Low Flying Mirage 2000's in Southern France

[Alex Lovell]

Hi,

I am trying to pinpoint a location in Southern France that was mentioned to me a few years ago near to Marseille or Montpellier (cant remember which), where Mirage 2000's can often be seen flying low through a valley after departing from their base. Apparently they use the valley to avoid nearby gliding sites when heading in a certain direction.

Does anyone have an idea of what airbase this may be and even if they know of the valley that is mentioned?

I appreciate its a long shot but would appreciate any information - I'm not expecting any Mach Loop!

[Scruffy Fanny]

Alex
I flew the Mirage2000 for 4 years with EC2/5 at Orange- You will be waiting a long time to find a M2000 at low level in the style of the Mach Loop. The FAF don't really do Valley Bashing like the RAF and the M2000s tended to head off to the Ardennes to do Low Level intercepts where it's sparsly populated- We tended to avoid the Alps do to Wires and scaring Ski people and causing avalanches !!
You might get lucky but France is a big place and they don't have a huge number of Mirage2000N or Ds
Hope this helps SF

[BA Bluntie]

M2000 and other Armee de l'Air hardware can also often be seen on a Friday in the low flying area in the North of the Dordogne in a triangle delimited by Limoges, Angouleme and Perigueux.

[Ali Qadoo]

I flew the Mirage2000 for 4 years with EC2/5 at Orange


Small world, SF. I was lucky enough to open the batting for the RAF on this exchange from 1990 to 93. When were you there?

[Scruffy Fanny]

...errrr i was never there....i know who you are now!!! - if i told you id give it away!- But Fred had just left and the strange little critter Claremont was the Boss followed by Nanar- I assume you heard the sad news about Brutus?

[Ali Qadoo]

Think I know who you are too - you took over from me didn't you? 'fraid I've lost touch with the old 2/5 mob. No, hadn't heard about Brutus, he was a good bloke - what happened?

[Scruffy Fanny]

Yes i did !- Jolly nice 4 years it was too- awesome aeroplane
I'll PM you re Brutus as its a sad tale.
Rgds SF

[minigundiplomat]

My garden is in the Vienne valley near a prominent feature [big, unique, vertical] and they turn up with a welcome regularity.

[Alex Lovell]

Appreciate the replies Gents.

I also recall him using the Helos from Toulouse also used to frequent the valley - if this helps?

[ian16th]

In May 1958, when the Royal Air Force Liaison Party moved from Base Aérienne 125 Istres to Base Aérienne 115 Orange-Caritat, Escadron de Chasse 2/5 were using Mystere IV's.

As Max Boyce would say; "I know, 'cos I was there" :ok:

Very Happy Daze.

[petit plateau]

I used to live in Roquefeuil, 11340, Aude, (where it borders Ariege) to be precise at Le Croix de la Bitereille which is where a small spur of land meets the D29 just N of the D613. The french air force low fly straight over the top of the spur when they get it wrong, or when they are getting it righter are tucked down in either the Belcaire valley (I think that's not encouraged by the local nimbys) or preferred on the S side of the spur tracking S across the platea and then down one of the gorges. During training season we would get pairs coming over from W then ducking down to head E over the plateau. Early in the training cycle you get singletons, and late in the training cycle there tended to be the odd pair of pairs. They'd come by mid morning and/or mid afternoon, never from the other direction. Mid-season they would be through every day. They tended to be fairly low but as some one else has pointed out not quite Mach Loop stuff. Mostly 2000s but my recognition is not perfect and I think there were some Rafales. You'd also get transport aircraft (some 4-eng and some 2-eng) dropping paras onto a DZ at Puivert (which is also a gliding and RC location) as part of their annual work up with squads then going out and training uphill. All March - Oct from memory with no winter stuff, and from memory no weekend stuff. If you are going there take the time to drive through the woods on the gravel tracks to visit the various Maquis memorials (as well as some rather sobering village memorials). Not sure if that's enough traffic for you but it may help you figure out the rest of their training circuit (though to be honest I figured we were the best chokepoint I observed in the area). By the way the Plateau du Sault gets afternoon fog/cloud rolling in from the E from 2-3pm on humid days in Summer.

Hope this helps.