Jean Louis M’pele M’pele Flew Congo’s Hot- Rod French Fighter Arnaud Delalande Famous Congolese pilot Col. Jean Louis M’pele M’pele, who flew for the Zairian air force, passed away on Nov. 12, 2017. M’pele was one... Famous Congolese pilot Col. Jean Louis...
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Jean Louis M’pele M’pele Flew Congo’s Hot- Rod French Fighter Arnaud Delalande Famous Congolese pilot Col. Jean Louis M’pele M’pele, who flew for the Zairian air force, passed away on Nov. 12, 2017. M’pele was one... Famous Congolese pilot Col. Jean Louis M’pele M’pele, who flew for the Zairian air force, passed away on Nov. 12, 2017. M’pele was one of the first African pilots to fly the French-made Dassault Mirage 5. Zaire, now called Democratic Republic of Congo, was only the second country in Africa – after South Africa with the Mirage III – to purchase the Dassault delta-wing fighter jet. But the Mach-two plane wasn’t well-suited to the Central African theater and its weather, and never really met Zaire’s needs. The history of the Zairean Mirage goes back to May 1974, when France and the Republic of Zaire signed an agreement for 14 single-seat Mirage 5M and three two-seater Mirage 5DMs plus training in Dijon in France for a group of young Zairian officers. Among them were lieutenan
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