Jean-Luc “Chuck” Beyrie
Thank you for your time. Firstly please introduce yourself to us, and tell us about your aviation background.
Not so easy to introduce himself.
My name is Jean-Luc Beyrie, nickname « Chuck ». I’m from the South-West of France, Nogaro exactly, south of Toulouse and north of Lourdes in the foothills of the Pyrenees mountains. This place is famous for its Racetrack (the oldest permanent Racetrack in France) but also for its flying club (that’s famous in France for the Gliders) and also a place of d'Artagnan the musketeer.
I flew in that flying club for the first time in July 1975 on gliders and then on light aircraft. I studied as an Aéronautical engineer in Toulouse and then joined the French Air Force for 20 years as Mirage F1 and M2000 Air Defence pilot. I was also a flight instructor 2 times in the Fighting school in Tours and once as a special adviser in a foreign country.
After finishing my career on EMB 312 Tucano in the French Academy, I flew as an instructor in the flying clubs. One flying club was in Pierrefeu-du-Var which specialised in pilot training for people with paraplegic disabilities.
Then I flew in Africa on beech 90/200 and came back to France to join the aerobatic team on Yak-52/54 as instructor Leader. After some years in that team, I flew on Citation CJ1 and went back to Africa to fly Beech 350. Then I started a special mission as ATR 42 Captain for 10 years for a foreign government.
I returned back to France in 2018 on my Private Citation CJ1 and rejoined the European
Fighter Museum, and its Bronco that I never abandoned since 2006.
As you can see, Aviation is my life and after 14 000 flying hours, I’m still not a good pilot, only an old pilot still alive…
Could you tell us a bit about the aircraft you fly? It’s history? How did it end up in France?
« Ahhh….the Bronco (also Bronko) originally referred to a horse that bucks or is untrained. »
Have a look on Wikipedia at « Bucking horse » and you will have an idea what’s the OV-10 Bronco like.
The OV-10 Bronco is an American twin-turboprop light attack and observation aircraft. It was developed in the 1960s initially for the US Navy, then for Marines and Air force as a special aircraft for counter-insurgency (COIN) combat and one of its primary missions was forward air control (FAC). 471 OV-10s had been built for the Vietnam war and for some foreign countries.
As I’m used to saying, it’s a swiss knife, the one aircraft to do everything. It’s a STOL (Short Take-Off and Landing) aircraft that can land on rough unprepared airfields and aircraft carriers (no cable, no catapult). It is the only aircraft to have 2 Maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) one for rough unprepared airfields and one for normal airfields. The Bronco could carry every armament up to Sidewinders (short-range air-to-air missiles) underwings and was equipped with a Gatling gun in place of the belly tank or at the rear part of the cargo door. It could also carry 2800 pounds of Cargo, 5 paratroops or 2 stretchers and one doctor. It could perform SAR missions to rescue pilots who ejected over Vietnam by landing on the walking trails in the jungle. The Bronco could also perform target towing when equipped with a winch for towed targets and one safety observer. It is also a perfect photo ship with a room for one photographer and one video man just behind in the cargo for Air To Air photo /video shoots.
Our aircraft is an Ex German air force OV-10B built-in 1969 as an OV-10A. As it was the end of the Vietnam war some of them were modified and sold to Germany as OV-10B. Germany equipped them with an additional jet engine J85 on the Upper wing to gain power for towing targets for the fighter jets. Over time they realized that it consumed more fuel than power input, so that jet engine had disappeared rapidly. As the city of Ravensburg Germany and Montélimar France are twin cities, they offered this BRONCO to the Museum. They offered to fly it from Germany to our airfield in December 1991.
Lucky Museum….
A second one was offered but not in a flying condition and had to be disassembled and carried by road.
The Bronco performed its first Airshow in 1997 and it will its 25th airshow season this year. We will have a special decoration for our 2022 Airshow Tour that we will reveal at the museum to spotters, media and guests on April the 30th.
What’s Bronco like to fly/display?
Bronco is a very pleasant aircraft to fly it is very stable in most parts of the flight. It was made to fly at low speeds with high bank angles. We are used to saying that’s an Alphajet with Turbine engines.
