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:

The Dassault Mystère 20, launched 60 years ago, pioneered the purpose-built business jet era and initiated the highly successful Falcon jet line.
Its early success was significantly influenced by Charles Lindbergh's endorsement to Pan Am and rooted in Dassault's design philosophy emphasizing beauty, superb handling, and rugged construction, derived from its fighter jet heritage.
The Falcon 20 led to a diverse family of subsequent models, with over 2,700 aircraft built and more than 2,100 still flying globally, maintaining a legacy of advanced technology, safety, 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.