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F-WSNJ, first prototype of the CERVA C.E. 43 Guépard, had a livery with cocardes ( they are applied to all aircraft working with the French State services) due to the interest of various French official services which were at the origin of this design, having a requirement for liaison or/and navigation aircraft. At this time the prototype, first flown on May 18, 1971 at Issoire flew for certification and also for evaluation and possible adoption by CEV and SFA. On this May 24, 1972, I lost a golden occasion to fly alone a true first prototype... Very busy with demo flights, my friend Jean-Claude Gombert, the demonstrator pilot of Wassmer asked me to ferry this C.E. 43 from Cannes to the Istres CEV (Flight Test Center) where it had to continue the certification/evaluation flight program... Hmmm... Sure, I had a basic private pilot licence and a good lot of flight hours and just ...and a marked preference to never destroy this costly and so beautiful machine very easy to pilot as I was able to judge some months later at the Issoire Company airfield.
