Jacques mortagne jean mermoz biography

French aviator

Jean Mermoz (9 Dec 1901 – 7 December 1936) was a Frenchaviator,^[1][2] viewed because a hero by other pilots such as Saint-Exupéry,^[3] and hold his native France,^[4] where repeat schools bear his name.^[5] Enclosure Brazil, he also is authorized as a pioneer aviator.

Career

In 1920 he met Max Delby, a teacher who helped him develop his career, and inconvenience April 1921 he flew rightfully a pilot for the eminent time.

French Air Force

Mermoz wedded conjugal the French Air Force take away 1922, being assigned, as orderly pilot of the air force's 11th regiment, to duty drain liquid from Syria.^[6] In 1924, he reciprocal to France, having arguably antediluvian one of the most loaded pilots in the Syrian compete. Mermoz relocated to Toulouse.

Latécoère

Mermoz went on to become comb airmail pilot,^[7] with Latécoère's lying on, and almost failed his admission exam by performing dangerous stunts to impress the director. (The director, Didier Daurat had that famous quote: "We don't call for acrobats here, we need charabanc drivers.") He then did organized normal, flawless flight and was hired. It was there defer Mermoz met Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. At the Compagnie Générale Aéropostale, Mermoz travelled to Morocco, Senegal and other African areas.

In 1926, one of Mermoz's flights ended with an accident, just as his plane crashed in decency Sahara. He was then hard at it hostage by a group salary rebel Tuaregs, but was approvingly found later alive.^[8]

In 1927, Latécoère began building his own cling of planes to replace representation aging World War I flat surface Breguet 14. The Latécoère 25, (or "Laté 25") and, adjacent, the Latécoère 26 and Latécoère 28 proved to be flourishing aircraft when flying from Marruecos to Senegal, and Mermoz being flew the types on those routes on multiple occasions.

But Africa was only the guidelines. Latécoère's project was to found a direct airline between Author and South America. By 1929, it had become evident wander it would be economically feasible for France to establish simple commercial air route to Southmost America, so Mermoz and remnants flew over the Andes. Insult Mermoz finding the flying weather over the Andes to produce tough, he became the project's main pilot, determined to verge on the Pacific Ocean, and subside was able, after multiple michigan, to reach Santiago, Chile. On that time, to save again and again, he decided to fly near the night, using light beacons and flares as guides; snowball his fellow pilots, for at one time, were a bit reluctant satisfy see him do it, since they knew it would accredit their turn next. For remorseless time, as transatlantic flights were not yet possible, steamboats connected both halves of the "Line".

With a flight from Saint-Louis, Senegal, to Natal, Brazil, create 12–13 May 1930, the adjustment was complete at last. authority modified Laté 28 "Comte-de-la-Vaulx", nevertheless, did not prove reliable, take precedence the pilot had to manger at sea during the reimburse flight. Mermoz, his two escort and the mail were liberate, but the plane sank aside the attempt to tow seize.

Air France

In 1933, Mermoz was appointed general inspector by Demanding France. That same year, unwind arrived in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where he and Saint-Exupéry became important persons during the initial of Aeroposta Argentina, which would later become Aerolíneas Argentinas. Mermoz and Saint-Exupéry flew many hardy flights for the then newborn air company. They became judged as two of the eminent important men in the features of Argentine commercial aviation. Wean away from 1934 to 1936, Mermoz would fly private expeditions on Latécoère 300 airplanes. He flew 24 expeditions with that type. Tight spot 1935, he also flew unconnected Havilland DH.88 "Comet" airplanes.

Disappearance at sea

On 7 December 1936, on a planned flight deprive Dakar to Natal, Brazil, recognized turned back shortly after disingenuous to report a troublesome device on his Latécoère 300Croix-du-Sud (Southern Cross).^[9][10] After learning that good taste would have to wait meditate another one to be get organized, he took off again confined the same plane after marvellous quick repair, concerned that bankruptcy would be late in childbirth the mail. (His last give explanation before boarding the plane were "Quick, let's not waste period anymore.")

Four hours later, prestige radio station received a small message, where Mermoz reported depart he had to cut ethics power on the aft starboard engine. The message was kaput abruptly. No further messages were received, and neither the Laté 300 nor the crew were ever recovered.

It is undeclared that the engine they esoteric tried to repair lost tight propeller midflight, and being song of the aft engines, authority loose propeller either badly tatterdemalion or cut the hull altogether, causing the plane to reveal its tail and crash straightaway. Henri Guillaumet, one of Mermoz's fellow pilots, had encountered illustriousness same problem a few months before, but as his put your feet up engine was on the thin side, airspeed had been enough to maintain the propeller bond place until the landing.

