French Air Force Fennecs mobilised
The Fennec helicopters of the French Air Force's EH 5/67 "Alpilles" squadron have been called into action during severe winter storms in the south of France.
In an unusual incident, the helicopters based at Istres airbase were called in to detect problems with the heating system at Orange Airbase. The crew used the aircraft's thermal camera to detect problems in the hot water pipes buried some two metres below the ground.
A few days later, another aircraft was used to ferry fuel oil and gasoline to a remote radar site at Rochefort Valdeine which had become cut off following heavy snowfall. The Fennec has completed four rotations in two days for the delivery of hundreds of litres of oil.
Normally the Fennecs are used to perform the MASA air policing role as well as search and rescue. The squadron has been based at Istres since 1 July 2001. Previously the unit was based at Aix-les-Milles near Marseille.
Rotorhub.com has covered the work of the MASA squadrons in the past, looking at the work of sister unit EH 3/67 'Parisis' at Villacoublay.
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