Henri Salmet (22 July 1878 – 15 April 1954[2]) was an early French aviator.
Henri Salmet | |
|---|---|
 Henri Salmet at Llanelli 1912 | |
| Born | Henri Salmet 22 July 1878 |
| Died | 1954 [1] Villejuif |
| Nationality | French |
| Occupation | pilot |
Early life edit
Henri Salmet was born on 22 July 1878, in Paris.
Blériot Flying School 1911 edit
In early 1911, he was employed by the Blériot Flying School at Hendon Aerodrome, and was taught to fly by its Chief Flying Instructor, Pierre Prier.[3] On 27 June 1911, he was awarded Aviator's Certificate No. 99 by the Royal Aero Club.[4] Later in 1911, he succeeded Pierre Prier as Chief Flying Instructor. On 29 November 1911, he broke the British altitude record in a flight to 8,070 feet (2,460 m).[3]
London to Paris flight 1912 edit
On 7 March 1912, in a Blériot XI, he attempted to break the record for the shortest time for a non-stop flight from London (Hendon Aerodrome) to Paris (Issy-les-Moulineaux), previously set by Pierre Prier on 13 April 1911.[5] Salmet's time was three hours sixteen minutes, and that was duly reported in the press.[6] However, Salmet later confessed that he had landed in France en route to Paris to locate his bearings, so the existing record was not broken.[7]
"Wake Up England" tour 1912 edit
In July and August 1912, Salmet took part in the "Wake Up England" aviation tour organised by Claude Graham-White, and sponsored by the Daily Mail newspaper. The purpose was to promote public interest in aviation, and it visited 121 towns, many of which were holiday resorts. Salmet flew a Blériot XI-2, a two-seater that enabled him to carry a paying passenger.[3]
"The Daily Mail" Aeroplane Tour 1913-1914 edit
In 1913, Salmet flew in a tour of Great Britain, again sponsored by the Daily Mail, whose title was emblazoned beneath the wings of his Blériot XI-2. One of his passengers that year was the English illustrator Wyndham Payne.[8] In April 1914, he landed the Blériot at Gyllyngvase beach near Falmouth, where the wheels dug into the soft sand, and the aircraft tipped up onto its nose.[9][10] The Blériot was then fitted with its optional floats to enable operation from the sea. Soon after, an engine failure caused a forced landing on the sea near Lizard Point, during a flight carrying the Lady Mayoress of Falmouth.[9][10]
Wars of the Roses Air Race 1913 edit
On 2 October 1913, Salmet displayed his aircraft at Leeds, and operated passenger flights during the preparation for the Wars of the Roses (air race).[11]
Newspaper deliveries at Nice 1914 edit
On 5 January 1914, the Daily Mail Riviera Supplement reported that Salmet had started to carry passengers on flights in the area of Nice, during which flowers and copies of the newspaper were dropped as publicity stunts.[12]
World War I edit
After the outbreak of war, he joined the Aéronautique Militaire (French army air service), and served with the title Marechal des Logis, with Escadrille C9, flying Caudron G.4 reconnaissance bombers from Villers-lès-Nancy. On 7 April 1915, he was awarded the Croix de Guerre.[13] In August 1915, a further citation was awarded to him.[14]
References edit
- ^ Limited, Alamy. "Henri Salmet, the great Bleriot pilot, at Hendon, London, 1912 (1933). Artist: Flight Photo with a short biography, referencing R. Dallas Brett, History of British Aviation 1908-1914, Volume I, The Aviation Book Club, London, 1933". www.alamy.com. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
- ^ "Acte de naissance à Paris 5e, n° 3249, vue 14/31, avec mentions marginales de l'adoption, de deux mariages à Paris en 1903 et 1911, et du décès à Villejuif en 1954" [Birth certificate in Paris 5th, n° 3249, view 14/31, with marginal mentions of adoption, two marriages in Paris in 1903 and 1911, and death in Villejuif in 1954]. Ppp.
- ^ a b c Buttler, Tony. "Henri Salmet", Aeroplane Monthly, November 2012, pp. 24-28
- ^ Flight, 1 July 1911 Aviators' certificates www.flightglobal.com
- ^ Flight, 22 April 1911, p. 348 London to Paris Non-stop by Aeroplane www.flightglobal.com
- ^ Flight, 16 March 1912, p. 238 London-Paris Record Flight www.flightglobal.com
- ^ Flight, 23 March 1912, p. 264 M. Salmet's London-Paris Flight www.flightglobal.com
- ^ Webb, Brian (2020). Wyndham Payne Design. ACC Art Books. ISBN 9781788840651.
- ^ a b "The Daily Mail" Aeroplane Tour 1913 www.earlyaviators.com
- ^ a b Look Back in Time: French aviator crashed onto Gyllyngvase Beach 100 years ago www.falmouthpacket.co.uk
- ^ Wars of the Roses Air Race www.earlyaviators.com
- ^ Daily Mail, 5 January 1914 Newspapers from the Sky www.earlyaviators.com
- ^ Flight, 23 April 1915, p. 284 Salmet Mentioned in Army Orders www.flightglobal.com
- ^ Flight, 17 September 1915, p. 708 Good Work by Salmet www.flightglobal.com
Bibliography edit
- Sanger, Ray. 2008. Bleriot in Britain 1899-1927. Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. ISBN 0 85130 399 4