In memory of our comrade Jean RICHALET (S1960)

In memory of JR

I'd like to take the liberty of making this brief evocation, made possible by our long-standing friendship.

The Ecole Nationale Supérieure de l'Aéronautique, SUPAERO, was the main French melting pot in which studies and research on automatisms (then called 'servo-controls') were developed from the end of the 50s; the founders Jean-Charles.Gilles, Marc.Pélegrin, P.Decaulne who published the reference course book in 1959.

In the early 60s, CERA (Centre d'études et recherche en automatismes) was created, soon to be headed by Marc Pélegrin. The various aspects were explored in greater depth, giving rise to publications and teaching courses, including abroad.

Jacques Delmas, René Boudarel, André Fossard, Jacques Richalet and Jean Paul Perrin were among the first to go online.

At the end of the '60s, SUPAERO moved to Toulouse, where CERA became a department of CERT. Jacques Richalet became head of GERBIOS, which he had founded, and remained in the Ile-de-France region, while Jean-Paul Perrin moved to automation and research at RATP in 1968, leaving his post to Eric Daclin.

Subsequent links were maintained through publications and participation in congresses, in particular those of the IFAC (International Federation of Automatic Control), which mainly concerned researchers (Jacques, a pragmatist, would have liked to see more applied research).

Jacques Richalet has developed the practice of modeling and predictive control, with a strong emphasis on field application and know-how transfer (essential if you want to remain useful). His many collaborators include (in alphabetical order and by example) ...Jean Papon, René Pouliquen, André Rault, Jean-LouisTestud, ClaudeTimsit .... and a wide range of international activities.

Following his career with ADERSA, from 2002 to 2017 he played an active role as an independent consultant, wearing the dual hat of mathematician and technician, with the flair of a researcher concerned with efficiency and concrete achievements.

A life well spent in the service of science.

Jean-Paul PERRIN (SUPAERO 1961)