The Pioneer Spirit

France's love affair with flight predated the airplane. The Montgolfier brothers launched the first manned hot air balloon flight in 1783, carrying two aristocrats over Paris while Louis XVI watched. Throughout the 19th century, French inventors and adventurers pushed the boundaries of lighter-than-air flight, establishing a tradition of aerial innovation.

When heavier-than-air flight arrived, France was ready. While the Wright Brothers achieved the first powered flight in 1903, French aviators quickly advanced the technology. Blériot's Channel crossing captured the world's imagination, but equally important were the contributions of engineers like Gabriel Voisin, who established one of the world's first aircraft factories, and pilot-designers like Roland Garros, who developed the synchronized machine gun that revolutionized aerial combat.

The French government, recognizing aviation's military and commercial potential, invested heavily. By 1914, France had more military aircraft than any other nation. French engines, particularly the Gnome rotary engine, powered aircraft worldwide. The infrastructure for a major aerospace industry was taking shape.