Well, while we're on the subject of Air France, would anyone care to comment on the sort of corporate safety culture that would permit a 747 to depart Jo'burg for a night flight across Africa to Paris with wx radar(s) inop. Inevitable consequences of course, as they subsequently flew into a CB; injuries resulted in an en rte diversion.
The report on this incident (some years ago) was posted by somebody a while back in the AF 447 thread; surprisingly very little comment afterwards. Flying the Airbus at night on standby instruments in alternate law is bad enough, but in the midst of thunderstorms it then becomes Mission Impossible.
My question, which still remains open, is-how come the a/c ended up where it did when others ahead and behind were deviating. The 330 radar (if working) is pretty good. Maybe Air France MEL's are different.