Dassault Aviation is celebrating the 60th anniversary of the first flight of the Mystère 20, the company’s first business jet.
The jet, which was soon rebranded the Falcon 20 with an eye on the sizable American market, flew for the first time on May 4, 1963. The company has sold more than 2,700 business jets since then. Currently, more than 2,100 Falcons are operating in over 90 countries around the world.
“The formula has not changed,” said Dassault Aviation’s Chairman and CEO Eric Trappier. “Every Dassault aircraft must have superb handling, beautiful lines, and rugged construction. And, of course, it has to provide state-of-the-art comfort.”
The Falcon 20 wowed some of the top aviation leaders of the time, including Charles Lindbergh, Pan Am chief executive Juan Trippe, and FedEx founder Fred Smith. It went on to spawn 27 different model types that found eager buyers among entrepreneurs, government agencies, and several nations’ armed forces.
Today, Dassault has two brand new models, the 5,500 nm Falcon 6X and the 7,500 nm
Falcon 10X. The aircraft feature the largest cabin cross sections in business aviation, setting a new standard for long-range passenger comfort.
Each has been recognized by the design community with prestigious interior design awards. The 6X, which enters service this year, is equipped with Dassault’s most advanced digital flight control system to date. The 10X, which is in the early stages of assembly, will come with even more advanced systems and safety features.
It was a little after 5 pm on May 4, 1963, that test pilots René Bigand and Jean Dilliare “gave it the gas,” as one historical account recalls, taking the Falcon 20 for an inaugural one-hour flight.
The flight occurred late in the day because of the visit of Charles Lindbergh, who dropped by to inspect the new business jet on behalf of Pan Am. It was only after he had departed Dassault’s Mérignac final assembly plant, near Bordeaux, that the flight team readied the aircraft for flight.
Lindbergh reportedly wired Pan Am CEO Juan Trippe: “I’ve found our bird.” The airline promptly ordered 40 units with an option for 120 more and established Pan Am Business Jets to run its executive jet operations. The new entity later evolved into Dassault Falcon Jet (DFJ), a fully owned Dassault Aviation affiliate. Headquartered in Teterboro, New Jersey, DFJ is responsible for representing and supporting Falcons in the U.S. and elsewhere in the Western Hemisphere.
In 1973, Fred Smith launched FedEx with a fleet of 33 Falcon 20s modified with a large cargo door, helping set that company on the road to success. In the 1980s, the U.S. Coast Guard ordered 41 Falcon 20’s (designated the HU-25) modified for search and rescue. In all, Dassault went on to build nearly 500 20-series aircraft.
The best-selling model has been the Falcon 2000, a highly economical, super-efficient twin that has been continuously updated to remain at the top of its class. Nearly 700 have been delivered so far. The second-best seller has been the workhorse Falcon 900, Also popular has been the fly-by-wire Falcon 7X/8X line. Some 400 of these ultra-efficient, versatile, very long-range models have come off the assembly line.
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