The Sevenpart Documentary Series The History Of Aviation Directed By Daniel Costelle And Renejean Bouyer Is A Cult Series For A Generation Of Pilots A…
From Leonardo Da Vincis Flying Machines To The Crossing Of The English Channel By Louis Bleriot In 1909 This First Episode Of History Of Aviation Recounts Two Centuries Of Incredible Inventions Long Before Aviation Took Off Many Attempts To Fly Were Conducted Using Simple Rotor Blades Or Batlike Wings Then On To The Hotair Balloon Invented By The Montgolfier Brothers And The Famous Blimp Who Would Have Imagined That The First Flight Tests Would Take Place From The First Floor Of The Eiffel Tower From Steam Power To Combustion Power How Were The First Aircraft Engines Made How Did Bleriots Exploit Revolutionize The Aviation Industry
The First Tests Are Conclusive Louis Bleriots Exploit Gave A Real Push To The Aeronautics Industry And Feats Multiply The Alps Are Crossed And Roland Garros Crosses The Mediterranean Sea Every Day Aviation Demonstrates Its Prowess While At The Same Time The First World War Broke Out In 1914 Aviation Would Play A Key Role In The War With The Advent Of Air Forces At First Used Primarily For Reconnaissance Aircraft Are Soon Equipped With Bomb Launchers And Viewfinders Wars Are Now Won With Air Weapons And Aviation Becomes Sustainable
As Soon As The First World War Is Over The Former War Pilots Embark On The Race For Flying Feats Of All Kinds It Is A Time Of Recklessness And Challenge Of Loops In The Air And Stunts And Of Course The Crossing Of The Atlantic In 1927 By Charles Lindbergh It Is Also A New Era That Begins With The Expansion Of Air Transportation And The Creation Of The Legendary Aeropostale Civil Aviation Becomes Commercial And Regular Lines Carrying Couriers And Travelers Are Created Borders Are Constantly Pushed Back Who Would Have Imagined That The First Parismoscow Commercial Line Would Be Inaugurated In November 1924 And That Linking Moscow To Beijing In 1925 Would Also Serve As A Propaganda Tool The Lindbergh Legend Is Born With His Crossing Of The Atlantic In May 1927 After 33 Hours Of Flight Thus Connecting New York City To Paris
Lindberghs Atlantic Crossing Triggered A Race To Meet Similar Challenges Commercial Aviation Is Flourishing While Aeropostale Continues To Grow With The Creation Of South American Lines New Legends Are Crowned By The Public On Both Sides Of The Atlantic Jean Mermoz Antoine De Saintexupery As Early As 1931 The First Roundtheworld Trip Is Completed In 8 Days By Veteran Pilot Wiley Post He Is Acclaimed By The Crowd Upon His Arrival In New York City Then The Billionaire Howard Hughes Achieves His World Tour In Only 91 Hours Women Are Also Honored With The First Famous Female Pilots Such As Amelia Earhart Aviation Breaks All The Records These Are Also The Years Of The Seaplane And The Blimp As Powerful As The Airplane And Of Gigantic Size The Airship Is Able To Compete With The Plane But The Terrible Explosion Of The Hindenburg Will Abruptly End This Adventure In May 1937
The Interwar Period While The Spanish War Is Raging Hitlers And Mussolinis German And Italian Warplanes Join Frances Forces Russian Planes Also Enter The Conflict Alongside The Spanish Republican Squadrons Famous Inventors And Pilots Outfit And Reinforce The Fleets Of Their Countries Goering Prepares The Armament Of Germany And Sends His Pilots To Test Their Planes In Spain Quickly Followed By Mussolini And Stalin Who Would Have Thought That In Barely 20 Years Aviation Would Become Such An Indispensable Weapon By 1939 Aviation Becomes A Target For The Military Forces On All Warring Sides The French Fleet Is Bombed While On The Ground And The Spitfire Becomes The Star Of Airtoair Combat
Ww2 Is Declared In 1939 Aviation Becomes A Strategic Tool During The Battles Of This New Worldwide Conflict Improving Aircraft Performance Is A Priority Fighter Planes And Bombers Equipped With Machine Guns Cannons And Sirens Fly On A Daily Basis Each Country Invests In This Increasingly Crucial Asset In The Pacific Europe And Russia Not A Single One Of The Belligerents Can Escape These Air Battles The Japanese Pilots Become As Experienced As Their Russian Or American Counterparts Amazing Stories Are Told Including That Of The Man Who Remained Alive After Falling Without A Parachute For Over 5000 Meters