French Inventor, Engineer, and Pioneering Aviator. A native of Cambrai, France, he studied engineering at the prestigious Ecole Centrale Paris, in France. While studying at the school he became interested in aviation and began to dabble in science. In 1900 he invented the ornithopter, a motor-powered machine, which flew while flapping its man-made wings. In 1903 he opened the Bleriot-Voisin Company with fellow aircraft designer, Gabriel Voisin, and with him, he designed a floatplane glider and a biplane powered by an Antoinette motor. After the company closed in 1906, he designed his own style of box-kite biplanes, and canard tail-first monoplanes, including the Bleriot V. In 1909, he decided to try his luck at flying after seeing an ad in the London Daily Mail Newspaper offering a 1000 pounds to the first person who could fly the first successful flight across the English Channel. He built the Bleriot XI and tried his luck at his first real air flight, and set a record of 36 minutes and 55 seconds. On July 25, 1909, he set off from Calais, France, to Dover, England, and landed after a record flight of just 37 minutes. After the record-setting flight he returned to France where he continued to open companies, invent, and continue his interest in engineering. His last two companies included the Societe Pour L'Aviation Et Ses Derives, and the Bleriot-Aeronautique. He also opened several flying schools in England. He died in Paris, France, in 1936 at the age of 64.
French Inventor, Engineer, and Pioneering Aviator. A native of Cambrai, France, he studied engineering at the prestigious Ecole Centrale Paris, in France. While studying at the school he became interested in aviation and began to dabble in science. In 1900 he invented the ornithopter, a motor-powered machine, which flew while flapping its man-made wings. In 1903 he opened the Bleriot-Voisin Company with fellow aircraft designer, Gabriel Voisin, and with him, he designed a floatplane glider and a biplane powered by an Antoinette motor. After the company closed in 1906, he designed his own style of box-kite biplanes, and canard tail-first monoplanes, including the Bleriot V. In 1909, he decided to try his luck at flying after seeing an ad in the London Daily Mail Newspaper offering a 1000 pounds to the first person who could fly the first successful flight across the English Channel. He built the Bleriot XI and tried his luck at his first real air flight, and set a record of 36 minutes and 55 seconds. On July 25, 1909, he set off from Calais, France, to Dover, England, and landed after a record flight of just 37 minutes. After the record-setting flight he returned to France where he continued to open companies, invent, and continue his interest in engineering. His last two companies included the Societe Pour L'Aviation Et Ses Derives, and the Bleriot-Aeronautique. He also opened several flying schools in England. He died in Paris, France, in 1936 at the age of 64.
Bio by: The Silent Forgotten
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