Association Zéphyr was founded in 1994 by fourth-year student engineers of the Ecole Supérieure des Techniques Aérotechniques et de Construction Automobile (ESTACA), who have designed the Alizé light aircraft, intended for amateur construction. Sponsorship and support is being provided by Dassault, EVRA and the RSA.
In 2002-03, students at ESTACA built a replica of the Wright Flyer for exhibition at the Paris Air Show of June 2003 and planned to make a 100th anniversary flight on 17 December that year.