European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - August 27, 1959, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Fighting men of nato a flying sergeant of the French air Force m 0paumier Center gets briefing before Takeoff. Making pre flight inspection with Crew chief. Claude Paumier 25-year-old noncom Jet Pilot passed up the family business for a career in the air and eventual membership in his country s proudest aviation team at the age of nine Paumier decided he wanted to be an aviator. Here he straps himself into mystery in cockpit before a Mission. Flying sergeants Paumier right and Jacques abandon walk to flight line with casually Clad ground crewmen at Squadron s base near Dijon. Paumier and his wife Yvette live in a housing development not far from his base. Paumier facing camera and other sergeant pilots make up a Bridge foursome Between flights the stars and strips 27, 1959 by Don Walter staff writer there has never been a doubt inthe mind of sgt Claude Paumier re Garding his career in life. He decided Long ago at the age of nine in fact that he wanted to Fly an air plane. At first it did t go so Well with his father who was in the radio and electric business in Metz France and had hoped his son would follow in his footsteps. But then thought the father nearly every boy thinks about being Pilot so he let matters follow their  25, Paumier is a flying sergeant a member of no. 1 Squadron of the 2cl air Wing of the French air Force. He flies France s fastest Jet fighter in Normal operation the Wys Tere in a with which his Squadron is fully  s More Paumier this year received a special Honor. He was selected As member of the French Jet precision Fly ing team the Patrouille de  these Days when the ser Geant flies Over Metz or nearby Nancy where his parents now live he imagines How life might have been had he chosen a career As a radio Man. He s not sorry he took to the  is my life he said at base Adrienne 102, near Dijon Home of the no 1 Squadron also called the Gigogne Stork  has decided to be a career Man in the French air Force will remain in serv ice As Long As he can and Hopes to belying jets for a Good Many years to come. Flying sergeants Are not uncommon in the French air Force. The Patrouille has two such pilots. The others except for the two leaders who Are captains Are  the French air Force the function of the Pilot and his rank Are two entirely different things explained the Patrouille s Leader capt Bernard Capillon. It Isa matter of How the Pilot is recruited and the training program he has  officers Are commissioned following training at the French air Force Academy. This is called direct  in indirect recruitment the applicant for Pilot training is admitted upon passing an examination then is sent directly to flying  rates Are higher for officers. But with Low rental housing flying pay and other benefits sergeants fare nearly Aswell. According to the French air minis try there Are approximately three sergeants for every five officers among pilots. Flying sergeants enlist for seven years. They May then apply for a year s training at the air Force Academy after which second lieutenant s commissions Are awarded. After five years service and upon successfully completing examinations a sergeant also can become a second lieutenant in the  flying sergeant s Basic pay ranges from 65,000 francs about $135 to 82,000 francs about $170 per month depending upon marital status. The latter would be for men with two children. With five the stars and stripes is photos by Ted Rohde years of service pay increases to 76,000 francs for a Bachelor to 93,000 for a mar ried Man with two children. Retirement benefits Are available after 15 years service for a sergeant. The proportional pension which would be Avail Able after 15 years would amount to approximately 55,000 francs per month. Normal retirement age for a career Marl is 45  began Pilot training at the age of 19. Like most other trainees of a few years ago he was sent to the ., where he spent 19 months at Usan bases in Florida and Texas. The French air Force has since discontinued sending trainees to the  Or Canada having developed sufficient facilities of its own. Were Paumier joining the air Force today he probably would be sent to Mara Kech Morocco for preflight training. His first assignment was a tour in Oran Algeria. During his two years there he flew the Oragan fighter then Standar with the French air Force. He now has More than. 1,400 hours flying time of which More than 600 Are in jets. As a member of the elite Patrouille Paumier spends about half of his flying time practising for precision flying performances or in actually appearing at air shows. He is one of two pilots who Fly any position in the nine plane formation. He alternates with another Pilot As stand Fay Man in the 10th plane that always accompanies the Patrouille. As the team is a Volunteer group its pilots Are Busy flying operational Mission when there in t a show to get ready for. And even during the show season there May be night flying missions or North Atlantic treaty organization Maneu vers. The sergeant who is married lives Only a Short Way from the base on the outskirts of Dijon a City of 140,000 population in East Central France. He has a three room apartment in a new housing development the cite capitaine Valentin built especially for air Force personnel. Paumier s wife Yvette was herself a sergeant in the air Force an air woman stationed at the Dijon base where she met her husband. She left the service shortly after their marriage to devote full time to being a housewife. She s Good Cook the strapping Paumier de clares. You can see for yourself i be been putting on weight Ever since we be been  the Paumier drive a Renault Dau Phine spend weekends going on country drives or picnics or visiting his folks in Nancy. He has 45 clays leave a year. His Day starts at 7 in the morning ends at5 inv if there is no night flying. Paumier Hopes some Day his Squadron will be equipped with new super mys Teres the bigger faster version of his present plane and similar to Usas f101. For the time being though he s satisfied and feels he s accomplishing his aim in life. Flying with the Patronille he belongs to the most glamorous element of the French air Force. Page 13