Louis Bleriot

LOUIS BLERIOT d1936. French aviator, inventor and engineer. He developed the first practical headlamp for cars and established a profitable business manufacturing them, using much of the money he made to finance his attempts to build a successful aircraft. On July 25th 1909, he became world-famous for making the first air-plane flight across the English Channel, winning the prize of £1,000 offered by the Daily Mail newspaper. Flying at approximately 45mph and at a height of around 250ft. Once over land, he circled twice to lose height and cut his engine at an altitude of about 66 ft, making a heavy "pancake" landing due to the gusty wind conditions. The undercarriage was damaged and one blade of the propeller was shattered, but crucially he was was unhurt. The flight had taken him 36 minutes and 30 seconds. He later remained active in the aviation business until his death aged 64 on August 1st 1936 in Paris due to a heart attack