The Aeronauts

Made by French production company Office de Radiodiffusion Télévision Française (ORTF) between 1967 and 1970, its original French title being Les chevaliers du ciel ("The Knights of the Sky"), The Aeronauts arrived on British screens in 1972 via the BBC, repackaged and dubbed for a new audience of budding aviation enthusiasts. What began as a colourful Franco-Belgian comic strip, Les Aventures de Tanguy et Laverdure, created by Jean-Michel Charlier and artist Albert Uderzo (of Astérix fame), found a whole new lease of life as a children’s TV adventure series – and, unexpectedly, became something of a cult favourite in the UK.

At its heart, The Aeronauts follows two French Air Force pilots: the straight-laced and dutiful Michel Tanguy (played by Jacques Santi) and his eccentric, bumbling yet endearing wingman, Ernest Laverdure (Christian Marin). Stationed at the Dijon airbase, the pair pilot sleek Dassault Mystère IV and Mirage III jets through a series of daring missions and airborne escapades. While Tanguy is the embodiment of professionalism, Laverdure’s comic missteps provide both levity and balance – a classic odd-couple dynamic that proved appealing to younger audiences.

Despite being adapted from a comic strip, the series stands out for its remarkable authenticity. The French Air Force provided extensive support, granting the production team access to real military aircraft, operational bases, and even personnel – many of whom appeared as extras. Much of the action was filmed at the now-defunct Dijon fighter base, lending a rare sense of realism to a children's adventure series.

The BBC trimmed the original run of 39 to 19 episodes for its English-language broadcast, dubbing the dialogue and modifying the format to suit the style of British children’s programming of the era. Yet despite these edits – or perhaps because of them – The Aeronauts captured the imagination of its audience. Its popularity spurred the release of a best-selling hardback annual, complete with translated comic strips and tie-in features. A reworked English theme song even made it to vinyl, with a single released in 1972.

Although originally shot in colour, only the black-and-white versions were initially broadcast in France due to technical limitations of the time. It wasn’t until the early 2000s that the series saw a proper colour reissue on DVD – a release that has since gone out of print and is now highly sought after by collectors.

In retrospect, The Aeronauts feels like a unique hybrid: a stylish, action-driven adventure series with a dose of Gallic charm and mid-century flair. While clearly aimed at younger viewers, its top-tier production values, charismatic leads, and real-world aviation sequences elevated it above the usual children’s fare. It also offered a rare international perspective, at a time when much of UK children's TV was in danger of becoming insular in tone and setting.

For many who grew up watching it in the early 1970s, The Aeronauts is fondly remembered not only for its thrilling aerial stunts but also for the unlikely but enduring friendship between the disciplined Tanguy and the chaotic Laverdure. In an era awash with vintage TV revivals, there was always the chance these knights of the sky might one day soar again, and in 2005 they did exactly that.

Les Chevaliers du ciel (Sky Fighters), was directed by Gérard Pirès (best known for Taxi), as a modern cinematic adaptation. The film reimagines the beloved characters and spirit of the original series for a new generation, blending high-octane aerial action with contemporary geopolitical tension.

The plot centres around two ace French Air Force pilots, Captain Antoine "Walk'n" Marchelli (played by Benoît Magimel) and Captain Sébastien "Fahrenheit" Vallois (Clovis Cornillac), who become embroiled in a high-stakes conspiracy after a training exercise goes awry. When an unidentified Mirage fighter appears during the Paris Air Show and one of their fellow pilots is shot down, the duo are drawn into a covert investigation. Wrongly accused of misconduct, they are briefly suspended but soon reinstated to track down the real threat.

The film, as in the TV series, was heavily supported by the French Air Force and features authentic aircraft, including the Dassault Mirage 2000, captured in breathtaking airborne cinematography. While Sky Fighters borrows its name from the comic’s original French title and retains the essence of the Tanguy and Laverdure legacy, it updates the tone and aesthetic for a 21st-century audience, drawing stylistic comparisons to Hollywood’s Top Gun—a connection the film’s marketing actively embraced, even dubbing it “Top Gun new generation.”

Verdict (2025 perspective):

★★★★☆
The Aeronauts may have had its roots in French comic culture, but its head was in the clouds and its heart in the right place – a high-flying blend of camaraderie, comedy, and Cold War-era cool. A jet-fuelled blast from the past.