Prepare your scientific project

Safire is at your side for:

• Selection of the aircraft that complies with your needs

• Integration and certification of your instruments

• Negotiation of flight plans with aeronautical authorities

• Evaluating the campaign costs when preparing a funding proposal

Do you plan an airborne field campaign ? Please This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Scientific instruments

Have a look at the list of the SAFIRE own instrumentation.

There are also many instruments belonging to external laboratories and which have already been certified and fitted in our aircraft; if wished, we will get you in touch with the technical managers of the instruments that you would like to use.

SAFIRE aircraft use request form

The expression of interest for the Safire fleet can be found here. Please This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. beforehand.

Application for access to SAFIRE airborne laboratories

Integration of new equipment on the SAFIRE aircraft

Does your project require installing specific scientific equipment on our aircraft? Let us know as soon as possible as the certification procedures might take several months. The SAFIRE team shares its aeronautical know-how and supports you from the study and design phases.
The aeronautical regulations are strictly observed by SAFIRE and any element installed in the aircraft must be precisely described in a certification file sent to the Aviation Authorities. It is the investigators’ responsibility to supply instruments which are compliant to their description.

Before designing the equipment

Read the instructions available in the document

Instruction for airborne scientific equipment

which presents the regulatory framework, the rules and the procedures to follow to install an instrument on the SAFIRE aircraft.

Between the design / production phases and a finalized version

With the help of Safire, complete the Instrumental Description Form.

Instrumental description form 

This file also called "DDI" specifies the instrument characteristics that are needed for their integration into the aircraft. The DDI enables SAFIRE teams to prepare certification files, cabin layout, electrical study, aircraft centering and, if necessary, to analyze the feasibility of data acquisition by SAFIRE and of a specific data process.

A finalized version must be provided to Safire at the latest 6 months before the first research flight.

When the instrument is delivered to SAFIRE

Provide the

Declaration of compliance

Committing the head of laboratory and the technical manager of the instrument on its conformity to the description which has been made of it.

Data measured on board Safire aircraft

To find out more, visit the SAFIRE+ page, the airborne data web portal.

Persons on board SAFIRE aircraft

Principal investigator must provide Safire at least one month before the first flight the list of persons expected to fly on board SAFIRE aircraft, by filling the following form:

List of additional crew

Any non-Safire personnel flying on the Safire aircraft is considered as a temporary crew member need to provide an authorization of the employer and sign a declarative information sheet.

Flight authorization to be fulfilled by employer

Information sheet to be signed before flying on the SAFIRE aircraft

Temporary crew members must have read the safety instructions of the relevant aircraft:

ATR 42 safety instructions
Falcon 20 safety instructions
Piper Aztec safety instructions

When publishing a scientific article

Publications using data obtained with the Safire fleet must comply with the Safire editorial guidelines. In particular, acknowledgments should contain the phrase “Airborne data was obtained using the aircraft managed by Safire, the French facility for airborne research, an infrastructure of the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), Météo-France and the French National Center for Space Studies (CNES)”

How to cite Safire in scientific publications

DownloadSafire visuals

Our service offer

SAFIRE service offer (in French) describes the services provided by Safire.