How It Flies; or, The Conquest of the Air / The Story of Man's Endeavors to Fly and of the Inventions by Which He Has Succeeded

by Richard Ferris

ALFRED LEBLANC.

Alfred Leblanc, the champion cross-country flier of the world, was born in France in 1879. By profession he is a metallurgist. A friend of Bleriot, he became interested in monoplane flying, the more readily because he was already a skilled balloonist.

At the time Bleriot made his historic flight across the British Channel, Leblanc preceded him, and, standing on the Dover shore, signalled Bleriot where to strike the land.

He organized Bleriot’s school for aviators at Pau, and became its director. Its excellence is exhibited in the quality of its pupils; among them Chavez, Morane, and Aubrun.

The achievement through which Leblanc is most widely known is his winning of the 489-mile race over the northern part of France in August, 1910, and with the victory the prize of $20,000 offered.