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Daniel Heligoin:

Daniel started flying gliders at age 16, joined the French Air Force and, by joint agreement between the U.S. and France, was sent to the United States in 1953 to earn his pilot’s wings with the U.S. Air Force. While with the French Air Force, Daniel was a fighter pilot and instructor. He was also a member of the French Air Force Jet team (similar to the U.S. Thunderbirds), flying the Fouga Magister at the time. He then was one of the founders of the light aircraft Aerobatic Team where he flew Stamps, Zlins and then the CAP 10B and single place version at the time called the CAP 20. While in that Team, he taught aerobatics, flew airshows and competition. He was France Unlimited Aerobatic Champion in 1971 and 1972. He joined Avions Mudry (manufacturers of the CAP 10B) now CAP Aviation, at the beginning of 1972, as its chief demonstration pilot and was sent to the United States in the Summer of 1973, with Montaine, to market the CAP 10B. Daniel has more than 15,000 hours in everything from J3 Cub to Mirages, of which over 8000 have been flown performing aerobatics. Fellow pilots say Daniel is probably the most experienced formation pilot in the world today and probably amongst the ones with the most aerobatic instruction given. His enormous amount of experience as a pilot and instructor, his will to share his experience, his sense of entertainment, his enthusiasm and "joie de vivre" makes him one of the best air show pilots in the world.

Montaine Mallet:

Montaine began to fly while attending aeronautical engineering school at the age of 19, following a desire sparked reading the lives of the aviation pioneers such as Guillaumet, St. Exupery, Mermoz and others. In 1972, with a degree in engineering, she joined Avions Mudry as well. In her free time, she began studying aerobatics with Daniel and started to compete in the Spring of 1973. She was sent with Daniel to the United States as a technical adviser and to help demonstrate the CAP 10B to potential customers. Montaine has well over 8000 hours of flight time, of which over 3000 have been flown performing aerobatics.

Both Daniel & Montaine have been teaching aerobatics in the U.S. since 1973.

Their Instructors: 

Phil Schacht

A retired airline pilot, leaving in Spruce Creek, FL, Phil has been flying most of his life.  He owns a Taylorcraft and Pitts S1S and competes regularly in the advanced category.  After going through a standardization training with Mudry Aviation, he started to teach basic aerobatics in the CAP 10B in January of 1998.

John Schwenck

John is currently studying at Embry Riddle after working in the printing family business for the past 10 years.  He owns a CAP 10B with his brother in Illinois and a Pitts S1S which he keeps in Florida.  He teaches only in the Piper Cub, tailwheel and student pilots, since the Spring of 1999.

Daniel & Montaine train all their aerobatic instructors personally, not only to fly precise and safe aerobatics but also to teach precise and safe aerobatics.   All instructors are encouraged to fly competition and train on a regular basis with Daniel & Montaine to keep improving their skills as aerobatic pilots and instructors.   In addition, Daniel & Montaine fly with some of the students to insure that the quality instruction is maintained.

Daniel & Montaine have many years of experience in flying competition, teaching aerobatics and aerobatic instructors, flying airshows and doing airshow evaluation. This makes Mudry Aviation one of the most experienced and complete aerobatic schools in the World.

More on Daniel & Montaine:

Daniel flew CAP 10B demonstrations for the French Air Force (at Open Houses, aerobatic competitions and the Paris Air Show) and, after he retired from the Air Force in 1971, for Avions Mudry, France.

When Daniel and Montaine arrived in the United States in July 1973 to market the CAP 10B, Daniel began flying in Airshows while Montaine started to teach Aerobatics and competed in IAC competitions.

During his 20 years in the French Air Force, Daniel’s favorite duty was flying formation aerobatics. This is why he began to train Montaine to be the leader of a two plane formation team. They started to perform together in Airshows in the Northeast as the CAP 10 TEAM. They performed together for the first time in September 1973 at Orange County Airport, NY. 1999 was Daniel & Montaine’s 27th Airshow season.

1977 was their first big year as a Team, and included flying at the Cleveland National Airshow. In the Cleveland Airshow program, the CAP 10 TEAM was introduced as the FRENCH CONNECTION..and the name stayed.

The routine has since been regularly modified, and substantially improved. Special maneuvers such as the Mirror Image, the double heart and the Formation Snap Rolls, have been added throughout the years. Choreography with music and poetry, and the addition of colored wing tip smoke have recently given the team a new visibility...and Daniel and Montaine have yet to reveal their full bag of tricks.

The husband and wife team performs its unique aerial ballet from coast to coast at most of the major Airshows in North America, from Miami to San Diego, and from Halifax to Vancouver. Though flying mostly in North America, the French Connection Airshow has also performed in Mexico, Brazil, the Dominican Republic and has been featured on major TV networks world-wide. The French Connection Airshow has also been highlighted in national magazines, including the cover of the Smithsonian’s "Air & Space". They received the Bill Barber Award for showmanship in 1987 and the Rolly Cole Memorial Award for their contribution to Sport Aerobatics and the Airshow Industry in 1991. In 1993, they received the ICAS’ coveted Art Scholl Memorial Showmanship Award. In 1996, they were named General Aviation News & Flyer Readers Choice award.

In the Spring of 1992, Daniel & Montaine moved from Dutchess County Airport, NY, to Flagler County Airport in Florida where they opened a small FBO. This proved to be a better home base for Airshow travel, as well as for their aerobatic school, maintenance shop, sales and services of all CAP aircraft.

Their reasonable fees, high quality performances, availability for media and sponsor PR, make them the perfect act for any Airshow, from a small-budget show to a large-sized event.

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Copyright © 1999 Mudry Aviation Ltd.