His father was a naval officer, and Atger worked as a farmer on his parents' estate growing up.
[2] Due to health issues with his lungs, Atger's parents forbade him from flying, but after a hunger strike and approval from a doctor, they budged.
After the end of the war, Atger returned home and began flying again in Saint-Auban and Saint-Rémy-de-Provence.
After this, the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale banned attempting to break the record, due to the danger of the flight.
After the French government prevented him from flying due to hearing problems, Atger moved to Argentina, despite not knowing Spanish.