1877-1965 |
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Jorge Newbery and Aarón de Anchorena, moments before the
historical ascencion of the "PAMPERO", a lifering appeared hanging on the basket, which had belonged to the troopship "Pampa" of
our Navy. Jorge Newbery y Aarón de Anchorena, momentos antes de la histórica ascención del "PAMPERO", aparecen el la barquilla, de la que pende un salvavidas facilitado por el transporte "Pampa" de nuestra marina. Gentileza: Juan Viegas |
ENGLISH VERSION Courtesy of Eloy Martín. Aeronautical Historian of Argentina Aaron Felix Martin de Anchorena Don Aaron Felix Martin de Anchorena was son of Nicholas Hugo Anchorena Arana (1828-1884) and of Maria Mercedes Castellanos de la Iglesia, the eighth son of the eleven born of the marriage. He was born in Buenos Aires, November 5, 1877. In 1901, he participated in the first automobile competition held in Buenos Aires at the National Race course located in the low area of Belgrano. There he won driving a Panhard Levassol surpassing his friend Marcelo Torcuato de Alvear, who drove a steam powered Locomobile. In 1902 he crossed Patagonia by horse, along with the expert Francisco Pascasio Moreno and arrived at Lake Nahuel Huapi and Victoria island. In 1905, he made his first dirigible flight with Santos Dumont and joined the Aero Club of France, on whose Saint Cloud field he received instruction from another famous aeronaut, Paul Tissandier (1881-1945). There he obtained the license of Balloon Pilot in France and with Paul Tissandier completed eleven flights. In 1906, he married Zelmira, widow of Gainza and heiress of the newspaper La Prensa, thus adding the third great palace of the San Martin plaza to the family inheritance. In 1907, he brought a balloon with a silk envelope of 1200 cubic meters to Argentina which he baptized "Pampero". On the 25th of December, in company with the Engineer Jorge Alexander Newbery, (then Director of Lighting system of the Municipality of Buenos Aires), he carried out a historical flight of 11 hours from the Sociedad Sportiva Argentina, (Present Argentine Field of Polo in Palermo), and the ranch of Tomás Bell; some 7 leagues from the Conchillas coast, (Eastern Republic of Uruguay). A few days later, the 13th of January, 1908, at 2100 hours, in the halls of the Sportiva Society Club, the Aero Club Argentino was founded and Anchorena donated the 'Pampero" to the institution, and with it ballooning was taught to some of his members. The balloon disappeared at sea between the 17th and 18th of October of that year, when it was manned by the dentist Eduardo Francisco Newbery and Cavalry Sergeant Eduardo Romero. On June 17, 1910, the Aero Club Argentino Club granted a license to him as Piloto Aeronaut Nº 1. Anchorena's aeronautical activities were brief then, from the year 1902, when he was honorary secretary of the Argentina Legation in Paris, a position that he carried out until 1916, when his mother requested him to abandon all aerial acitivity. He was a tireless traveller, observer and student, visiting the most distant places in the world in his yacht "Pampas". On July 10, 1919 he participated in the creation of the airline company, River Plate Aviation Co., under the technical direction of Kingsley. In addition, Henry C. Thompson, Carlos A. Tornquist, Olive Thompson and Alfredo Peña participated. The first facilities operated in Hurlingham but soon were transferred to the Buenosairean locality of San Isidro, where currently the local race course is located.. In 1918 he crossed Formosa, where he coexisted with pilagás and interviewed the Garcette cacique, with whom interchanged a modern gun for a woven blanket. Hardly months later, Garcette headed a bloody malón, overwhelmed the border fortifications and beheaded its inhabitants. Anchorena alternated between pilagás and the most elegant circles of the Paris of belle époque. In 1920 took took part in founding of the Compañia Franco Argentina de Transportes Aéreos, consisting in initial stages by airplanes provided by the French Military Mission, with the River Plate Aviation Co, that initiated its services the 12th of January, 1920 from the Base El Palomar. During years 1935-1936, he was a member of the Direccióm de Parques Nacionales. . In Uruguay, he developed a famous farming establishment in the zone of Barra de San Juan which included one of the most beautiful mansions of South America. All these lands, parks, buildings, etc. as well as valuable collections of art and historical values that formed the total assets of the establishment of Barra of San Juan, were legally bequeathed to the Uruguayan government and today are used as the presidential residency. In that house of Barra de San Juan, (Uruguay), Anchorena passed away the 24th of February, 1965 and his mortal remains, according to his wishe, were buried on the place. Eloy Martin-Argentina Consulted sources Files of the Author Lironi Julio Víctor. (31 de diciembre de 1973) Génesis de la Aviación Argentina 1910-1915 Inclusive su historia y sus hombres. Artes Gráficas Congreso. Buenos Aires. Argentina. Napoleón Baccino Ponce De León: http://www.presidencia.gub.uy/anchorena/page_07.html Romero Luis Alberto. Diario Clarín: http://www.clarin.com/suplementos/cultura/1999/10/31/e-01102d.htm http://es.geocities.com/ancho203/historia/historia2.htm |
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