The Air Force had to take off on Sunday a Mirage 2000-5, a Rafale B, and a Fennec helicopter. Two young pilots found themselves “in distress” in the fog, north of Paris, and had to be assisted, announced the Air and Space Force in a press release.
This triggered its aerial means of alerting the permanent security posture to come to the aid of these two tourist planes coming from Pontarlier and bound for Reims. “Victims of bad weather conditions, the young pilots, not qualified for instrument flight (IFR), got lost north of Paris” specifies the Air Force in its press release.
One hour intervention
Fighter and helicopter crews therefore coordinated to join the planes, in degraded climatic conditions, then accompany them to a practicable landing site. The Rafale took off from the Saint-Dizier base (Haute-Marne), the Mirage 2000 from the Evreux base (Eure), while the Fennec helicopter, which was used to “more easily locate the diversion ground” better suited” left from the Villacoublay base (Yvelines).
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“After about an hour of intervention, the DR400 and MCR01 pilots landed in Beauvais (Oise), guided by the Rafale B fighter pilot.”
The Air and Space Force ensures “24/7” protection of French airspace. “This permanent security posture includes the ability to take into account aerial threats but also assistance to aircraft in difficulty. »