype, managed the F-22 Cockpit Development Program and directed the T-38, F-5, F-16 and F-22 programs. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Steven R. Doty)

Captain Francois Breton's helmet and G-suit hang on his aircraft awaiting him. Capitaine Breton has been a member of the Armee de l'Ai's Patrouille de France for 4 years and has more than 4,000 flight hours. (U.S. Air Force photo Senior Airman Steven R. Doty)

Ten Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jet's, belonging to the Patrouille Acrobatique de France ("French Acrobatic Patrol") of the French air force sit on the tarmac at Joint Base Andrews Naval Air Facilty Washington prior to a tribute flight over Yorktown, Va. The precision acrobatic team, commonly referred to as "Patrouille de France", provided incentive flights to Lt. Gen. Mark D. "Shack" Shackelford and Maj. Gen. Johnny A. Weida during the teams trip to the United States to perform the flyover celebrating an age-old alliance between the two countries. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Steven R. Doty)

Major General Johnny A. Weida readies himself for a ride with the Patrouille Acrobatique de France ("French Acrobatic Patrol"). The precision acrobatic team provided this unique incentive flight during their visit to the United States to perform a flyover at Yorktown, Va., as a tribute to the age-old alliance between the two countries. General Weida is the assistant deputy chief of staff for operations, plans and requirements, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C., and also served as a member of the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds aerial demonstration team at Nellis AFB, Nev. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Steven R. Doty)