Louis Blériot attempts height prize

On October 21, 1908, Louis Blériot, a well-known French aviator, took off from Issy-les-Moulineaux with the goal of winning a height prize set by the Aéro-Club de France.

Height prize requirements

To qualify for the prize, Blériot needed to fly his airplane to a minimum height of 25 meters, which was a significant challenge for early aviation technology.

Technical failure interrupts flight

Blériot’s planned attempt in the Beauce plain, specifically at Champ Perdu near Toury, was cut short in the morning due to a technical failure in his aircraft’s engine.

Limited success in afternoon flight

After repairing the engine, Blériot resumed his flight in the afternoon but only managed to reach a height of 12 to 20 meters during a six-minute and 40-second flight, falling short of the required 25 meters.

Weather forces end to day

Strong gusts of wind forced Blériot to end his day, making it impossible to attempt the flight again, and he ultimately did not win the height prize.