French Air Force chief in hot water over suspected use of attack jet for weekend trips

[FunkyMike]

 

 

French Minister of Defense Florence Parly has ordered an inquiry into potential misuse of a military aircraft after reports emerged that a senior air force general routinely leased an Alpha light attack and trainer jet to fly home.

 

Richard Reboul, formally second-in-command of the French Air Force who has served as acting commander since May, faces harsh disciplinary action if the report published by French satirical magazine Canard Enchaîné on Wednesday proves to be accurate.

 

The magazine alleges that Reboul used a Dassault/Dornier AlphaJet attack jet and advance trainer aircraft a dozen times since August last year to travel from a flight school located in Bordeaux to Salon-de-Provence, a commune in southern France hosting an important air base. The general reportedly “leased” the training plane for purposes completely unrelated to his job, namely, to spend a weekend in his estate in Provence and then fly back.

 

In addition to this, Reboul is alleged to have gotten ahold of a six-person military transport plane along with its pilot and co-pilot for his personal needs, unspecified in the report.

 

Late Tuesday, the French Defense Ministry issued a statement saying that newly-appointed Minister of the Armed Forces Parly instructed the inspectors general of the armed forces to look into the reports and “verify the circumstances of the use of the air means, in the present case and more generally,” Le Monde cited the ministry as saying.

 

It further warned of potential repercussions for the general if the facts unearthed by Canard Enchaîné were corroborated by evidence.

 

“In light of the findings of the report, the minister will draw the necessary consequences, including disciplinary ones, if misuse of the means is proven,” the statement adds.

 

A separate internal probe initiated by General André Lanata, chief of staff of the French Air Force, has been underway since June 23, Air Force spokesman Olivier Celo told AFP.

 

Reboul was appointed to serve as second-in-command of the French Air Force in September 2016. Last month, he assumed the duties of former commander of the French Air Force General Serge Soulet after he passed away on May 21.

 

https://www.rt.com/news/394332-french-air-force-jet-trips/

 

 

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[Dick Montage]

You sort of have to admire the balls of a man who says "Well there's the drive home, or I could just use one of these Jet's, they're sat here doing nothing..."

[+Mirumir Subscriber¹]

Where's the fun in being an air force chief and not being able to use attack jets for weekend trips? Silly stiff French people.

[Tantawi]

Give the guy a break, at least he did not use it to kill tourists!  /s

[PGHammer]

On 6/28/2017 at 4:07 AM, Mirumir said:

Where's the fun in being an air force chief and not being able to use attack jets for weekend trips? Silly stiff French people.

The issue - which is, in fact, a rather large one in every nation's air force - is twofold - and involves *flying status* and *flight pay*.  There is typically a minimum number of flying hours that must be logged to qualify - and the pressure to log them is higher the higher you are in rank,  (The problem has been known - PUBLICLY - to nearly drive Chiefs of Staff of the United States Air Force up trees.)  *Ferry flights* and *delivery flights* are, in fact, typically used to get those necessary flying hours in - and airbases with a large number of high-ranking officers either resident or in their area - JFB Andrews is a particularly gruesome example - have it the hardest.