French Tailhook Navy in OEF

[HeyJoe]

Super Etendards and Hawkeyes operating from the sea in this video. Interesting perspectives on how some things are the same (probe and drogue from USAF and RAF tankers) and others uniquely a French approach (LA markings and lighting, Ready Room Chairs, shirt tails OUT).

 

[2sr2worry]

Great find. If only the French still had their F-8's. That would be a perfect addition to this video.

 

[HeyJoe]

Great find. If only the French still had their F-8's. That would be a perfect addition to this video.

Here's a nostalgic of the French Navy with their Crusaders aboard Foch in 1994. I got to do a crossdeck exchange in 1989 and spend the day aboard watching flight ops and partaking of their lavish multi-course meals with suitable beverages (they spent more on the "wine cellar" for the deployment than on ordnance). All of the aviators I met were trained at Pensacola and quite a few did exchange tours in either Corsairs or Hornets. Their Ready Room chairs are salvaged from airliners, which was pretty interesting (they install them with more leg room and they provide built-in desk). Notably, there was no "bottle-to-throttle or brief" rules. Wine to them is like water to us. Viva la France!

 

[Pags]

Nice video. Despite some small differences, looked very similar...I guess ready rooms and maint control desks are a universal constant.

 

[Uncle Fester]

Things look a lot more similar on le Bateau than I would have thought, given the French propensity to do things their own way just for the hell of it. Wonder if you can still get a Double Barney Clark with pommes frittes at Midrats?

 

[HeyJoe]

Things look a lot more similar on le Bateau than I would have thought, given the French propensity to do things their own way just for the hell of it. Wonder if you can still get a Double Barney Clark with pommes frittes at Midrats?

Actually, no from what we heard. While we were treated to the multi-course meal on fine china, our counterparts were led to the "Dirty Shirt" and asked how they liked their burger. I heard later that they were disgusted and offended as they thought they would be treated to better fare. They take their food and drink on deployment very seriously. Note: I went to a French Navy reception aboard a visiting Frigate 2 summers ago and the finger foods put any carrier to shame. It's all priorities I suppose.

 

[MasterBates]

Yeah.. Out of all the First World navy ships I have been on, either as an exchange or visit.. We have by far the worst food, in terms of bad for you and taste.

Only the Russians had worse food than us, but they had booze.

 

[MIDNJAC]

All of the aviators I met were trained at Pensacola and quite a few did exchange tours in either Corsairs or Hornets.

Also all of their single anchor training is done in the US....my squadron in Meridian does all the tailhook training for them. Cool guys, and nothing like the stereotype of snooty Parisans that you see so often. A couple of them will be going hook down with my class on the Feb boat. I've also done a good number of flights with their exchange IP's

 

[Brett327]

We had a bunch of them cross-deck on TR two summers ago. Good folks.

Brett

 

[bunk22]

I remember at least one of their E-2 Hawkeye drivers going through VAW-120. As I recall, he as squared away and a good ball flyer.

 

[Goober]

Concur w/ Bunk. The guys they send us are typically good and are proficient. Same can be said for the NFOs we get.

 

[nittany03]

Video down for a "terms of use violation." Oh, well.

 

[goopscoop]

Any IAs out there had any exposure to the French Foreign Legion in Djibouti or Afghanistan? Just curious about their level of professionalism in comparison to regular French troops/sailors, as well as treatment toward our personnel.

 

[pourts]

And they get to grow sweet goatees too

 

[Uncle Fester]

The Legion Etranger was all over the place in Djibouti. Their guys are proficient and don't go in for candyass niceties like a/c or mosquito nets. We rode in big FORCEPRO convoys every time we went into town...they rode bikes.

Quick quiz: you're out and about on a sunny morning and you see a fit young man with fashionably coiffed hair, oversized D-G sunglasses, skintight short-shorts and a collared shirt.

Is he:
a) a young gay man on the way to the beach, or
b) a Foreign Legion major on the way to a meeting with an Admiral?

If you guessed (a), you're wrong. If you guessed (b), welcome to Djibouti.