Rafale Solo Display names Capt. Alexandre “Rocky” Roeckel as pilot for the 2026–2027 seasons
The French Air & Space Force’s Rafale Solo Display has confirmed its next demonstration pilot, naming Capt. Alexandre “Rocky” Roeckel as the face of the 2026–2027 seasons. The announcement was made at the Roanne air meeting, where the team introduced him as “RSD 9”—the ninth aviator to carry the title since the display team was formed. Roeckel will begin his training syllabus later this year, preparing to take the baton from Capt. Jean-Brice “Mimouss” Millet, who is currently in the second and final year of his tenure.
The Rafale Solo Display is among Europe’s most prestigious single-jet demonstrations, designed to highlight the agility and power of Dassault’s omnirole fighter. Based with ETR 3/4 “Aquitaine” at Saint-Dizier, the unit has built a reputation not only for precision flying but also for distinctive aircraft liveries that change with each new pilot cycle. With Roeckel’s selection, enthusiasts can look forward to a fresh chapter in 2026, one that continues a carefully managed lineage of elite Rafale display pilots stretching back over a decade.
Capt. Alexandre “Rocky” Roeckel
The announcement and what it means
RSD confirmed Roeckel’s appointment via its official Facebook page, welcoming him “to the Tator world” and promising to share updates from his winter training. This training is a carefully structured programme of check flights and validation sorties, culminating in display authorisation before the start of the season. As with previous transitions, Roeckel’s work-up will be mentored by the outgoing pilot, ensuring continuity in safety and style.
The “RSD 9” designation underlines his place in the lineage of Rafale display pilots, a role created to showcase the aircraft in international venues and support French aerospace diplomacy. The two-year tour is deliberately short to keep the demonstration sharp and to allow successive front-line pilots to take up the mantle.
A lineage of pilots
Since the team’s inception in 2009, the Rafale Solo Display has seen a succession of highly regarded aviators: Cédric “Rut” Ruet, Michaël “Micka” Brocard, Benoît “Tao” Planche, Jean-Guillaume “Marty” Martinez, Sébastien “Babouc” Nativel, Jérôme “Schuss” Thoule, Bertrand “Bubu” Butin, and now Jean-Brice “Mimouss” Millet. Each introduced their own style and oversaw unique liveries that became centrepieces of European airshows. Roeckel’s arrival ensures that this tradition continues into the latter half of the decade.
Current and future leadership
Capt. Millet, who has led the team since 2024, has been seen widely across Europe and the Middle East, including at the Paris Air Show. He remains in post for the 2025 season and will likely assume the role of coach during Roeckel’s cycle, as has been customary in previous handovers. This dual structure—current pilot and coach—provides both continuity and oversight, a hallmark of the RSD’s professionalism.
The aircraft and the display
The Rafale C, a single-seat variant, is the aircraft most often associated with the display. Each performance lasts around nine minutes and demonstrates the fighter’s agility: tight instantaneous turns, dramatic vertical manoeuvres, high-alpha flight with visible vortices, and controlled slow-speed passes. The routine is validated in three profiles—high, low, and flat—allowing it to adapt to varying weather and cloud base.
Livery design has also become part of the team’s identity. In 2025, Millet’s Rafale appeared in a striking tricolour scheme created by designer Régis Rocca. Roeckel’s aircraft is expected to debut with its own bespoke scheme, unveiled once his training is complete.
Why it matters
The Rafale Solo Display is more than just an airshow act: it is a symbol of French aerospace capability, designed to impress not only enthusiasts but also international partners and prospective operators. With Roeckel’s appointment, the Air & Space Force maintains the rhythm of succession that has kept the display fresh, safe, and consistently at the top tier of European fast-jet demonstrations.
As Roeckel steps into the cockpit for his first training flights later this year, the countdown begins for 2026. For the seasoned airshow public, the promise is simple: the Rafale’s trademark verticals, negative-G pushovers, and canopy-full of vapour will continue—just with a new name on the canopy rail.
