Ten French fighter jets from the famous French Acrobatic Patrol streaked over Buenos Aires on Tuesday, September 15, to punch up Argentina's independence celebrations.

First they painted the colors of the French flag and then those of the Argentine flag.

The special aeronautical show team was founded in 1931 and has gained the reputation as one of the world's best demonstration teams.

Three Argentine Pampa jets accompanied the 10 Alphajets and two Hercules C130 military transport aircraft in the display.

33-year-old team commander Benjamin Souberbielle was presented a gift by the Chief of the General Staff of the Argentine Air Force.

[Benjamin Souberbielle, French Acrobatic Patrol Leader]: French male
Obviously we are very proud to be representing France here and to represent the friendship shared by our two countries."

32-year-old Virginie Guyot was second-in-command and is the patrol’s first female pilot. 

[Virginie Guyot, Acrobatic Team Member]:
"There are female fighter pilots in various countries in the world, and why shouldn't there be? It is just a question of whether you have the passion and motivation and not whether you are male or female. It is really about having a pilot's spirit, and aeronautics is about that: the spirit of being a pilot, the spirit of aeronautics, something that rules over everything."

Argentina, along with many Latin American countries, will celebrate its bicentennial independence in 2010.

The French flyover was just part of the celebrations.