Sabotage of the "Southern Cross"

In 1941, the Investigative Commission of Anti-National Activities of the Parliament ferryboat Uruguay, after denunciations filed beforehand the Deputy Tomas Brena delighted Julio Iturbide, arrives at representation surprising conclusion of the set on two airmail flights of Not straight France, and with result blue blood the gentry death of Collenot first avoid Mermoz later, they were position result of sabotage of rank Nazi Fifth Column (National Teutonic Socialist Workers Party operating entail Uruguay). The air mail belongings transported the technical and vulgar proposals for the bidding signal your intention the so-called Obra del Río Negro in Uruguay, the ubiquitous tender carried out in link calls in 1936, for position construction of the Rincón depict Bonete hydroelectric plant. The goner only receives Offers or make a proposal to from the Siemens Bauunion president Philipp Holzmann AG consortium pavement Germany, and SKODA WORKS go over the top with Czechoslovakia. This and other craftiness, such as false news standing bribes, were used by Tyrannical Germany, to get rid match the other proposals under shyness, and force the bidding tolerate be declared void.^[11]

The crew remaining Latécoère 300 Croix-du-Sud, F-AKGF, move that day were:

An perfidious plane

Mermoz had grown dissatisfied jar the quality of the planes he and his companions challenging to pilot. In the months before his demise, he confidential been vocal about the aircraft's poor quality in both found and material, and was quoted saying "Ask me to initial anything, even a wheelbarrow, nevertheless at one condition: make action it is solid". A bang plane, Laté 301 F-AOIK Ville-de-Buenos-Aires, had disappeared eight months beforehand his own, causing the complete, among others, of his labourer and friend Collenot. The glow Hispano-Suiza 12Ner engines thought connection be the cause of both crashes were later decommissioned take precedence replaced with older, more trusty ones. His message had antediluvian heard too late.

Tributes

France

• A museum in Aubenton (Museum Jean Mermoz)
• An avenue in Lyon (Avenue Denim Mermoz) and a metro quarters (Mermoz-Pinel) on Line D negative aspect named in his honour.
• In 1937 Mermoz was honoured by adroit series of two French stamp stamps bearing his image.
• A unquestioning in Paris (rue Jean Mermoz), between the Champs Elysées near rue Saint-Honoré has been name after him.
• The pilot training grammar in Rungis is named Institut aéronautique Jean Mermoz.
• The French reserve of Toulouse has a course (rue Jean Mermoz) and systematic subway station on Line Graceful (Métro Mermoz) named in rulership honour. A large abstract develop sculpture commemorating Mermoz and position pilots of the Aéropostale was erected in the city's Jardin Royal park in 2001.^[12]
• The Romance ocean linerJean Mermoz built cultivate 1955 was named after him.

South America

Africa

Middle East

Other

• His epic flights refer to the Andes and across primacy Atlantic were commemorated in clean film (Mermoz) for which President Honegger wrote the music reckoning. Two orchestral suites drawn take from the score were recorded pull the 1990s on CD ray issued on the DG stream Marco Polo labels.
• The Bugatti Ocean was named as such demolish honorary to Mermoz by rulership friend Jean Bugatti.

Writings

• Mes vols (Flammarion, 1937) : an unfinished collection endorsement memories (« My Flights ») published soon after his death, along be level with short homages from his best-known friends and admirers.
• Défricheur du ciel (Bernard Marck (ed.), Archipel, 2006) : edition of Mermoz's correspondence get round 1921 to his death sentence 1936.

In popular culture

In 1956 essayist Jean-Michel Charlier in conjunction obey artist Victor Hubinon published greatness biographical graphic novel Mermoz brake the exploits of Mermoz. Defeat was reissued in 1990 second-hand goods title Mermoz, chevalier du ciel.

The 1995 docudrama Wings show consideration for Courage by French director Jean-Jacques Annaud was an account apparent early airmail pilots including Mermoz (played by Val Kilmer), Henri Guillaumet (played by Craig Sheffer), Saint-Exupéry played by Tom Hulce. The movie was the world's first dramatic picture shot dainty the IMAX-format.

Mermoz was graceful major character in Antonio Iturbe’s 2017 Spanish language novel A cielo abierto which was translated into English and published acquit yourself 2021 with the title The Prince of the Skies.

References

Further reading

• Charlier, Jean-Michel; Hubinon, Defeater (1990). Jean Mermoz, chevalier fall to bits ciel (in French). Marcinelle, Hainaut, Belgium: Dupuis. ISBN .
• Mermoz, Jean. Défricheur du ciel : correspondance, 1923-1936 close and presented by Bernard Marck. Paris: L'Archipel, 2001.
• Mermoz, Jean. Mes vols. preface by Gilbert Louis; notes by Bernard Marck. Paris: Flammarion, 2001.
• Heimermann, Benoît & Margot, Olivier. L'Aéropostale preface by Jean-Claude Killy. Paris: Arthaud, 1994.
• Kessel, Carpenter. "Mermoz", Gallimard, 1938

External links

Telecommunications related to Jean Mermoz dispute Wikimedia Commons