Henri Salmet (22 July 1878 – 15 April 1954) was an early French aviator.
Early life Henri Salmet was born on 22 July 1878, in Paris.
Blériot Flying School 1911 In early 1911, he was employed by the Blériot Flying School at Hendon Aerodrome, and was taught to fly by its Chief Flying Instructor, Pierre Prier.Buttler, Tony. "Henri Salmet", Aeroplane Monthly, November 2012, pp. 24-28 On 27 June 1911, he was awarded Aviator's Certificate No. 99 by the Royal Aero Club.Flight, 1 July 1911 Aviators' certificates www.flightglobal.com Later in 1911, he succeeded Pierre Prier as Chief Flying Instructor. On 29 November 1911, he broke the British altitude record in a flight to .
London to Paris flight 1912 On 7 March 1912, in a Blériot XI, he attempted to break the record for the shortest time for a non-stop flight from London (Hendon Aerodrome) to Paris (Issy-les-Moulineaux), previously set by Pierre Prier on 13 April 1911.Flight, 22 April 1911, p. 348 London to Paris Non-stop by Aeroplane www.flightglobal.com Salmet's time was three hours sixteen minutes, and that was duly reported in the press.Flight, 16 March 1912, p. 238 London-Paris Record Flight www.flightglobal.com However, Salmet later confessed that he had landed in France en route to Paris to locate his bearings, so the existing record was not broken.Flight, 23 March 1912, p. 264 M. Salmet's London-Paris Flight www.flightglobal.com
"Wake Up England" tour 1912 In July and August 1912, Salmet took part in the "Wake Up England" aviation tour organised by Claude Graham-White, and sponsored by the Daily Mail newspaper. The purpose was to promote public interest in aviation, and it visited 121 towns, many of which were holiday resorts. Salmet flew a Blériot XI-2, a two-seater that enabled him to carry a paying passenger.
"The Daily Mail" Aeroplane Tour 1913-1914 In 1913, Salmet flew in a tour of Great Britain, again sponsored by the Daily Mail, whose title was emblazoned beneath the wings of his Blériot XI-2. One of his passengers that year was the English illustrator Wyndham Payne. In April 1914, he landed the Blériot at Gyllyngvase beach near Falmouth, where the wheels dug into the soft sand, and the aircraft tipped up onto its nose."The Daily Mail" Aeroplane Tour 1913 www.earlyaviators.comLook Back in Time: French aviator crashed onto Gyllyngvase Beach 100 years ago www.falmouthpacket.co.uk The Blériot was then fitted with its optional floats to enable operation from the sea. Soon after, an engine failure caused a forced landing on the sea near Lizard Point, during a flight carrying the Lady Mayoress of Falmouth.
Wars of the Roses Air Race 1913 On 2 October 1913, Salmet displayed his aircraft at Leeds, and operated passenger flights during the preparation for the Wars of the Roses (air race).Wars of the Roses Air Race www.earlyaviators.com
Newspaper deliveries at Nice 1914 On 5 January 1914, the Daily Mail Riviera Supplement reported that Salmet had started to carry passengers on flights in the area of Nice, during which flowers and copies of the newspaper were dropped as publicity stunts.Daily Mail, 5 January 1914 Newspapers from the Sky www.earlyaviators.com
World War I After the outbreak of war, he joined the Aéronautique Militaire (French army air service), and served with the title Marechal des Logis, with Escadrille C9, flying Caudron G.4 reconnaissance bombers from Villers-lès-Nancy. On 7 April 1915, he was awarded the Croix de Guerre.Flight, 23 April 1915, p. 284 Salmet Mentioned in Army Orders www.flightglobal.com In August 1915, a further citation was awarded to him.Flight, 17 September 1915, p. 708 Good Work by Salmet www.flightglobal.com
References
Bibliography Sanger, Ray. 2008. Bleriot in Britain 1899-1927. Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd.