Georges Legagneux facts for kids
Georges Théophile Legagneux (born December 24, 1882, in Puteaux, France – died July 6, 1914, in Saumur, France) was a brave French pilot. He was famous for being the first person to fly an airplane in many different countries. He also set amazing world records for flying higher than anyone else, reaching over 10,000 feet and later over 20,000 feet!
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Early Flights Around the World
Georges Legagneux made history with his airplane, a Voisin Farman I biplane. On April 23, 1909, he flew it in Vienna. This was the very first time a fixed-wing aircraft had flown in Austria!
First Flights in Other Countries
He continued to make history. On July 29, 1909, his flight in Stockholm was the first airplane flight ever seen in Sweden. A little later, on September 15, 1909, Legagneux flew his aircraft near Moscow, Russia. He made five short flights there. Some people say these were the first airplane flights in Russia. Other sources mention a flight in Odessa (now in Ukraine) earlier that year. Georges Legagneux also gave more flying demonstrations in Odessa and Saint Petersburg.
On April 19, 1910, he officially received his French pilot's license, number 55.
Exciting Air Races
Georges Legagneux loved to compete. He took part in the Angers-Saumur race on June 6, 1910. This was a very special event because it was the first airplane race between two cities! About 200,000 people came to watch.
Angers-Saumur Race
Legagneux flew a Sommer 1910 biplane. Out of seven pilots, only three managed to take off. He finished second in the race, completing it in 36 minutes and 45 seconds. The winner, Robert Martinet, was only about five minutes faster.
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The Circuit de l'Est
In August 1910, Legagneux joined the Circuit de l'Est race. He flew a Farman II biplane. This race had six stages, and he completed all of them, even though he only finished four within the time limit. He still earned third place overall, and was the top pilot flying a biplane.
During a rest day in Troyes, he was the only pilot to fly, just to entertain the crowd! In another stage, he took off even though the wind was very strong. He landed five times along the way, once even stopping for lunch! He was a very determined pilot.
Setting Altitude Records
Georges Legagneux was also famous for flying higher than anyone else. He broke world records for altitude, which means how high an airplane can fly.
On December 9, 1910, he broke the altitude record. Starting from Pau, France, he flew his Blériot XI airplane to an amazing height of 10,499 feet (about 3,200 meters)! This was higher than the previous record of 8,471 feet.
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He broke the world altitude record again in December 1913. This time, he flew a Nieuport airplane and reached an incredible height of 20,079 feet (about 6,120 meters)! That's like flying over three times the height of the tallest building in the world!
