List of pilots awarded an Aviator's Certificate by the Aéro-Club de France in 1909

The Aéro-Club de France issued Aviators Certificates from 1909.[1] These were internationally recognised under the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale.

French aviators' licences were issued from 1 January, 1910, but by this time many aviation pioneers, e.g. Louis Blériot and the Wright brothers, had amply demonstrated their abilities and they were therefore not required to pass an examination in order to receive a licence. The first fourteen licences were awarded in alphabetical order, with Blériot being awarded Licence No. 1 and Wilbur Wright receiving No. 15 (No. 13 was not awarded); two further such 'honorary' licences were awarded subsequently and inserted into the sequence as '5bis' and '10bis'.[2]

Contents

List

Aviator's Certificates awarded
in 1909
(1–17)		 in 1910
(18–344)		 in 1911
(345–705)		 in 1912
(706–1194)		 in 1913
(1195–1576)		 in 1914
(1577–1754)

Legend
   Individual was killed in an aviation accident.
   Individual was killed flying in military action.

Aéro-Club de France certificates awarded in 1909 (nos. 1–17)
No. Name Date Country of origin
(if not France)		 Comment
1 Bleriot, Louis 1909-01-07[3] First pilot to cross the English Channel in a heavier-than-air aircraft; d. 1 August 1936.
2 Curtiss, Glenn 1909-01-07[4] USA Holder of Aero Club of America certificate no. 1; d. 23 July 1930 in Florida.
3 Delagrange, Léon 1909-01-07[5] d. in accident 4 January 1910 at Croix-d’Hine, nr. Bordeaux.[6]
4 Esnault-Pelterie, Robert 1909-01-07[7] Inventor, aircraft designer, rocket propulsion theorist, founder of R.E.P.; d. 6 December 1957.
5 Farman, Henry 1909-01-07[8] UK Anglo-French aviation pioneer and entrepreneur; adopted French nationality 1937; d. 17 July 1958.
5 bis Ferber, Ferdinand (Captain) 1909-01-07[9] d. in accident 22 Sept. 1909 at Boulogne sur Mer (France).[10]
6 Farman, Maurice 1909-11-18[11] UK Anglo-French aviation pioneer and entrepreneur; d. 25 February 1964 at Paris.
7 Gobron, Jean 1909-10-07[12] d. 1945 in a road accident.
8 Lambert, Comte Charles de 1909-10-07[13] Russia Russian pilot of French origins; d. 26 February 1944.
9 Latham, Hubert 1909-10-17[14] d. in accident 7 June 1912 (reportedly killed by a buffalo).
10 Paulhan, Louis 1909-10-17[15]
10 bis Tissandier, Paul 1909-09-16[16]
11 Rougier, Henri 1909-11-18[17] d. July 1956.
12 Santos-Dumont, Alberto 1909-11-07[18] Brazil Balloonist; designer; made the first flight verified by the Aéro-Club de France of a powered heavier-than-air machine in Europe.
14 Wright, Orville 1909-11-07[19] USA US aviation pioneer; d. in Dayton, Ohio, 31 January 1948, aged 77.
15 Wright, Wilbur 1909-11-07[20] USA US aviation pioneer; d. 20 May 1912 of typhoid fever at Dayton (USA).
16 Bunau-Varilla, Etienne 1909-11-04 Son of Philippe-Jean Bunau-Varilla; patented first recumbent bicycle (1912)
17 Leblanc, Alfred 1909-12-16[21] d. in 1921.

See also

Lists for other years:

References

  1. ^ The details provided in this and related lists covering the years 1909 to 1914 have been collected and collated largely from the following sources (as listed in the bibliography): Flying Pioneers - Les Vieilles Tiges; Alphabetical lists of aviators licensed in France prior to 2 August, 1914 (Fr.: "Liste Alphabétique des pilotes aviateurs brevetés en France avant le 2 août 1914") by Jacques Moulin; Grace's Guide; Flight global PDF archive.
  2. ^ Lassalles, Émile
  3. ^ Vieilles Tiges: Louis Blériot
  4. ^ Vieilles Tiges: Glenn Curtis
  5. ^ Vieilles Tiges: Léon Delagrange
  6. ^ Lam, Dave, p.10
  7. ^ Vieilles Tiges: Robert Esnault-Pelterie
  8. ^ Vieilles Tiges: Henry Farman
  9. ^ Vieilles Tiges: Ferdinand Ferber
  10. ^ Lam, Dave, p.13
  11. ^ Vieilles Tiges: Maurice Farman
  12. ^ Vieilles Tiges: Jean Gobron
  13. ^ Vieilles Tiges: Charles de Lambert
  14. ^ Vieilles Tiges: Louis Paulhan
  15. ^ Vieilles Tiges: Louis Paulhan
  16. ^ Vieilles Tiges: Tissandier
  17. ^ Report on Reims Air Meet, 22-29 August 1909
  18. ^ Vieilles Tiges: Alberto Santos-Dumont
  19. ^ Vieilles Tiges: Orville Wright
  20. ^ Vieilles Tiges: Wilbur Wright
  21. ^ Lassalles, Émile: Leblanc achieved his certificate at Pau

Bibliography