They Even Surrender to the Weather

Ten French navy aircraft off the carrier Charles De Gaulle had to land near Atlantic City, NJ due to bad weather:

POMONA, N.J. - Nine French fighter jets and a radar plane stayed overnight at Atlantic City International Airport after bad weather prevented them from returning to their aircraft carrier off the Virginia coast, authorities said Friday.

The planes, low on fuel, initially asked for permission to land Thursday at a United States military installation but lacked the clearance number, said Noel Clay, a spokesman for the U.S. State Department.

The planes, which had been conducting military exercises, then sought and received permission for emergency landings at the airport here around 3:45 p.m.

They were parked overnight on a Federal Aviation Administration ramp at the airport. Officials said they had clearance to take off at noon to return to the French aircraft carrier de Gaulle, off the coast of Virginia.

By 5 p.m., though plans had changed. The planes were to fly to a military base near Halifax, but it was unclear when they would take off.

There was a further complication, according to a broadcast report. One of the pilots tried to buy fuel Thursday and couldn't because he didn't have the available funds on his credit card, according to Philadelphia television station WPVI-TV.

It may be a regular occurrence ,but I've never heard of US navy fighter aircraft being forced to land in another nation because of weather. Our pilots are the best trained men who've ever had a jet strapped to their backs and I just don't see them landing anywhere but their own carrier unless they have had serious mechanical difficulties.

This shows the superiority of US military power as compared to that of formerly excellent France.

The story about the credit card is pretty humorous also.