PETRE MACAVEI AKA Macavoi?

Petre Macavei Collection of Alex Bestelei, 8-14-05

 

Autobiography Mr. Macavei Petre colonel mechanic in reserve. Translated by Alex Bestelei, 8-14-05      Born in 1891 in Pitesti city, Romania      Married 1927, I have one child.      I went to elementary school in Bucharest, between 1898-1902 then two years in high school between 1902-1904.      I entered the school of Arts and Professions in Bucharest in the year 1905. I had my diploma from this school in 1911.      After that I went to Paris on my own where I worked in the automobile factories: Doin-Bonton, Hotschis and Gnome for the aviation engines.      Came back to Romania in 1913 for the military service. After 6 months they released me from the army( because of my knowledge of aviation plane engines) and I organized the first shop of engine repairs in the airplane field and I trained others to do this job.      In 1913 I went to the Aviation School where I obtained my pilot license no. 18. After the end of my military term in 1914 I was hired to be the supervisor of the Romanian Society of automobile where I organized auto repairs shops now called Leonida.      Called in the army again (reserves) in 1916 I was lieutenant of aviation and pilot in the Neifort 3 division.      In 1917 after one year of war I was sent to the Aviation Repair Shops in Iasi city and I was the director of these Repair Shops till the end of the war in 1918.      I remained active in the army on the demand of Aviation Commandment and the director of Aviation Repairs Shops of Cotroceni till 1941 when I retired from flying.      I was sent to France on many occasions for my job and I trained in many factories like:Renault, Hespana-Luisa, Loraine-Ditrich. In 1937 I was in France buying the necessary tools and machines for the aviation shops that are still now in I.M.S. Cotroceni.      After my retirement I still functioned as the director of these Aviation Repair Shops and in 1947 for a period of six months I replaced the general director of all the repairs shops at Iasi, Galati and Cotroceni. In the new management of these shops I am still active today in the Production Office.      In my entire 31 years working in the Aviation Field I've put in place a lot of technical installations, modifications in the work process, new tools and machines and so on, the list is too long to mention, it could be a new chapter. Colonel in reserve, Macavei Petre April 2nd 1948. He died in 1960 April 15th.

 

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES via email from Alex Bestelei, 8-14-05 Petre Macavei was my grand father. Last year I was in Bucharest, Romania to visit my mother ( Petre Macavei's daughter) I found an autobiography that I translate in English and some pictures. I send to you everything in attachment. It's a pleasure to see your web pages and to learn a lot about the pioneers of the aviation. Many thanks. Regards Alex Bestelei.

FAMILY ALBUM      Alex Bestelei, Petre Macavei's grandson, has shared with us some nine photographs which he obtained from his mother, including the portrait which is found at the top of this page. You can view the other eight photos by clicking on the title above.

 

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES - 1 via email from Aurelian Simionescu, 12-8-04      Petre Macavei (? - ?) another Romanian early aviator trained in France. After Aurel Vlaicu's death (in May 1914) he was called to test in flight Vlaicu 3 airplane, which by the time of Vlaicu death was not yet finished. .

 

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES -2 quotes from "Istoria Aviatiei Romane" Courtesy of Dave Lam, 2-11-05       He earned his French license in a Bleriot, receiving license # 1553 on 5 December 1913. He also seems to have been licensed as a military pilot by the Romanian School at Chitila, receiving the 18th military license in Romania on 10 Oct 1913, at which time he was a "sublocotenant".       He is covered extensively in: "Istoria Aviatiei Romane" (History of Romanian Aviation), published by Editura Stiintifica si enciclopedica, Bucharest, 1984. I have a copy, but unforunately can't read Romanian well enough to extract other details. Dave

 

ONLINE RESOURCES      If you search for "Petre Macavei ", using the Google search engine, (1-20-05), you will find about four links, only one in English.

George Valentin Bibescu, first Romanian airman.      This page on the Aeroclubl Romaniei website features the career of George Bibescu. However, it does offer the following paragraph which speaks of Petre Macavei. "From the same initiative, Petre Macavei was sent next spring, by the League, to the Blériot’s school in France, to learn aerobatics. Even he was granted his licence only on 10th October 1913, he completed on 8th April 1914 six loopings and so became the first Romanian airman to be recorded in the files as an acrobatic pilot. One month later, airman officer Mihail Savu, an already famous sportsman, also trained up at Baneasa, was sent to the same school in France where he became, at his turn, an aerobatic pilot. After them, the foundations of a high national school of aerobatics were laid down through many flyers of Romania who began to carry out acrobatic figures."      You can access the page by clicking on the title above. You may want to use your "FIND" function on Petre to locate the position of the entry on the page

 

I have no information as to the dates of his birth or his death.   If you have any more information on this pioneer aviator please contact me. E-mail to Ralph Cooper

 

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