A year earlier, in 1910, and only two years after that, for the first time in Europe fly an airplane, the pilot Leoncio Garnier France sought to carry out an exhibition flying on the ´airfield´ so-called Field of Meadows, we can put in Gijón today, beyond Las Mestas, between the Guide and the Technical College. It said that years later, during several months of the war civil, in the same place is filling a field enabled Republican aviation. But in 1910 it show was billed as "A celebration of Aviation ´and scheduled between 4 and 15 September.
Leoncio Garnier came that year to Gijón after Amazing! Biarritz with "a flight of 21 kilometers and reach a height of 300 meters. "
He brought a plane Blériot XI (size: 7.79 meters; Wing area: 14 square meters, length: 6.2; Height: 2.69, weight: 230 kilos) equipped with an engine Picard three-cylinder 25 HP to which he had adapted a water cooling system. No luck on brave pilot could not be completed because the assembly time the plane and putting them to start the first flight test scheduled for Saturday March, nor for Sunday morning, as the afternoon began the official flights.
However, one Sunday, 4 September 1910, public flocked to Las meadows with warning, press advertisements and playbills of that "the experiences Aviatori (sic) must have weather and mechanical, completely unrelated to the will of the pilot. Must therefore go to the public spectacle dominate the natural impatience, becoming by the difficulties of overcoming the aviator. " According to chronicles of that time, from early times morning was unusual movements of strangers arrived on trains and buses to all major
Asturias populations, primarily by train, and especially in the capital where trains bound for Gijón were reinforced with the highest number of cars travelers. Even then, in his first exhibition in Gijon, the Aviation promoted a great attraction.
At four in the afternoon, scheduled for opening flights and were in the meadows more than four thousand spectators´ views and prestigious women´s toilets of bright colors were a bright note boxes and stands. Trams, cars and cars from everywhere of the province, and some outside it, overflowed Hundreds of spectators, who were scattered field aviation, eager to witness the exciting flights´ had some of the reviews the next day.
That first day Garnier left with his unit and made several attempts. Ten or twelve times the length the field take-off attempts only succeeded for a few seconds and low-lying land to play immediately, one of the nose-sometimes spectacularly so which had to announce to the public that was discontinued show until the next day.
But no luck afterwards. The mechanic´s own Garnier could not correct the mistakes and attempt Commercial Circle of hiring a pilot and plane alternative for not suspending the broad festival programmed without success. The air festival stay postponed until the following year.
Later that same year the young Gijón Mariano Pola, which sought to experience its capabilities pilot Gijón airplane to come and be the first to fly their city with a plane, suffered a tragic accident and died in Paris.
It was finally in 1911, next year will celebrate its centenary. August, Begoña parties. Field of The Prairies. In morning of Friday the 11th should come to the city Lacombe and Rankonet aviators, but only did Lacombe because after suffering a serious accident in Pau (France) Rankonet heavily damage his plane had to be replaced and for this organization who hired Leoncio Garnier Gijón arrived on the evening of that same day. And he did an upgraded appliance model, with respect to which he had brought last year, called Channel Bleriot XI Mancha, named for the first time they crossed the seaway between France and England.
[caption id="attachment_192" align="alignnone" width="246"] The plane Deperdussin 1911 pilot:Pierre Lacombe[/caption]
The greatest expectation was to see fly to Pierre Lacombe in his monoplane Deperdussin 30 HP. The very young pilot just perform the feat of traveling ´circuit This´, 160-kilometer non-stop to a maximum speed of 116 kilometers per hour. However, days earlier in Mourmelon, he stopped in mid-flight engine at a height of 60 meters and the unit began a picado Lacombe mastered close to the ground in a move that Heroic was treated by the press of the time. So audience was excited to see action at Lacombe, but pilot more motivated to seek the applause of Gijón Leoncio was Garnier, who had hoped to compensate spectators in frustration last year.
Promise fulfilled. The chance came to help him in his try, because the apparatus of Lacombe, disassembly, packaging and billed in Paris, was lost in transit. And it was Saturday the August 12, 1911 when they finally Garnier became the first pilot to fly an airplane Gijón. - (The first man to fly on was Gijón Jesus Fernandez felguerino really hard in July 1906, piloting his balloon Cierzo) - The Chronicles of Sunday August 13, 1911, I had this: "The Aviator Garnier has kept its promise and has claimed before the Gijón for his bad luck last summer. Yesterday from the aerodrome of the Guide, was magnificent flights to large turnout of guests and onlookers, who had hundreds. "
When they took the Blériot XI of the hangar, Garnier rushed to their seats and no test drives in first race made up the unit between large applause from the audience. Promoted by first intention said the chroniclers, a few hundred yards and practiced beautiful turns around the airfield. Toured five times circle of lawn and reached Las Mestas different heights, up to 250 meters. Next, enter a standing ovation formidable, landed. After a brief rest, returned to Gijón rise to fly. First reached a height 150 meters after turning on the airfield, he took the towards the villa.
[caption id="attachment_193" align="alignright" width="300"] The Frenchman Leoncio Garnier front of his plane Bleriot XI "Channel" (1911)[/caption]
He reached Begoña, where he was 320 meters and was about to Run up the street continuing to shed a Greeting leaflets, a gust of wind forced change course. Went well beyond the beach San Lorenzo and returned to the airfield where it landed after a I plan intelligent. It concluded the first large-air exhibition in the history of Gijón.
The next day, Sunday, August 13, repeated his Garnier ascension into heaven, we are counting the chroniclers local flights not only impressive, but Ana arisen from the pilot´s bullfighting fans French presence in the bullring in El Bibio a bullfighter much admired by the pilot: Vicente Pastor, "the Chico´s blouse "and surprise, admiration and enthusiasm Garnier caused when the race started just flew over the ring on the ring and threw a bouquet of flowers with a message of admiration and encouragement for the brave the ring and said: "I greet Pastor Vicente, the most Bravo Spanish bullfighters, the colossus of great art national and send him from this point, my thinking admiration and sympathy. I, fighting in the air, feel wishes to get to look out to the circus where he triumphed with empire of art and value, to add my applause to delirious applause from the crowds. My greeting is one tribute to his skill. I also greet the other brave fighters, for all I wish many successes "."
Garnier gesture was maintained with the visit of torero the airfield to greet Garnier, who invited the right up to him and see the airplane from Gijón heights. Pastor Vincent was not deterred and took the Bleriot XI Leoncio fifteen minutes flying Garnier. It appears that Vincent Pastor as soon as he was with the feet on the ground, putting his hand on the shoulder of the pilot, while they made a photograph next to the plane, he said, "Now reciprocate your kindness and ask him to go to picture taken next to my first bull of tomorrow. " "If lunge after you, I accept ", it appears that said Garnier.
Since 1906, Gijón has regained the spectacle and with glittering displays of civil aircraft and military, get the city to be thousands and thousands goal of outsiders who come to watch the aerial acrobatics every last Sunday of July to focus more three hundred thousand spectators, becoming the festival busiest air in one day About we enjoy this great show, we give thank their sponsors: City of Gijón, Air Force and CAJASTUR ..