The only thing that I always remember from my Bronco instructor was to be smooth on controls and to don’t pull on them when he was « bucking ». It’s really a wild horse if you pass the limits. He will kick you like a Bronco that you don’t control.
For the Display, it’s really easy to perform because it manoeuvers tight, really tight. The flight domain of the Bronco remains in oblique and horizontal evolutions. As soon as you make a vertical loop, you will degrade your energy and as the wing profile seems more like a hammer, it will be difficult to regain it.
For my display, this aircraft moved so tight that I stay just in front of the public. For our safety and « facility » we forbid all hard manoeuver nose down in the display. We can do a half vertical loop but not the half-loop down to avoid a manoeuver not being well controlled. The Bronco is a unique aircraft, only 20 to 30 are still flying in the world, it’s a part of aéronautical Patrimoine and we have to save it as we have to save our life. Airshows are fragile after that COVID Pandemic and the anti-aviation collective, so it’s the duty of the pilots to display safe.
Any airshow this year you’re looking forward to the most?
When I have a look at our previous calendar, all airshows are the best.
This aircraft is so STOL that we are used to go to airfields with only 390 m grass strips or in Istres Airbase with a paved runway of 5500 m. To be in a Paris Airshow, Berlin Airshow or Farnborough is pleasant for our Non-Profit Association, but it’s important to pass our passion to young people in the flying clubs in small airfields.
You have, in England, like us in France an aéronautical culture. We have to pass it to our young people.
In 2022, I will still give you the name of « JERSEY AIRSHOW ».
Why….
Because in 1997, it was nearly the first airshow that the Bronco participated in. It will be for us the 25th anniversary of our Bronco at the Airshows, but also the 25th anniversary of the Jersey International Air Display which will take place on the 8th of September this year. We are proud to be the oldest aircraft in that airshow and to have full confidence in the organizers. Every year, Event Organiser Mike Higgins says that the Bronco is his aircraft.
Do you have any favourite moments during your time as the Bronco demo pilot?
You know, I’m pretty shy in general but sharing with the public is important. Is there anything more important than the eyes of a child that shine when they see an airplane and its pilot? The public wants to see the aircraft closer, they paid for that… The Airshow had to stay a family party and, you in England, you know how to do it very well, much more than here in France.
When do you start your training and how often do you practice before the airshow season?
The rules had changed in France last year and from now we have to perform a minimum of 3 training flights before we can participate in an airshow. It’s a pretty good thing for safety and especially for the pilot to be more confident during the display. I will not hide from you the fact that for the first display in the first Airshow of the year, I’m a little bit careful and that maybe this anxiety allows me this caution. Usually when the big winter aircraft maintenance is finished, near march, we prepare the aircraft for the flight test and if all is good, I make my first training. You know, it’s not the display flight the more difficult, it’s to adapt your evolutions to the condition of the day. Temperature, altitude of the airfield, humidity, your fatigue, the Crowd, the general atmosphere, those who break your quiet « bubble » 30 minutes before you climb in the aircraft, the light incident or failure when you start the engines…etc I hope to keep a good experience and feeling on that’s unexpected elements.
Any demo team from Europe you like?
I love them all and it’s always a great pleasure to see them on the European Airshow Tour. Sure that for us it’s easier to see the Patrouille de France than Red Arrows or the Frecce tricolori. I live only 15 km from the Airbase of the Patrouille de France so I see them nearly every day. Any National team had their specificities but the spirit is always the same. « To show the best » But I’m always impressed about all the small amateur teams who, with any type of aircraft and no financial resources , can make a great show.
When you don’t perform as a display pilot, what do you do? What does your week look like?
A pilot is my job and usually, I’m at the stick but due to the COVID, i’s a little bit quiet period. So as I’m not so busy at that time, I prepare the 2022 airshow season by contacting the organizers, I prepare the 25th-anniversary decoration for the aircraft, also the special tiger decoration for the Cambrai airshow in September and the 2 charitable operation airshow season.
I do not get bored….
