I heard on the radio that tomorrow, Friday, four Dassault Rafales will fly over Paris during a memorial service in honor of the twentieth anniversary of the death of Marcel Dassault. Normally, no planes are allowed to fly over Paris-- special permission is needed, as on Bastille Day-- so it should be quite a sight (and sound). They're striking fighter planes.
There will be three Rafales from the army and one from the navy.
His son, Serge, who owns the Figaro, said in the interview, in his gravelly voice: "It's the best airplane in the world. Everyone knows that."
"You seem to have trouble selling it overseas," said the interviewer (who would not let Dassault finish a sentence, and kept trying to get him to admit that he supported Sarkozy for President).
"Politics," said Serge. "Les américains, for example, told the South Koreans that they could not buy Rafales, they had to buy American planes or the Americans would leave South Korea."
A rafale means a strong gust of wind.
Hi !
In a more warlike vein, "rafale" is also used as "burst" (burst of gunfire) and "hail" (hail of bullets). It's a all-purpose name which fits a fighter/interceptor such as this to a T. (smile)
There was an article the other day in one of the French financial papers stating that the avionics were "obsolete already", which was allegedly one of the reasons the South Korans and Saudis weren't signing on.
Best,
L'Amerloque
Posted by: L'Amerloque | 21 April 2006 at 13:58
Is that what that was! I was wondering what that loud noise and zooming airplane past my window earlier today could possibly be for. Both me and my dog jumped when we heard it.
Thanks for clarifying! I like your blog a lot.
Posted by: lapagefrancaise | 21 April 2006 at 16:33
At LeBourget on 21Sept06 at ca. 1500 hrs saw two groups of four fighters make one low level pass on a heading of approx 150. Each formation consisted of two Tornadoes (?) in a line followed closely by two Rafales. The latter had white painted nose sections and blue fuselages. I have a low quality photo of the 2nd group that I can send to anyone interested. Don't know what the occasion was but they surely went over Paris!
Posted by: jim hyer | 28 September 2006 at 21:38