5 December 2025

2:20 PM – 3:05 PM

Amphi Grand Kursaal

Catherine Maunoury

From an early age, Catherine Maunoury was interested in airplanes. She was only eight when her father, a medical pilot, took her flying for the first time. Encouraged by him, she took her first solo flight at the age of fifteen and became the youngest licensed pilot at 17. Her passion took her to the highest levels of competition: she accumulated titles in the French, European and World championships, and is still today one of the world’s top female pilots. In 2010, Catherine Maunoury was appointed Director of the Musée de l’Air et de l’Espace at Le Bourget, and in 2017 President of the Aéro-Club de France.

Did Icarus go too far?

The sky has always fascinated, attracted, and challenged humans. The myth of Icarus is the ultimate symbol of their response to this challenge, fueled by the dream of flying, of reaching the sky, despite the limits that the sky seems to impose on them. These challenges are primarily technological, related to speed, altitude, and material strength. They are also posed by the limits of the pilot’s body and mind, who must learn to endure and control extreme acceleration and cognitive overload, and develop resilience in the face of any critical situation. Finally, the limits are regulatory, environmental, and ethical: should every limit be pushed back, crossed? Flying must remain a human art. Because it flirts with these challenges and limits, aerobatics offers a privileged terrain for studying, mastering, and redefining them. Perhaps Icarus failed because of overconfidence. Today, aviation combines the audacity of innovation with the caution of sustainability. Nevertheless, it continues to push the boundaries of the sky.