6/20/2023 0 Comments Nostalgic air mail pilot picturesHe broke the world distance record on 28 October 1926, flying 5,396 km (3,351 miles) from Paris to Jask, Persia, with J. On 26 September 1926 he flew 4,100 km (2,546 miles) from Paris to Assuan, with René de Vitrolles, attempting at breaking a world distance record. He was also a fighter ace during World War I. ĭieudonné Costes was a French aviator who set flight distance records. Associé à Dieudonné Costes, il a réussi en 1930, à bord du Breguet XIX “Point d’interrogation”, la première traversée de l’Atlantique Nord d’est en ouest. Maurice Bellonte est un aviateur français. During the Battle of France in 1940, the Dewoitine D.520 turned out to be France’s best fighter aircraft. In 1936, part of the French aviation industry was nationalized and Dewoitine’s factories were absorbed by the state-owned SNCAM. During the 1930s, several noteworthy aircraft rolled out of the Toulouse-based Dewoitine factories including the Dewoitine D.500, the French Air Force’s first fully metallic, monoplane fighter, as well as the Dewoitine D.338 airliner. In 1931, Dewoitine went back to France and founded Société Aéronautique Française – Avions Dewoitine. In 1920, he founded his own company, but facing little success at home, went to Switzerland where his Dewoitine D.27 fighter was accepted for operational service. Émile Dewoitine entered the aviation industry by working at Latécoère during World War I. ĭewoitine D.333 assembly (public domain image). Nevertheless, he engaged him to clean the engines. When Jean Mermoz presented himself in Toulouse and made a dazzling display of piloting skill, Daurat told him “I don’t need circus artists but bus drivers.” ( “Je n’ai pas besoin d’artistes de cirque mais de conducteurs d’autobus”). But he knew when he saw a talented pilot. According to Daurat, this formed character and taught pilots to respect their machines. Many of his pilots began their careers as grease monkeys, taking apart, cleaning and reassembling engines. He did not hesitate to dismiss those who showed the slightest sign of weakness, questioned his methods or did not adhere to the ‘spirit of the mail’ (l’esprit du courrier). I started a trip into French aviation history through the life of its pioneers…ĭaurat was a fighter pilot during World War I, distinguishing himself by spotting the Paris Gun which was pounding Paris.Īfter the war, he joined Latécoère’s airline company, (which later became the Compagnie générale aéropostale – Aéropostale, then Air France) where he was a pilot and later operations director.įrom this time, the legend of the man with the iron will made Didier Daurat a boss admired by many, feared by all and hated by some. Many months ago I collected the names of some of the streets of Blagnac and Colomiers (the village at the other side of the airport were Airbus is also located), and then, with the help of Google and Wikipedia, I searched who they were. It is then that you realize what might be going on and wonder who the previous names were. But then the back street is called Charles Lindbergh. My office is located at the avenue Didier Daurat, to get there I cross two roundabouts: Maurice Bellonte and Émile Dewoitine… these names probably do not ring a bell to most of you. The place radiates passion for aviation (I once shared the geek outlook of my dentist’s waiting room). Blagnac is a small village close to Toulouse. I moved to France about two years ago to work for Airbus in its Blagnac offices.
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