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Jorge Chavez

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For the jockey, see: Jorge F. Chavez

For other possible meanings see Chavez (disambiguation)

Jorge Chavez Dartnell , also known as Geo Chavez, was a Franco – Peruvian aviator. At a young age, he achieved fame for his aeronautical feats. He died in 1910 while attempting the first air crossing of the Alps.

Early life

Jorge Chavez Dartnell was born in Paris, France to Peruvian parents Manuel Chavez Moreyra and Maria Rosa Dartnell y Guisse. He studied at the Violet School from where he graduated with an engineer's degree in 1908.Museo Aeronautico del Peru, Jorge Chavez. Retrieved on May 30, 2007.

Career

Chavez attended the school of aviation established by Henry and Maurice Farman where he got his pilot license and undertook his first flight in Reims on February 28, 1910.Alberto Tauro del Pino, Enciclopedia Ilustrada del Peru, vol. IV, p. 607. Afterwards he participated in several aviation competitions throughout France and other European countries. On August 8 of the same year he took a Bleriot monoplane to Blackpool, England where he achieved fame after attaining an altitude of 1,647 meters . He improved his mark by flying at 2,652 m over the city of Issy, France on September 6.Jorge Basadre, Historia de la Republica del Peru, vol. VIII, p. 383.

Death

After this successful series, Chavez decided to undertake the first air crossing of the Alps. This attempt was made in response to a prize of $20,000 offered by the aero club of Italy for the first aviator to make the trip alive. After several delays due to bad weather, he took off from Brigue, Switzerland on September 23, 1910, and made his way through the Simplon Pass. Before departing, he said Whatever happens, I shall be found on the other side of the Alps. Fifty-one minutes later he arrived to his destination, the city of Domodossola, Italy, but his plane crashed upon landing. It is believed that the airplane had been damaged previously and inadequately repaired, which caused the aircraft to break under the heavy winds of the mountains.Jorge Basadre, Historia de la Republica del Peru, vol. VIII, p. 384. Heavily injured but conscious, Chavez agonized for four days before dying of massive blood loss.Jorge Basadre, Historia de la Republica del Peru, vol. VIII, pp. 384-385. His last words were Higher. Always higher according to the testimony of fellow aviator Juan Bielovucic.Jorge Basadre, Historia de la Republica del Peru, vol. VIII, p. 384.

Legacy

The death of Jorge Chavez caused great commotion in the aviation world. Domodossola and Brig, the start and end of his last flight, dedicated monuments to the lost aviator. In Peru, Chavez became an icon for aviation related institutions such as the Air Force. His remains were initially buried in France but repatriated to Peru in 1957, where they currently rest at the Officer's School of the Peruvian Air Force at Las Palmas.Jorge Basadre, Historia de la Republica del Peru, vol. VIII, p. 385. The International Airport of Lima, inaugurated in 1960, is named after him. For many years, a life-sized replica of Chavez famous Bleriot XI monoplane was on display at the air terminal.

Gallery

Bibliography

Basadre, Jorge. Historia de la Republica del Peru. Lima: Editorial Universitaria, 1983.

Museo Aeronautico del Peru. Jorge Chavez.

Tauro del Pino, Alberto. Enciclopedia Ilustrada del Peru. Lima: Peisa, 2003.

Warth, John. "Adventurers of the Air". In Whitney, Caspar (Editor). Colliers Aviation Pioneers. 1911.

External links

Biography

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This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article Jorge Chavez