This one happened in 1961 at a secret French base near Bourges.Vautour display ending as we sat waiting. Vautour appears descending rapidly toward runway, full up control applied and leaving great clawmarks in the sky. Bounces out of ground cushion, goes up and does it again. This time he levels out at zero feet, and breaks left. He has to climb to avoid decapitating large section of crowd and disappears.Pause. Reappears on finals, still at zero feet, 60dg bank, 200yds out and 45deg of turn still needed to line up. Boom wheel begins scattering approach ligts in all directions. Makes centre line still with 45deg bank, levels, slams it down, pops chute, cloud of smoke, turns off at the first intersection.
Later, at post-display dinner he stands up, makes impassioned but unintelligble speech in French and passes out. I met an old mate later that year, CO of a Vautour Sqn at Senlis. Yes, he said, one of mine. It was his last flight in the Service so we told him to enjoy himself.
Dick W