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"OLTRE L'AZZURRO" (BEYOND THE SKY) Giorgio Giorgi and Carlo Carlesi Pacini Editore Pisa - 1983. |
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1. Garros Roland 2. Beaumont (Conneau) 3. Vidart Renato 4. Kimerling Alberto 5. Manissero Romolo 6. Weymann Carlo 7. Frey Andrea 8. Level Renato 9. Gaget Giuseppe 10 Bathiat Leone 11. Bielovucic Giovanni 12. Molla Michele |
Monoplane «Bleriot» Monoplane «Blériot» Monoplane «Blériot» Monoplane «Sommer» Monoplane «Blériot» Monoplane «Nieuport» Monoplane «Morane» Biplano «Savary» Monoplane «Morane» Monoplane «Sommer» Biplano «Voisin» Monoplane «Sommer» |
French License 147 French License 322 French License 133 French License 291 French License 473 American License 14 French License 93 French License 321 French License 335 French License 110 French License 87 French License 166 |
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First day: May 28, 1911. The departures from Paris began in the morning. The first was Garros, who took off at 6 o'clock.. Towards evening, Beaumont and Garros arrived at Avignon, completing in a single day the 645 kilometres that separated them from Paris and leaving the other aviators scattered along the way. Manissero landed at Avallon, 215 kilometres south of Paris and 60 north of Dijon, in order to repair the gasoline tank. Unfortunately he suffered a new misfortune, the propeller and one wheel were broken. Kimmerling landed at Troyes, 152 kilometres along the route, and had to delay his departure. A whirlwind forced Molla down, about 6 kilometres north of Lyons, where he had to remain until taking off again. Frey stayed put in Lyons, where he remained until time to leave again. Vidart also reached Lyons, intending to depart again. Level landed in Bray-sur-Seirie, some 140 kilometres from Paris. Bathiat stopped off in Latrompe, 75 kilometres from Paris. Gaget made it to Venerets, about 210 kilometres from Paris. Weymann had to stop in Troyes, after 152 kilometres enroute; intent on repairing the propeller. Bielovucic landed in Juvisy. Second day: May 29, 1911. Beaumont and Garros completed the Avignon - Nice - Aerodrome of California phase, some 840 kilometres from Paris, after serious troubles including a hurricane and a storm. Kimmerling and Frey arrived in Avignon, awaiting a new departure time. The other contestants are still scattered along the route. Third day: May 30, 1911. Garros took off from Nice at 4.55 and arrived in Genoa at 8.21 in the Bisagno's level, where the landing field had been prepared. He was greeted with indescribable enthusiasm. A true passion was raised between the spectators because of the uncertainty of the flight through space and the aerial duel between Beaumont and Garros. From Nice, the news was forwarded by telephone to Garros that Frey and Beaumont were on the point of taking off. Garros decided to overhaul his battered airplane and to resume the flight. At 16.40, the aviator took off, passing over the crowd applauding from Santa Chiara's battlements, throwing himself again like a fireball towards the sea. Garros continued his flight under the watchful eye of our torpedo boats. At 11.45, he flew over Palmaria Island andhappily arrived at Pisa Saint Rossore at 12.35, to the applause of the public. Frey arrived in Nice at 8.18. Fourth day: May 31, 1911. The aerial duel continues more and more enthusiastically. Garros left from Pisa at 4.54, but he lands at 5.22 because of the failure of the engine near Castagneto Cardiello, about 1,146 kilometres from Paris. He was not harmed, but the propeller and the engine were both in poor condition. It was absolutely essential to obtain a new airplane to continue the journey. In the mean time, Frey arrived in Genoa. He left from there at 4.15. He reached Pisa at 6.28, but made a bad landing, hurting himself slightly and ruining the airplane. Garros was tired and returned by rail to Pisa. He had fallen closeby the rail as a train was passing. The engine driver had seen him fall and had stopped the train planning to offer help to the aviator who he believed had been hurt. Garros took advantage of this to get on the train and he arrived at 8.20 in Pisa, where he telegraphed for the immediate sending of another monoplane. He had arrived in time to be present at the moment of the unexpected arrival of Beaumont |
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from the book: "OLTRE L'AZZURRO" (BEYOND THE SKY) Giorgio Giorgi and Carlo Carlesi Pacini Editore Pisa - 1983. |
