Dassault Mirage III

Aircraft Information
> Aircraft Make: Dassault. Model: Mirage III. Nickname: Mirage III?
> Aircraft Mil Civ Description: Tactical Jet
> FAA Category and Class: Airplane SE Land
> Engine Description: single

Aircraft Experience
> As of: 10/31/2024
> Number of Hours Flown: 1.1
> Number of Times Flown: 1
> Other Aircraft Models Associated: various models

First Flown Information
> Sequence First Flown: 60
> Date First Flown: 7/6/1989
> Location First Flown: Istres, France (French Flight Test Center)
> Who and/or What Organization First Flown With: École du Personnel Navigant d’Essais et de Réception (EPNER), Jacques Rosay

Recollections: First, the pictures here were NOT as the airplane appeared when I flew it during a staff field trip in the summer of 1989, but the pics were too cool to pass up.  I believe the airplane was either painted white or silver when I flew it.  

The trip to Istres (France’s main military flight test center) was amazing.  On the day I flew, we had tours in the morning, a lunch at the officer’s mess (complete with white linen tablecloths and full waiter service) and then we were scheduled to fly in the afternoon.  At lunch, with all of us sitting around a giant, long oak table, they served wine.  We all kind of looked at each other (US Navy rules require 12 hours after last alcohol before you can brief to fly).  I suppose the french had a different rule?  Or no rules (as I learned later after many pleasant years working with Airbus, the French place a premium on common sense and knowledge, as opposed to strict processes….or at least that’s MY observation)?  Many of our “safety pilots” (the gents we’d be flying with that afternoon) had already taken a sip.  Anyway, there we were, not wanting to be rude BUT…rules are rules.  However, the Admiral from Pax River (the Test Center commander) was on the trip.  And scheduled to fly in the afternoon like the rest of us.  We took our cue from him.  He raised a toast to our French hosts and took a sip of wine.  So, we did as well.  We didn’t drink much and I felt no ill effects.  I hope the statue of limitations is past…this was the only time I ever broke the “12 hours bottle to throttle” rule.

I flew with Jacques Rosay who is literally a world-famous test pilot (later the Chief Test Pilot at Airbus) but totally down-to-earth.  The airplane was fast, selecting afterburner was (to me) unusual (I don’t remember the details, except there was a gate, and another step…it was different than the US airplanes) and, being the first delta wing airplane I’d flown, I of course had to examine turn performance (the delta wing design has huge drag when the angle of attack is raised).  Sure enough, put a hard turn on and you lose a LOT of speed.  I’m not a fighter guy, but I guess the strategy is don’t turn hard.  It sure looks good though.