The First Falcon’s First Flight

The Dassault Mystère 20 launched the era of the purpose-built business jet 60 years ago today.

Thursday, May 04, 2023 at 10:35 AM ET

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The first flight of the first business jet that would become the Falcon 20 took place in Bordeaux, France, on May 4, 1963. [Courtesy of Dassault Aviation]

Key Takeaways:

Dassault Aviation is celebrating 60 years since the May 4, 1963, first flight of the Mystère 20, which pioneered the era of purpose-built business jets and launched the globally successful Falcon jet line.
The Mystère 20's early success was significantly bolstered by Charles Lindbergh's influential endorsement to Pan Am, cementing Dassault's design philosophy of combining beauty, superb handling, and rugged construction derived from its fighter jet heritage.
The Falcon 20 served as the foundation for a wide family of subsequent models, resulting in over 2,700 Falcons built to date, with more than 2,100 aircraft currently flying worldwide and maintaining a reputation for advanced technology and comfort.

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Marcel Dassault may have said it first—but he echoed the minds of many pioneering aircraft designers before him when he quipped, “For an aircraft to fly well, it must be beautiful.” That can certainly be said of the very first of the Falcon jets for which his company, Dassault Aviation, would become famous.

The early prototype of the Mystère 20 on the production line at Dassault’s Mérignac plant. [Courtesy of Dassault Aviation]

The Dassault Mystère 20 launched the era of the purpose-built business jet 60 years ago, on May 4, 1963, in Mérignac, France, beginning the Falcon jet line that would take the U.S. market by storm.

The First Falcon’s First Flight

The Dassault Mystère 20 launched the era of the purpose-built business jet 60 years ago today.

Key Takeaways:

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