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Beaumont in Rome After having changed the engine in Nice, Beaumont was well rested, and took off at 3.50. He reached Genoa at 6.45 and Pisa at 9.25. He took off from there at 12.55 and passed over Civitavecchia at 15.30, a great leap. He raced ahead at 120 km an hour and at 16.3, passed over Monte Mario. At 16,10 he landed in Parioli. He was received in Rome as an ancient victor. Everyone hoped to embrace the aviator. He was rescued from the spectators and taken to the hotel by car. When he arrived in his room, he asked a single thing: a barber! He was then ready to be interviewed and congratulated after he had trimmed his small beard and changed hats. Garros arrives in Rome Garros had taken off at 10.36 and landed the first time in Castiglion della Pescaia, in order to fill up on gasoline, and a second time in Palo, because of a bad carbureter, which he was able to correct. He then set out again at 16.48. He landed in front of the stands after a wide turn around the Campo dei Parioli, at 17.20. The crowd surged forward over the grass and there was a generalized waving of flags and handkerchieves. Garros remained motionless, seated in his airplane! He was in a state of nervous depression. The enthusiasm of the crowd, to whom he was the pet until his departure and which would have willed him, in spite of an unbroken succession of vicissitudes, to be the first to be greeted in Rome, did not shake him. He was helped by the onlookes to get down and was then led into the cabin of the president of the Race Society, where he was feted and where he took a little refreshment. He followed the encounter between Garros and Beaumont and read the salutes in a message from the Petit Journal to the Italian Stampa, and of Barzilai's response in the name of the Italian Stampa. |
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from the book: "OLTRE L'AZZURRO" (BEYOND THE SKY) Giorgio Giorgi and Carlo Carlesi Pacini Editore Pisa - 1983. |
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Vidart had left Genoa, and on the same day, he had arrived in Pisa. He took off again in order to reach Rome. An unfortunate incident
forced him to land in Cecina Sixth day: June 2, 1911. It was day of rest for both of the aviators, Frey and Vidart. The Journalist's Union had offered a large gold medal to the aviator who, having left from Paris towards Rome, had first touched the Italian ground, in the name of all the press of Genoa. Therefore, the medal was awarded to Garros. Seventh day: June 3, 1911. Frey left from Pisa at 5.15 and reached Palo di Rome at 8.31, having become lost enroute. He continued then toward Maccarese and landed. He went to Rome by car, in order to study the route, and left at 18:25, landing in Parioli at 18:50. Vidart also took off from Cecina in the afternoon, but was forced to land at Orbetello. Eighth day: June 4, 1911. Complete rest for all contestants. Ninth day: 5 June 1911. Vidart reached Rome at 9.14. The official results The official results of the great flight were reported in the following manner and included the relative amount of prizes earned by the aviators: |
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1° Beaumont (Conneau) 2° Garros Roland 3° Frey Andrea 4° Vidart Renato |
in Nice 59.000 lire; in Rome, another 50.000 lire in Nice 25.000 lire; in Rome, another 20.000 lire in Nice 13.000 lire; in Rome, another 10.000 lire in Nice 10.000 lire; in Rome, another 10.000 lire |
total L. 109.000 total L. 45.000 total L. 23.000 total L. 20.000 |
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Globoil . |
| The contest had been planned to extend from Rome to Turin. All of the aviators had planned to
participate, but only Andrea Frey actually tried to complete the course. Unfortunately, he failed because of fog. June 12, 1911, Monday at 9.35. Frey took off from Rome, but was lost in the fog. He crashed at Macchia Grossa of Ronciglione, near Viterbo. He remained there some 13 hours without any help, caught in the wreckage of his airplane by his leg and arm and with his lower jaw broken. He had saved his life because of the helmet he wore and by virtue of landing in the soft earth which had resulted from the strong rains. The hapless aviator was given a consolation prize of L. 10,000 and a gold medal for his courage. |
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