Book. “Du Vampire au Mirage 4000 – Sous le signe de la chimère, les 20 000 heures de vol de Jean-Marie Saget”

Aviator in the French Air Force, test pilot for Dassault, aerobatics instructor, and more… This book pays tribute to the career of Jean-Marie Saget and his contributions to innovation.

Released in 2016, this biography signed by the journalist and instructor François Besse paints a portrait of a pilot who made unrivaled contributions to French aviation. The story between Jean-Marie Saget and aviation started at the end of the World War II. He started pilot training in 1946, at the age of just 17, alongside his father. He earned his degree three years later and headed to the United States, where he expanded his knowledge at the controls of the North American T6, followed by the PD Mustang, among others.

Upon his return to France, in the early 1950s, Jean-Marie Saget became a fighter pilot for the French Air Force, at the controls of the Vampire (British design), followed by the Dassault Ouragan, the first fighter jet to be made in France! In the middle of the decade, he was hired as test pilot and lead pilot by Société des Avions Marcel Dassault, which would become Dassault Aviation.

At Dassault, this renowned pilot carried out tests on several prototypes, in addition to helping develop military aircraft and business jets. In addition to logging over 20,000 flight hours, his career allowed him to fly the Mystère IV, the Etendard IVM, the Mirage III and IV, the Falcon 900, the Jaguar, and even the Mirage 2000 and 4000!
In 1989, he became a technical consultant for Dassault before retiring three years later. He now dedicates his time to the Nangis aero-club (Seine-et-Marne), which he presides over, and where he continues to train numerous aerobatics pilots on board the Mudry Cap 10.

An Officer of the Legion of Honor and Commander of the National Order of Merit, Jean-Marie Saget passed away in 2020 at the age of 91. This work, which features 900 photos and excerpts from technical documents, shines a bit more light on this larger-than-life figure and highlights a part of Dassault Aviation’s history.

Book. “Du Vampire au Mirage 4000, sous le signe de la chimère – les 20 000 heures de vol de Jean-Marie Saget” Author, François Besse. Self-published.