Jean Mermoz facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jean Mermoz
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Jean Mermoz, 1935
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| Born | 9 December 1901 |
| Disappeared | 7 December 1936 (aged 34) Atlantic Ocean, en route to Natal from Dakar |
| Nationality | French |
| Occupation | Aviator |
Jean Mermoz (born December 9, 1901 – disappeared December 7, 1936) was a brave French aviator. He was seen as a true hero by many pilots, including the famous writer Saint-Exupéry. Even today, many schools in his home country of France are named after him. In Brazil, people also remember him as a pioneer who helped start air travel.
Contents
Mermoz's Amazing Flying Career
Jean Mermoz began his exciting journey in aviation in 1920. He met a teacher named Max Delby, who helped him learn and grow. By April 1921, Mermoz was flying planes as a pilot for the very first time.
Joining the French Air Force
In 1922, Mermoz joined the French Air Force. He became a pilot in the 11th regiment and was sent to fly missions in Syria. He was very successful there. In 1924, he returned to France and moved to Toulouse.
Flying for Latécoère Airmail
After his time in the military, Mermoz became an airmail pilot for a company called Latécoère. He almost didn't get the job because he did some risky stunts during his test flight! The director, Didier Daurat, famously said, "We don't need acrobats here, we need bus drivers." But Mermoz then flew a perfect, normal flight and was hired. This is where he met Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, another legendary pilot.
Working for the Compagnie Générale Aéropostale, Mermoz flew mail to places like Morocco, Senegal, and other parts of Africa. In 1926, his plane crashed in the Sahara desert. He was taken hostage by a group of Tuaregs, but thankfully, he was found alive later.
In 1927, Latécoère started building new planes like the Latécoère 25, Latécoère 26, and Latécoère 28. These planes were much better than the older ones. Mermoz often flew these new aircraft on routes from Morocco to Senegal.
Conquering the Andes and the Atlantic
Flying in Africa was just the beginning. Latécoère's big dream was to create a direct airmail route between France and South America. By 1929, it was clear this route would be very helpful for trade. Mermoz and other pilots bravely flew over the towering Andes mountains. The flying conditions were very tough, but Mermoz became the main pilot for this challenging project. He was determined to reach the Pacific Ocean. After several stops, he successfully reached Santiago, Chile.
To save time, Mermoz decided to fly at night, using special light beacons and flares to guide him. His fellow pilots were a bit worried, knowing they would have to do it too soon. For a while, since planes couldn't yet fly all the way across the Atlantic Ocean, steamboats helped connect the two halves of the airmail route.
Finally, on May 12-13, 1930, Mermoz completed the first direct flight from Saint-Louis, Senegal, to Natal, Brazil. The airmail line was finally complete! However, the plane he used, a modified Laté 28 called "Comte-de-la-Vaulx," wasn't strong enough. It had to land in the ocean during the return flight. Mermoz, his two crewmates, and the mail were rescued, but the plane sank.
Working for Air France
In 1933, Mermoz was given an important job as a general inspector for Air France. That same year, he arrived in Buenos Aires, Argentina. There, he and Saint-Exupéry became very important figures in the early days of Aeroposta Argentina, which later became Aerolíneas Argentinas. Mermoz and Saint-Exupéry flew many risky flights for this new airline. They are remembered as two of the most important people in the history of Argentine commercial aviation. From 1934 to 1936, Mermoz flew 24 special trips using Latécoère 300 airplanes. In 1935, he also flew de Havilland DH.88 "Comet" planes.
Mermoz's Disappearance at Sea
On December 7, 1936, Jean Mermoz was on a planned flight from Dakar to Natal, Brazil. Soon after taking off, he had to turn back because one of the engines on his Latécoère 300 Croix-du-Sud (meaning Southern Cross) was causing trouble. After a quick repair, he decided to take off again in the same plane. He was worried about delivering the mail on time. His last words before getting on the plane were, "Quick, let's not waste time anymore."
About four hours later, the radio station received a short message from Mermoz. He reported that he had to cut power to the back-right engine. The message suddenly stopped. No more messages were ever received. Neither the Laté 300 nor the crew were ever found.
It is believed that the engine they tried to fix lost its propeller during the flight. Since it was a back engine, the loose propeller might have badly damaged or even cut the plane's body, causing it to lose its tail and crash instantly. Henri Guillaumet, one of Mermoz's fellow pilots, had faced the same problem a few months earlier. But his engine was at the front, so the plane's speed kept the propeller in place until he could land safely.
An Unreliable Plane
Mermoz had become unhappy with the quality of the planes he and his friends had to fly. In the months before he disappeared, he often spoke about how poorly designed and built the aircraft were. He was once quoted saying, "Ask me to pilot anything, even a wheelbarrow, but on one condition: make sure it is solid." Another similar plane, a Laté 301 named Ville-de-Buenos-Aires, had disappeared eight months before Mermoz's flight. That crash caused the death of his mechanic and friend, Collenot, among others. The Hispano-Suiza 12Ner engines, thought to be the cause of both crashes, were later removed and replaced with older, more reliable ones. Sadly, Mermoz's warnings were heard too late.
Tributes to a Hero
Many places and things have been named after Jean Mermoz to honor his bravery and contributions to aviation.
- France
- An avenue in Lyon (Avenue Jean Mermoz) and a metro station (Mermoz-Pinel) on Line D are named for him.
- In 1937, France honored Mermoz with two postage stamps showing his image.
- A road in Paris (rue Jean Mermoz), near the Champs Elysées, is named after him.
- The pilot training school in Rungis is called Institut aéronautique Jean Mermoz.
- The city of Toulouse has a road (rue Jean Mermoz) and a subway station on Line A (Métro Mermoz) named in his honor. A large sculpture celebrating Mermoz and the pilots of the Aéropostale was put in the city's Jardin Royal park in 2001.
- The French ocean liner Jean Mermoz built in 1955 was named after him.
- South America
- A French lycée (high school) in Buenos Aires, Argentina, is named after him. The Lycée Franco-Argentin Jean Mermoz is a bilingual school.
- A monument to Jean Mermoz stands near Jorge Newbery Airpark in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
- One of the ATR-72 airplanes (CX-JCL) in the fleet of BQB Líneas Aéreas is named after Jean Mermoz.
- The Lycée franco-chilien "Alliance Française" Jean-Mermoz in Chile is also named for him.
- A primary and middle school in São Paulo, Brazil, is named after Jean Mermoz.
- Africa
- Jean-Mermoz International School (Ivory Coast)
- Lycée Français Jean-Mermoz (Senegal)
- Avenue Jean Mermoz, Saint Louis, Senegal
- Mermoz, a neighborhood in Dakar, Senegal
- Middle East
- Lycée Français Jean Mermoz, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
- Other
- His amazing flights over the Andes and across the Atlantic were shown in a film called Mermoz. The famous composer Arthur Honegger wrote the music for this movie.
Writings by Jean Mermoz
- Mes vols (Flammarion, 1937): This book is an unfinished collection of his memories, published shortly after he disappeared. It also includes short tributes from his closest friends and admirers.
- Défricheur du ciel (Bernard Marck (ed.), Archipel, 2006): This book contains Mermoz's letters from 1921 until his death in 1936.
Images for kids
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Cover of Mermoz's book Mes vols
See also
In Spanish: Jean Mermoz para niños
