École de l'air et de l'espace facts for kids
School crest
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Other name
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EAE |
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| Motto | « Faire face » (French) (also motto of the French Air and Space Force) |
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Motto in English
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« Face honestly, truthfully & correctly straight forward » |
| Type | Air Force Academy, Grande École |
| Established | 1933 |
| Rector | Brigadier General Pierre Réal |
| Director | Brigadier General Pierre Réal |
| Students | 500 |
| Location |
Salon-de-Provence, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
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France
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| Affiliations | CDEFI, CGE, PEGASUS |
The École de l'air et de l'espace (which means 'School of Air and Space' in French) is a special military school in France. It trains young people to become officers in the French Air and Space Force. These officers will lead and manage air force operations. The school is located in Salon-de-Provence, France, at the Salon-de-Provence Air Base.
History of the Air and Space School
Before this school, other places helped train air force members. In 1922, a school called the École du génie started teaching officers about aeronautics.
Then, in 1925, the École militaire et d’application de l’Aéronautique was created. It trained young officers from other famous French military schools. They learned about flying and combat skills.
The École de l'air et de l'espace was officially created in 1933 by President Albert Lebrun. The very first students started their training on November 4, 1935. The school's motto is Faire Face, which means 'Overcoming' or 'Facing Challenges'. This motto honors Capitaine Georges Guynemer, a brave French fighter pilot from World War I.
In 1937, the school moved to new buildings in Salon. But during World War II (1939-1945), the school had to move many times to stay safe. It finally returned to its completed campus in Salon in 1946. In 1947, the school received two important awards: the Legion of Honor and the Croix de Guerre, for its service.
Over the years, other special schools joined the École de l'air et de l'espace. In 1953, the École du commissariat de l'Air joined, which trains officers for administrative, legal, and financial roles. In 1973, the Cours Spécial de l'École de l'air et de l'espace (CSEA) joined. This program trains exchange students from French-speaking African countries.
In 1969, the school started an exchange program with the United States Air Force Academy. Eight students from each school get to study abroad each year. The school first welcomed women students in 1976.
Since 2008, the school also offers special advanced courses. These courses are in aviation safety and managing aerospace projects. They work with other top French aviation schools for these programs.
In 2015, the school launched an online course called Compréhension de l’Arme Aérienne. This course helps people understand air power. It is available to many students online.
Famous People Who Studied Here
Many notable people have studied at the École de l'air et de l'espace. Here are a few:
- Stéphane Abrial: A French General who was a top commander in NATO.
- Caroline Aigle: The first woman fighter pilot in the French Air Force.
- Patrick Baudry: A retired French Air Force officer and a former astronaut.
- Jean-Loup Chrétien: A former French astronaut.
- Olivier Dassault: A former French politician and businessman.
- Léopold Eyharts: An astronaut from the European Space Agency (ESA).
- Jean-Pierre Haigneré: A French Air Force officer and a former astronaut.
- Fleury Marius: A famous French aviator.
- Francis Pollet: The director of another important science school.
- Jacques Rosay: A chief test pilot for the aircraft company Airbus.
- Michel Tognini: A French test pilot, general in the Air Force, and a former astronaut.
See also
In Spanish: École de l'air para niños
