Deaths - Death of René Lemaire

René Lemaire, a design and test engineer and a great pioneer of the Falcon family, died on November 17. He was 92 years old.
After studying to become a flight test engineer at Estaca and Epner, he joined the SNCASO design office in 1947. He then became one of the flight test engineers on the Vautour prototypes.
Hired by Dassault in 1959 as flight test engineer for the MD 410 Spirale and MD 415 Communauté, he became head of the Mystère 20 design office in 1961. In charge of flight tests on the Mystère-Falcon 20 in 1963, then on the Mystère-Falcon 10, he was appointed head of the Falcon series design office at Mérignac in 1975, a position he held until his retirement in 1993.
René Lemaire was present at the visit of the Pan American Airways delegation on May 4, 1963, when Charles Lindbergh chose the Mystère 20.
On June 10, 1965, he accompanied Jacqueline Auriol on her flights on the Mystère 20, which enabled her to set women's world speed records in the 8- to 12-ton category over 1,000 and 2,000 km.
He was the first president of the Conservatoire de l'Air et de l'Espace d'Aquitaine (1987) and president of the aeronautical group La mémoire de Bordeaux (1998).

His funeral will take place on Tuesday November 24th at 10:00 am in the Saint Vincent church in Mérignac.

The ESTACA Alumni Network offers its sincerest condolences to his family and friends.