French air force general under investigation 


The air force's second-in-command, General Richard Reboul, used an Alphajet trainer aircraft around ten times in the past year to travel from Bordeaux to Salon-de-Provence

The air force's second-in-command, General Richard Reboul, 
used an Alphajet trainer aircraft around ten times in the past 
year to travel from Bordeaux to Salon-de-Provence

Regularly uses a jet to fly 370 miles to 

his weekend retreat

  • General Richard Reboul used a fighter jet at weekends to 
  • fly to Provence retreat
  • Used an Alphajet trainer aircraft around ten times in past year 
  • from Bordeaux 
  • The defence ministry has ordered an investigation into the allegations 

A French air force general is being investigated after using a fighter
 jet at weekends to fly from his base in Bordeaux to his home 
in Provence.
The air force's second-in-command, General Richard Reboul,
 used an Alphajet trainer aircraft around ten times in the past year to
 make the 372 mile trip to his weekend getaway in Salon-de-Provence.
By Alphajet the trip takes about 35 minutes at 450mph. 
That compares with six hours by road and seven hours by train,
 including two changes.
On on occasion the former fighter pilot used a small six-seater
 military transporter for the trip. 
The air force's second-in-command, General Richard Reboul, used an Alphajet trainer aircraft around ten times in the past year to travel from Bordeaux to Salon-de-Provence
The air force's second-in-command, General Richard Reboul, used 
an Alphajet trainer aircraft around ten times in the past year to 
travel from Bordeaux to Salon-de-Provence
The defence ministry has ordered an investigation into the
 allegations, after the satirical weekly Le Canard Enchaîné 
broke the story. 
The ministry, now led by Florence Parly, said: 'Information on 
the improper use of air force resources by a senior military
 officer has come to the attention of the defence minister.'

It added that there would be 'consequences' if the claims were confirmed.
The air force is also investigating the matter.
The general's weekend home is in Les Alpilles (stock image), a range of low mountains between Salon-de-Provence and Avignon
The general's weekend home is in Les Alpilles (stock image), 
a range of low mountains between Salon-de-Provence and Avignon
The Alphajet, which is jointly manufactured by France's Dassault 
Aviation and Germany's Dornier Flugzeugwerke, is a light attack 
and advanced trainer aircraft used by the French air force 
aerobatic display team, La Patrouille de France, and to train 
fighter pilots.
It has a top speed of 620 mph and guzzles about 800 litres of
 fuel an hour.
French media estimated that with the advanced jet fuel the aircraft
 runs on, each one of the general's trips away will have cost the 
airforce – and the taxpayer – between €14,000 (£12,300) and €16,000.
A return train or low-cost airline fare would reportedly cost less than €200.
Taking a commercial airline would involve flying 
to Marseille, which would take an hour, followed by a 
30-minute trip to the general's home in Les Alpilles, a range 
of low mountains between Salon-de-Provence and Avignon.
General Reboul, a former test pilot and veteran of the Gulf War,
was appointed deputy chief of the 23,000-strong air force last 
September and has been acting commander since the death
 of General Serge Soulet, 55, last month. 
(The Mail, UK)