French fighter pilot training on Alpha Jet "est fini"
On 16 March 2023, the last Armée de l'Air et de l'Espace (AAE, French Air and Space Force) fighter pilots that were trained on the Alpha Jet at Base Aérienne (BA) 120 Cazaux were promoted. With this last promotion, 59 years of fighter pilot training at Cazaux ended, of which 47 years on the Alpha Jet.
Escadron d'entraînement 3/8 Côte d'Or (training squadron EE03.008) was the last unit operating the Alpha Jet at Cazaux. In August 2022, Escadron de transition opérationnelle 2/8 Nice (operational transition squadron ETO02.008) was mothballed and EE03.008 took over the training mission for student fighter pilots.
From the summer of 2023, all fighter pilot promotions will be with the Ecole de l'Aviation de Chasse 315 (fighter aviation school EAC00.315) operating the Pilatus PC-21 at BA709 Cognac/Châteaubernard.
Photo by Armée de l'Air et de l'Espace