Louis Blériot

Louis Blériot (July 1 1872 – August 2 1936) was a French inventor and engineer, who performed the first flight over a large body of water in a heavier-than-air craft.

English Channel

A £1000 prize being offered by the London Daily Mail for the first successful flight across the English Channel interested Blériot and encouraged him to develop his fourth monoplane and first truly successful aircraft, the Blériot XI. After setting a European endurance record of 36 minutes 55 seconds and winning a cross-country prize, Blériot felt confident about embarking on his cross-Channel trip. On July 25, 1909 he made the trip from Calais to Dover in 37 minutes, delighting the French and worrying the British, who felt that they had suddenly become vulnerable to air attack.

Related Topics:
Daily Mail - July 25 - 1909 - Calais - Dover

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