Julien Félix facts for kids
Julien-Alexandre Félix was a French pilot and a very important person in early aviation. He was born on March 2, 1869, in Limoges, France, and sadly passed away on June 17, 1914, in Chartres. Major Félix was in charge of training flights at the French Military Aviation School in Pau. This school taught people how to fly planes for the military.
A Record-Breaking Pilot
Julien Félix was known for his amazing flying skills. On August 5, 1911, he achieved something incredible in Étampes, France. He set a new world altitude record! This means he flew higher than anyone else had before.
He climbed to an amazing height of 11,330 feet (about 3,453 meters) in just 63 minutes. This was a huge achievement for the time, and he broke the previous record held by another famous pilot, Georges Legagneux. Imagine flying that high in an early airplane!
A Tragic End
Sadly, Julien Félix's life ended while he was doing what he loved most: flying. He was testing a new type of airplane called a 1912 Drzewiecki Canard monoplane. This plane was built by Stefan Drzewiecki. Testing new aircraft was very dangerous in the early days of aviation because planes were still being developed and improved. During one of these tests, Major Félix had an accident and died. His death was a big loss for the world of aviation.
