Adapting to the Jet Age in a Fouga Magister

Ride along on a Microsoft Flight Simulator journey through history in the world’s first two-seat jet trainer.

Patrick Chovanec

Monday, June 03, 2024 at 04:42 PM ET

Verified

Edited By: tccjeremy

Fouga CM.170 Magister in Microsoft Flight Simulator. [Courtesy: Patrick Chovanec]

Key Takeaways:

The Fouga CM.170 Magister was the world's first two-seat jet trainer, designed in France with a distinctive V-tail and an elegant, glider-inspired fuselage.
It played a crucial role in helping numerous air forces globally transition from piston to jet aircraft, becoming a significant export success and widely license-produced.
Beyond its primary training function, the agile Magister was adapted for light combat in various conflicts and was a favorite among aerobatic display teams before its eventual retirement from military service.

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Today, in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020, I’ll be flying the Fouga CM.170 Magister, the world’s first two-seat jet trainer. Starting in the 1950s, it played a key role in transitioning several air forces from piston to jet aircraft and also fought in a number of “brush wars.”

I’ll start the story at Toulouse-Blagnac Airport (LFBO) in southern France. The French company Établissements Fouga & Cie had its aircraft production facilities here, which were eventually folded into larger companies and are now the main assembly plant for Airbus.