[Photo] French Navy Rafale flying below sea level over lake in Djibouti

December 27, 2014 Military Aviation

David Cenciotti

Rafale M jets fly over Lake Assal, the lowest point on land in Africa.

Lake Assal is a crater lake in central-western Djibouti which lies 155 m (509 ft) below sea level.

Here’s is a cool image of two French Navy Rafale M aircraft flying over the lake, one of the most saline in the world: the salinity level of its waters (10 times that of the sea) makes the surface extremely bright.

Although we can’t be sure about the altitude the two French jets were flying, the leading plane in the formation seems to be quite low (check the shadow) over the lake, most probably below sea level.

Image credit: French Navy / Chasse Embarquée

About David Cenciotti

David Cenciotti is a journalist based in Rome, Italy. He is the Founder and Editor of “The Aviationist”, one of the world’s most famous and read military aviation blogs. Since 1996, he has written for major worldwide magazines, including Air Forces Monthly, Combat Aircraft, and many others, covering aviation, defense, war, industry, intelligence, crime and cyberwar. He has reported from the U.S., Europe, Australia and Syria, and flown several combat planes with different air forces. He is a former 2nd Lt. of the Italian Air Force, a private pilot and a graduate in Computer Engineering. He has written five books and contributed to many more ones.