Air Création

Order of Battle · Aircraft manufacturers · France

Air Création

Air Concept

Two microlight enthusiasts in the Ardèche turned the Rogallo wing into a business, building thousands of weight-shift trikes flown on five continents and taken by their pilots to nearly 10,000 metres.

1982Founded
ActiveStatus
6Aircraft on record
2Air forces flying its types
Photo: Huhu Uet / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0)
CountryFranceFounded1982FoundersGilles Bru, Jean-Yves Le BihanHeadquartersAubenas aerodrome, Lanas, ArdècheStatusActive
The story

Air Création: the company and the aircraft that made its name

A wing from NASA

The flexible wing that Air Création builds goes back to Francis Rogallo’s work for NASA in 1958. In 1980 French civil aviation created the ultralight motorised category, the ULM, and in 1981 two enthusiasts met: Gilles Bru, a wing designer, and Jean-Yves Le Bihan, a specialist in trikes, the open tricycle carriages hung beneath a hang-glider-style wing and steered by shifting weight. In 1982 they founded a company in the Ardèche, registered first as Air Concept and renamed Air Création within months. Its first machine was the Safari trike, followed in 1984 by the GT-Bi two-seater.

Trikes from the Ardèche

In 1988 the company built a 1,000 square metre factory on the Aubenas aerodrome, where it still makes every trike and wing itself. The single-seat Racer was produced for 25 years, from 1985 to 2010. In 2004 came the Tanarg, which the company calls a real revolution in trike design, and in 2009 a patented system for adjusting wing tension in flight. Air Création says it has produced more than 4,500 trikes and 8,000 wings, and its machines are flown on five continents; only about 35 per cent of sales are in France, with strong markets in Egypt, China and Eastern Europe.

Records and electric wings

Pilots flying Air Création machines have set climb, altitude and distance records: Roland Coddens climbed to 6,000 metres in 14 minutes 54 seconds, Serge Zin reached 9,720 metres, and in 2019 Colin Fargher flew 783.9 km. Trikes are used for surveillance, parachute towing and scientific work as well as leisure. The company adopted 3D printing in production in 2017, and its electric e-Pixel became the first electric trike certified in France.

Two microlight enthusiasts in the Ardèche turned the Rogallo wing into a business, building thousands of weight-shift trikes flown on five continents and taken by their pilots to nearly 10,000 metres.Air Création · verified 2026-10-03
At a glance

Air Création in numbers

The company

In short
Founded 1982

  • Founded in the Ardèche by Gilles Bru and Jean-Yves Le Bihan
  • 1,000 square metre factory on Aubenas aerodrome from 1988

Production

Best known for
Tanarg, Skypper, Pixel trikes

  • More than 4,500 trikes and 8,000 wings (company figures)
  • 40–50 trikes and 80–100 wings a year
  • Racer single-seater built 1985–2010

Today

Now
Weight-shift trikes and wings

  • About 35% of sales in France, 18% elsewhere in Europe
  • e-Pixel electric trike

The numbers

Trikes produced
more than 4,500
Wings produced
more than 8,000
Annual output
40–50 trikes, 80–100 wings
Sales in France
35%
Aircraft produced (Wikipedia)
more than 5,500
The aircraft

Every notable Air Création aircraft

Aircraft Role First flight Built Status Note
Air Création Safari Ultralight trike Retired First product
Air Création GT-Bi Two-seat ultralight trike Retired
Air Création Racer Single-seat ultralight trike Retired FAR 103 compliant
Air Création Tanarg Two-seat ultralight trike In production
Air Création Skypper Two-seat ultralight trike In production
Air Création e-Pixel Electric single-seat trike In production First electric trike certified in France
Who flies them

Air Création aircraft in the world’s air forces

2 air forces in the Order of Battle fly or flew Air Création types. 1 of them still have one in service.

Air force In service Formerly flown
Malian Air Force Air Création Tétras 912
Niger Air Force Air Création Tétras
Places, people, records

Where Air Création built, who led it, what it achieved

Factories

  • Aubenas aerodrome works · Lanas, Ardèche — Built 1988; all trikes and wings made on site

People

  • Gilles Bru · co-founder, wing designer
  • Jean-Yves Le Bihan · co-founder, trike specialist
  • Antoine Cardon · designer — Joined the design office in 1993

Records and firsts

  • Altitude 9,720 m, Serge Zin
  • Climb to 6,000 m in 14 min 54 s, Roland Coddens
  • Distance 783.9 km, Colin Fargher, 2019
Timeline

Air Création, year by year

1981

Gilles Bru and Jean-Yves Le Bihan meet

1982

Company founded as Air Concept, soon renamed; Safari trike

1984

GT-Bi two-seater

1985

Racer single-seater enters production

1988

Factory built on Aubenas aerodrome

2004

Tanarg launched

2009

Patented in-flight wing-tension system

2017

3D printing adopted in production

2019

Colin Fargher’s 783.9 km distance record

Questions & Answers

Everything people ask about Air Création

What does Air Création make?
Weight-shift ultralight trikes and their flexible wings, including the Tanarg, Skypper and Pixel, built at Aubenas in the Ardèche.
How many Air Création trikes have been built?
The company says more than 4,500 trikes and 8,000 wings; Wikipedia gives more than 5,500 aircraft.
Who founded Air Création?
Gilles Bru and Jean-Yves Le Bihan, in 1982.
Is there an electric Air Création trike?
Yes, the e-Pixel, described as the first electric trike certified in France.

Continue the tour

Around Air Création

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Sources & Further Reading

Every fact, checked

Verified 2026-10-03.