PC-21 and Phénix
The Armée de l’Air officially introduced the PC-21 and A330 MRTT into service less than three weeks apart. Henri-Pierre Grolleau reports on the end of a significant year for the French Air Force.
After the service entry of the C-130J Hercules last January, the official withdrawal of the Mirage 2000N in June and the re-forming of Escadron de Chasse 2/4 ‘La Fayette’ on the Rafale at Saint-Dizier in August, two new types were successively inducted into Armée de l’Air service in less than three weeks: the Pilatus PC-21 at Cognac on October 2, and the A330 MRTT Phénix at Istres on October 19.
The arrival of the PC-21 kicks off a major reorganisation of the Armée de l’Air training system. The PC-21 will replace the few remaining TB30 Epsilons at Cognac and the Alpha Jet E trainers used for fighter pilot training at Tours. The Alpha Jet will remain in service only with the 8e Escadre at Cazaux, the Patrouille de France at Salon-de-Provence, and the Direction générale de l’armement’s (DGA’s) flight test centre, the Centre d’Essais en Vol (CEV), at its two sites at Istres and Cazaux. All Epsilons will be withdrawn and will likely find their way into private hands.
Compared to the Epsilon and th…
