25th July 1909: Louis Blériot makes the first powered cross-Channel flight

After graduating from the prestigious École Centrale in Paris, Blériot quickly established himself as a talented engineer, and launched his own company to sell the world’s first practical car headlamp. The success of this business provided him with the funds to begin developing his own aircraft.
Having started with ornithopters and gliders, by 1905 Blériot had moved on to developing powered aircraft in partnership with Gabriel Voisin. After this business was dissolved the following year, Blériot went on alone and created a number of working aircraft by the time Lord Northcliffe of the Daily Mail announced a cash prize for the first powered flight across the Channel.
Blériot was not the only person to express interest in the competition, but he was the first to complete the crossing from Calais after the high winds that had grounded the competitors dropped at dawn on 25 July 1909. Piloting his Blériot XI monoplane without the aid of a compass, he drifted slightly east of his intended course. Blériot landed clumsily near Dover Castle as a result of the windy conditions 36 minutes and 30 seconds after departing France.
Having neglected to visit Dover beforehand to identify an appropriate landing site, Blériot touched down where the journalist Charles Fontaine from the French Le Matin newspaper stood waving a large Tricolour.
The Daily Mail correspondent, meanwhile, was on the other side of the town as he had expected the competitors to land on beach. He quickly took a car to meet Blériot, whose achievement turned him into an instant celebrity.

[@dmfletcher1179]

My grandfather designed and built the memorial in Dover. He told them to land on the North Meadow. His brother, Alexander Duckham, became friends with Bleriot and flew with him.

[@user-nf1yl1yl9d]

Wow that's awesome 👍

[@PGFardell]

One thing that might have been worth mentioning is that Blériot wasn't actually working alone by the time of his No. XI Channel crossing aircraft. Fellow Frenchman, Raymond Saulnier had a large hand in its design. Alessandro Anzani's engine was also a key part of course. I realise you can't include every detail in a short film like this though. Thank you for a great little video! Louis Blériot is a huge hero of mine.

[@user-nf1yl1yl9d]

Read about him and his flight across the English channel when I was a little kid....

[@user-nf1yl1yl9d]

As a little kid I used to have a fascination with the pioneers of aviation and it has been a life long interest in my life

[@mazadancoseben4818]

This man was friends with JRD Tata, the second generation of the Tata company which sells and owns a lot, nowadays.
JRD took inspiration from aviation for making flight possible in India

[@dominiquebleriot6936]

❤️❤️

[@roddy.walker]

great video, thank you! I'm researching Bleriot myself as part of a larger project about the Bleriot Anniversary Race in 1959, that my late father was a competitor in. Where did you find all of these resources? Would love to know more if you wouldn't mind emailing me [e-mail]. Thanks!

[@jacintodasilva5033]

propulsion kindred

[@lucaskicks09]

Nice! I am the reason the Planes then were modified to have guns.

[@user-nx1ry3hh5r]

I always laugh about this man

[@hyzercreek]

Horisho?