Santos Dumont and the Celebrations for the First Flight of an airplane Heavier than Air

Santos=Dumont arrives with his 14-Bis dismantled

At exactly 106 years ago Santos=Dumont lived the happiest day of his life; he had made the first flight with an airplane heavier than air.

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Contrary to many beliefs Santos=Dumont perform the first flight, differently from the Wright brothers, Santos=Dumont flew in front of a technical committee, with the presence of several witnesses and therefore, was homologated as the first flight of history.

In his book Dans l'air Santos Dumont reports:

"Shortly thereafter, on October 23, before the Scientific Committee of the Aero Club and the large crowd, I've made ​​the famous flight of 250 meters, which fully confirmed the possibility of a man fly.

This last experience and the one of July 12, 1901, gave me the two of the happiest moments of my life".

A fan is photographed next to his idol Santos = Dumont shortly after being the first man to fly an aircraft heavier than air -  Bagatelle, Paris on October 23, 1906. On that date, Santos=Dumont took off with
his 14-Bis and flew 60 meters in 7 seconds, at a height of 2 meters above the ground, in front of more than a thousand spectators and the Official Committee of the Aero Club of France.
(i.e. mounting illustrative)

Article published in the Brazilian magazine “O Cruzeiro" recounting the picturesque case in which a donkey called Kuignot help Santos=Dumont in his experiments.

14-bis being transported amid the crowd

The fact was reminded on several different dates, the first Brazilian astronaut, Marcos Pontes in his mission to space, did the most significant homage.

At 23h30 min of March 29, 2006, Brazilian astronaut, Lieutenant Colonel Marcos Cesar Pontes, leaving the Baikonur Base, in Kazakistan, aboard the Russian spacecraft Soyuz TMA-7, went to the International Space Station, in company of North American Astronaut William McArthur and Russian Valery

Tokariov. It was called “Centennial Mission” in honor of the first flight of Santos=Dumont.

Marcos Pontes and his homage to Santos=Dumont (with a Panama Hat and a handkerchief that belonged to the aviator)

On April 3, 2006 was sent a interview with a tribute to Santos Dumont, in which Marcos Pontes used aboard the International Space Station a Panama hat equal to the inventor and a handkerchief that belonged to Santos=Dumont.

Handkerchief that belonged to Santos=Dumont with the stamps of the International Space Station and the dated stamp (April 8, 2006) from the Russian segment of the ISS (Российский сегмент Международной космической станции)

Marcos returned to Earth on the night of April 8, at 20h56 Brasilia time, April 9th ​ Kazakhstan time.

configuration of the 14-Bis on its first flight.

with this model S=D won the cup Archdeacon - flew on October 23 1906 60m at 3m high

With this model S=D has addapted his latest invention, the Aileron - On November 12 1906, flew 220m  at 60 m high

S=D also invented the engine starter device for 14-Bis