Pilot tied to rifle range ‘used for target training by military jets in hazing stunts’ – World News
A French pilot strapped to a huge metal pole claims to have been used as a target by fighter jets as part of a terrifying ‘hazing ritual’.
The anonymous man claims he was tied up, blindfolded and put into the back of a van before being taken to a secret location on the Mediterranean island of Corsica in 2019.
He is now taking legal action over the extraordinary allegations, as pictures and images have emerged of him appearing to be tied to a 15-foot steel structure.
Reports say he was “rudely removed” from the vehicle and tied to the pole with a red cross placed over his head at Solenzara Air Base, the legal complaint says.
(Image: via REUTERS)
During this terrifying experience, he heard what sounded like fighter jets opening fire and dropping shells around him for 20 minutes with ammunition landing about 1,640 feet away.
The complaint, reported in The Sun, said “mock gunshots” were also fired directly at the victim.
The 30-year-old pilot is now suing the Air Force for “aggravated voluntary violence” and “deliberately endangering others” by “professionals, soldiers and senior officers”.
It is alleged that two superiors gave the pilot “sarcastic remarks” before forcing him to wear an inflatable sea overflight suit, raise his arms and pose as a “human clock”.
The complaint alleges that he heard aircraft noises overhead and realized that he had been taken to a live fire range north of the base.
(Image: AFP / Getty Images)
He was untied after 20 minutes and told her to join the vehicle by hopping to her feet while her legs were taped, the complaint says.
One of his lawyers Silvio Rossi-Arnaud said: “They played Russian roulette with the Mirages.”
The people allegedly involved were quickly identified as they allegedly filmed the scene and posted them on a WhatsApp group.
Mr. Rossi-Arnaud declared that the cruel farce had cost the taxpayer dearly because “an hour of Mirage flight costs € 15,000 [£13,000] in kerosene.
“They are playing with high-level military equipment in a monumental waste of public money,” he added.
A spokesman for the French Air and Space Force, Col. Stéphane Spet, said the images were genuine, but gave the “ false impression ” that the plane was directing fire at the pilot.
He added that the ammunition closest to him was almost a mile away.
(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
He told CNN that after an internal investigation, “therefore, firm penalties were imposed, including a barracks restriction, a serious penalty in the career of an officer and a pilot.” Spet – also insisted that the pilot’s safety was never in danger.
However, Frédéric Berna, a lawyer for the pilot, said he had never been informed of such sanctions.
He said: “They show the total impunity that exists in the air force.
His client “no longer hoped for anything” in his military career, he said, but “is waiting for justice to recognize him as a victim”.
“He hopes that the institution will put an end to these institutionalized hazing practices for future recruits,” he added.