Could you talk us through your display sequence? Any favourite manoeuvre?
As I mentioned previously, the purpose of my display is to show the capability of the Bronco in its real use as a counter-insurgency aircraft(COIN). The second objective is also to stay in front of the public, close to them as if they were in the aircraft. They need also to hear the noise of the turboprop Garrett which is really special and very important for the show. Add to that a good vintage rock music from that Vietnam period (I made 2 special musical mixes for the day display and another one for the Sunset display). Now, you can make your show for the public, and the conditions are good.
I begin my display directly from take-off by spotting my target in horizontal turns smooth and tight. And from now its sequence of hard manoeuvers as well as simulated gun/bombing attacks as well as half loops, barrel rolls, hard descents and turns…etc
The aircraft is equipped with orange flashing lights in the canons to simulate the guns fire and with the original smoke generator, we spot the targets.
My favourite manœuvre is perhaps when my feet are above my head….laugh…
Barrell roll is really fine for that and it’s one of the more beautiful manoeuvres for the public.
Could you tell us a bit about your new night show? What can the audience expect to see?
It’s the result of 4 years of work, not easy and with many doubts. So many documents for the administration for the validation and mainly the COVID pandemic that delayed operations.
We must remind you that we are an association(non-profit association) that created that Museum and whose aim is to preserve the aéronatical heritage, especially European Fighter aircraft. We had no funds and as far as I know, there are Generous Donors only in the legends. (Note that as we are in France declared as « General Utility », you can have a refund of 66% on your annual taxes if you donate)
We had a reflection on the Sunset show looking in some video and asking some guys making that in France. The first news was catastrophic because they put fire every time with their hot magnesium-based pyrotechnics. So we stopped the sunset Show studies. And once in one airshow, I met a friend, ex-Air Force, working for Standby Mercura, a European leader in light signalling for safety vehicles like Police and Fire trucks. And he told me: « Why you don’t equip the BRONCO with flashing lights ? ». That’s the origins….Thanks, Arnaud and Standby Mercura who became our partners. As we were installing the different flashing lights, I found the cold pyrotechnics which was of the best effect and really safe. We left for another year to make rocket pods based on the real Bronco pods. The new pods permit us to have all the Pyro cartridges outside the aircraft for storage. After 4 years of work and the approval of the technical file by the French civilian authorities DGAC, we were authorized to carry test in order to receive the approval.
Our show is sequences of 4 pyrotechnics ignitions with flashing lights on the cellular of the Bronco accompanied by music. The purpose of that show is to make a clever mix of flashing lights and pyrotechnics on the aircraft.
I forgot to tell you that we have fireworks on the ground during the sunset show….not huge fireworks but enough to give more to the show.
If one day you could choose any airshow to display at, which one would it be?
I think that it would be Air Aventure in Oshkosh USA with our OV-10 Bronco. But I think that’s a dream because to do that we need a big sponsor…why not!!! We are not used to coming to England and the airshows there. We would really like to come and perform there but we are unknown. So far we have only displayed in Jersey for the past 25 years thanks to Sir Mike Higgins.
Perhaps this interview will convince some organizers to get in touch with us via our Museum website and book us for their airshows in the future.
What advice would you have for someone who after watching your display wants to learn to fly?
Learning to fly is not difficult and can be done by everybody. Women, men, younger or older. If you can’t afford it, go and try gliders, it’s cheaper, but it’s a starting point. The only thing you need is to be passionate. So go to the aeronautical school or flyings club to register and practice. Perhaps for you, it’s a new professional life that begins.
Thank you very much for your time! Any final words to our readers?
Thank you to you too to give me the opportunity to share my passion. I hope to see you during the Airshows and to present you this fabulous and amazzing aircraft that is the OV-10 Bronco of the European Fighter Museum in Montelimar France.
Go to airshows with your family and your kids, it’s really a wonderful spectacle which will always amaze you. By going to airshows you will also participate in maintaining the flying heritage.
What could be more beautiful than stars in children’s eyes….and adult’s eyes….
ENJOY AIRSHOWS !!!!!!
« Chuck »
