Tribute to Raoul ROUOT (S 1958)

Raoul Rouot (S 1958) passed away on January 3, 2025 at the age of 90. I met him in 2008, when he responded to a call from Philippe Adamski (S 1993) and myself to reactivate the Bordeaux group of our ISAE SUPAERO ENSICA Alumni Association. For more than 10 years, Raoul was the driving force behind the group, taking part in all our meetings, conferences, visits and friendly get-togethers, always with enthusiasm and good humor. A fine writer too, as I regularly asked him to write about our events in the Association's magazine. Using a few notes taken from a small notebook he would slip into his pocket, Raoul knew how to write with such hindsight, humor and accuracy, it was a joy to read him!

It was during a conference on nEUROn drone flight tests that we organized at Dassault in 2015, that I discovered the extent of his career. That evening, he was at home, so happy to be back in his factory, so "at ease", taking notes as usual, to write us a very nice article.

That evening, I realized that Raoul had started his career at Mérignac as a manufacturing engineer, holding various positions in flight testing, the design office and the administrative department. In particular, he had been involved in the start-up of the Little Rock plant, before becoming manager of the Mérignac plant from 1978 to 1985, then director from 1986 to 1990.

At the time, Raoul was heavily involved in the Bordeaux Aquitaine Aéronautique et Spatiale (BAAS) association, was a member of the Aquitaine Economic and Social Council and an advisor to the Banque de France.

Raoul was Director of General Program Coordination at Vaucresson from May 1990 to February 1991, before leaving Dassault Aviation to chair the Coordination Board of Dassault Industries until 1999.

His retirement ceremony, presided over by Serge Dassault, was a tribute to a lifetime of passion for his profession and for aerospace.

Raoul took advantage of the 25 years that followed to write several books, with his natural rigor and taste for argumentation. He was also a pillar of our Association, as this little retrospective in pictures in tribute to you, Raoul, recalls, with visits to Aérocampus, the hydra-jet and naval museums, tasting at the Bordeaux Winery and a boat trip on the Garonne.

Thanks to you Raoul!

Catherine Goetz (S 1985, Honorary President of the Association)