Biographies

Technical Director of Advanced Studies in the Technical Directorate General, he was responsible for the definition and development of Dassault Aviation’s scientific computer systems.

Marcel Dassault will be remembered especially as a man with a formidable desire to create, and forward-looking determination.

Compagnon de la Libération, awarded many prestigious decorations, Louis Cortot had spent most of his working life at Dassault Aviation.

A prodigious acrobatics pilot, Jean Coureau piloted various maiden flights, including for the Mirage III C, Mercure 01 and Mirage 2000.

Henri Deplante first met Marcel Dassault in 1930, when he applied for an aircraft-designer job that Marcel Bloch (the company that later became Dassault) had posted in Les Ailes, an aviation periodical.

Constantin Rozanoff paved the way for Dassault to enter the days of jet-powered aviation, flying the Ouragan and Mystère II’s maiden flights.

Samin was appointed deputy technical director in 1970, and technical director in April 1981. His promotion to the position of technical general director in January 1987 came as recognition for his outstanding skills.

Appointed as chief test pilot at Dassault in 1959, René Bigand completed maiden flights in a number of civil and military aircraft: Mirage IV, Mirage IIIB, Mystère 20, etc.

Paul Boudier was the first pilot to break the sound barrier on an armed airplane (Mystère II) and completed various maiden flights (Etendard IV M, Communauté, Spirale).

Charles Monier, test pilot engineer at Dassault Aviation from 1947 to 1953, notably contributed to the development of the Ouragan, Mystère II and Mystère IVA.

Within Dassault Aviation, Georges Brian was at the controls for the maiden flights of the MB 303, MD 315 Flamant and Etendard IV.

Daniel Rastel had a flying career spanning 36 years and totaling 5,838 hours on aircraft ranging from the SPAD VII to the Mirage III.

After several years at the CEAM, the test pilot Alain Trétout notably worked on the Mirage F1, which he presented at the Le Bourget air show in 1971.

René Fromentel joined Avions Marcel Dassault in 1951 and worked there throughout his career, from the Mystère II to the Rafale, for which he invented the air intakes.

Pierre Gallois, Marketing Director of Avions Marcel Dassault, opened a number of export markets and was one of Marcel Dassault’s closest advisors.

Xavier d’Iribarne was responsible for coordinating the Mirage III, Mirage IV, Alpha Jet, Mirage F1, Etendard, Super Etendard, Mercure and Mirage 2000 programs.

With Henri Deplante, Jean Cabrière oversaw the design and development of all company aircraft and missiles, from the Ouragan to the Rafale A technological demonstrator.

Yves Thiriet helped with the sale of more than 2,000 Mirage IIIs, Mirage F1s, Alpha Jets, Super Etendards, Jaguars, Mirage 2000s and Atlantics in 33 countries.

Having developed the Company’s production potential, Benno-Claude Vallières created the industrial capacity, enabling Marcel Dassault’s designs to become reality.

François Cordié was head of design for the Étendard VI, Mirage III-V and Mirage F1, and the first engineering director of the Hermes spacecraft.

Gérard Muselli tested the Etendard VI with an Orpheus engine and took part in the testing of the Mirage III, following Roland Glavany.

Born in Lille in 1933, Hervé Leprince-Ringuet enrolled at the École de l’Air in 1952 and received his fighter pilot license in the spring of 1956. 

Elie Buge, prototype test pilot at Avions Marcel Dassault, acceptance tested the Super Mystère B2, Etendard IV M, and Mirage III, with over 1,000 flights on the latter.

Director of the Argenteuil plant in 1975, Jean-Yves Lazard then promoted to deputy managing director in 1987, and subsequently managing director of production from 1989 to 1992.

A member of the X-48 graduating class from École Polytechnique, Claude Villa joined the Saint-Cloud design office in 1951.

In charge of the Mirage F1, Mirage 50, ATL2, Super Étendard, Alpha Jet programs, Gérard Pierron became Director of Military Aircraft Programs in 2003.

In 1964, Roland Glavany took command of the Istres base, before joining the Equipment program bureau one year later where he took on the responsibility for the Jaguar, Mirage F1 and Alpha Jet programs.

Appointed as engineering director of the Brétigny site, before becoming director of the weapons systems department in 1987, Bernard Sigaud ended his career as director of the Rafale program from 1991 to 1998.

Graduated from SupAéro in 1950, former director of military exports Paul Jaillard was the architect of a number of commercial successes.

Graduated from SupAéro in 1969, Jean-Claude Arnoux was a great systems engineer and a former digital technical director.

Claude Frey served as Missions Director for Total Quality from 1988 to 1993, when he was appointed Director of the Falcon customer service.

Promoted to Deputy CEO (1976), Jacques Estèbe appointed Vice-President for Industrial and Social Affairs in 1986.

René Sébenne became Xavier d’Iribarne’s right-hand man, managing the Dassault-Breguet merger alongside him. In this role, he took on the management of both the Vélizy and Saint-Cloud sites, and redefined how each operated respectively.

Former managing director of Production, Jean-Claude Veber passed away on April 28, 2020 at the age of 96.

Appointed Industrial and Social Senior Vice-President, then Vice-President for Industrial and Social Affairs until he retired in 1998, Michel Herchin was in charge of the major industrial streamlining efforts initiated in 1987, as well as the development of the Saint-Cloud 2000 site.

Jean-Marie Saget took part in the testing of all Dassault Aviation fighter aircraft, then of its civilian aircraft and of the Atlantique 2. He was responsible, among others, for the Etendard IV M, Mirage III V (vertical take off), Mirage F1, Mirage G8 (variable jib), Alpha Jet and Mirage 4000 programs.

A former director of civil aircraft and also a director of Falcon Jet Corporation, Bernard Latreille was responsible for the launch of the Falcon 50, 900 and 2000 programmes.

A design and test engineer and a great pioneer of the Falcon family, René Lemaire was head of the Falcon series design office at Mérignac.