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t all started when Cdr Yvan was a boy; he would listen avidly to his uncle s adventures as a pilot on the Étendard IVP. Travelling

the world aboard Foch and Clemenceau aircraft carriers, he told Yvan incredible stories about navy fighter planes. Convinced this profession was out of his reach, Cdr Yvan nevertheless applied to Naval School, without holding out much hope... but he got selected!

FOR ONCE YOU HAVE TASTED FLIGHT YOU WILL WALK THE EARTH WITH YOUR EYES TURNED SKYWARDS, FOR THERE YOU HAVE BEEN AND

THERE YOU WILL LONG TO RETURN. LEONARDO DA VINCI

After his first flight on an MS 880 Rallye at flight training school in the French Navy, squadron 50S, Cdr Yvan was admitted to the Naval Aeronautics pilot s course in 2003. At the time, he had no experience in the field. Next came a short training course on the CAP 10 at Lanvéoc (Finistère, France), then on the Tucano at the air school in Salon de Provence (Bouches-du-Rhône, France). In 2006, he continued his professional training on a T45 Goshawk in the United States, not forgetting a series of landings on US aircraft carriers. After 15 months training across the Atlantic, Cdr Yvan finally obtained his pilot s badge, a testament to his success as a navy fighter pilot. Back in France in 2007, everything happened fast! After a brief spell on the Super Étendard Modernisé, he was posted in 2008 to the Rafale Marine, his favourite aircraft. In 2010, at the end of six years of intensive training, Cdr Yvan became an operational pilot! Aboard his Rafale Marine, he was catapulted from the flight deck of the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle. Why was he so taken with this plane? Because it s just impossible to tire of it. Even after ten years of flying it, I still haven t exhausted all the possibilities!

PARERE ANTEQUAM PRODESSE (OBEY BEFORE COMMANDING) THE FRENCH NAVAL SCHOOL S

MOTTO

Despite an already full schedule as a pilot, Cdr Yvan juggles between his flights and managing the 180 sailors and 10 Rafale Marines. When his unit is deployed to an aircraft carrier, he coordinates all the 11F resources to meet needs dictated by an often hostile terrain. A very agitated sea can sometimes be the backdrop to daily combats, making the Charles de Gaulle s floating platform unstable. All the onboard crew work in total synergy to ensure each mission is a veritable success.

MEN NEED PASSION TO TRULY EXIST ÉRIC TABARLY

While flying the only multirole combat aircraft in the world is already an extraordinary feat, landing on a floating deck is even more so. That is why, despite his experience and a very demanding daily routine, Cdr Yvan continues to marvel at this vocational passion and his amazing experiences on each mission. Today, Cdr Yvan shares his wonder and experiences as a speaker at conferences on stress management. Suffice to say this distinguished pilot still has many a story to tell. n Stéphanie Pansier

BETWEEN THE SEA AND SKY We all have this image in our minds of exceptional pilots, bolting through the blue at the speed of sound, strapped into their awe-inspiring fighter jets. While all seems to point towards them belonging to the aviation family, some have made the choice to combine their desire to fly with the pleasure of navigating the seas. This is the case for Commander Yvan, frigate captain of the 11F, a squadron of fighters at the Landivisiau aeronautical base.

The Rafale Marine? Even after ten years of flying it, I still haven t exhausted all the possibilities.

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