Louis Bleriot

About

Aviator who piloted the first successful flight over the English Channel and invented the first flying monoplane.

Before Fame

He tried to invent a wing-flapping ornithopter, but the experiment was a failure.

Trivia

He invented car headlamps and other automobile accessories and used the proceeds from these inventions to fund his aviation experiments.

Family Life

He was the oldest of five children born to Clémence et Charles Blériot.

Associated With

His contemporary, Leon Lemartin, also contributed to the advancement of French aviation.