DGA EV retires Falcon 20

On 25 November 2022, the direction générale de l'Armament Essais en vol (DGA EV, DGA Flight Test Unit) officially retired the Falcon 20. On this date, Falcon 20E serial 288/CV, made the last flight for this type. The aircraft accumulated 12,985 flight hours.

The "predecessor" of the DGA EV, the Centre d'Essais en vol (CEV), was created in 1944 as a Flight Test Centre. The unit was mainly responsible for guaranteeing the proper operation of aeronautical weapons and aircraft before their use for military or civilian purposes.

The Falcon 20 arrived with the CEV in 1968. From the late 1970, the Falcons were essential to the development of on-board equipment for the Mirage 2000 and the Rafale variants. The nose radars of these Mirage and Rafale fighters (RDI, RDY, Antilope, RBE2) were mounted on the Falcon 20s operating out of Brétigny-sur-Orge, Istres/Le Tubé or Cazaux air bases. Some aircraft also had their cockpit modified to reproduce, in the right seat, that of a fighter aircraft, with stick, levers and identical dashboard. In the case of the Mirage 2000D and N, the position of the weapon system officer navigator was reproduced in the cabin.

Some Falcon 20s were operated by the École du personnel navigant d’essais et de réception (EPNER), the French test pilot school. EPNER was a division of the CEV under control of the DGA. It was established in 1946 at the flight test centre in Brétigny-sur-Orge, to train specialist crews involved in test flying. The unit moved to Istres/Le Tubé in 1962.

According to the Scramble database, the final four Falcon 20s operated by the DGA EV were: Falcon 20C 079/CT, Falcon 20F 342/CU, Falcon 20E 288/CV and Falcon 20C 104/CW. The DGA Flight Test Unit has operated a total of fourteen Falcon 20s.

The Falcon 20s are replaced by the Avion Banc d'Essais-Nouvelle Génération (ABE NG), a Fokker 100 with serial 290/FT. It is reported that the unit will receive a second Fokker 100 in the near future.

Photo by Romain Salerno / Aeronantes Spotters