Julien Bieux

Reports are coming in that this pilot had recently downsized from a 17m Flame to 11m Flame and possibly miscalculated height whilst doing a 360 spiral and hit a cliff at the end of a wide couloir killing him instantly.

Julien was a 34 year old firefighter in Cluses and also worked in a sports shop in Chamonix.  He suffered a fatal accident in the Brévent couloir, Haute-Savoie, in Chamonix,.

UPDATED INFORMATION 8TH February 2026

That day, he had just finished a night shift as a volunteer firefighter. He had only slept for a few hours before going out to fly, doing several rotations at Le Brévent. The accident happened during his 4th or 5th flight. He initiated a 360-turn and misjudged the height; he hit the terrain at full speed and died instantly. Fatigue was a major aggravating factor in his decision-making. He should have taken a nap instead. The mountains will always be there.

Regarding his gear, he had indeed moved from a Flame 16 to a Flame 11 after more than 100 flights on the 16. He was very meticulous and did not take unnecessary risks; he had already completed many flights with his Flame 11. His wing loading was at 8, and it was a foot-launch. The weather was good that day, with a headwind at takeoff and no turbulence. Julien was an experienced paraglider, very cautious, a good skier, and a great photography enthusiast. He had also been an army paratrooper with several dozen jumps to his credit.

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