User:TheLongTone/Paris-Rome

The Paris–Rome–Turin air race was an aeroplane race held in May and June 1911. The principal competition was that between Paris and Rome. A further competition between Rome and Turin was added at the request of the organisers of the Turin International world fair. The Paris–Rome competion was won by Lt Jean Louis Conneau in a Blériot XI monoplane, flying under the name of André Beaumont. Only one pilot, André Frey, attempted the Rome-Turin flight, he crashed during the attempt, and was seriously injured.

Paris-Rome
The flight from Paris to Rome was divided into seven stages, with the pilots having to make a stop at the named control points. The route totalled 1465 km, and the winner would be the pilot who reached Rome first rather than the one who made the flight in the least number of hours recorded between control points. For the section between Buc and Nice the Paris newspaper Le Petit Journal offered prizes of 50,000FF, 20,000FF and three prizes of 10,000FF for the first five to finish


 * Buc&mdash;Dijon 264 km
 * Dijon–Lyon 175 km
 * Lyon–Avignon 202 km
 * Avignon–Nice 220 km
 * Nice–Genoa 170 km
 * Genoa–Pisa 170 km
 * Pisa–Rome 170 km

28 May
Of the 21 civilian entrants, twelve actually started on the 28 May. Roland Garros was the first to take off, shortly followed by Beaumont

High winds made flying conditions difficult, and Beaumont, the first competitor to reach Dijon, did not do so until after 11.12, Garros arriving ten minutes later. Both had been forced down on the way by the weather

Molla and Frey were the only other competitors to reach Dijon on the first day. Vidart, Kimmerling and Weymann had all stopped at Troyes

6.49p.m Beaumont landed at Avignon, Garros at 7.70. Of the other competitors,

29 May
Although the weather was not ideal, with fine rain, Beaumont left Avignon at 3.56 am, and Garros following at 5.36. The rain affected Garros's engine, and he had to make a forced landing at Mallemort, severely damaging his aircraft. He immediatly returned to Avignon where the Blériot manager Alfred Leblanc negociated the purchase of a second-hand aircraft from a pilot who had been making exhibition flights in the region. Beaumont was also brought down by the weather, having to make a six-hour stop at Besse-sur-Issole, taking off from there at 3.50 pm, and managing to reach Frejus, where he landed at 4.35. After a stop of around two hours the set off again, and landed at Nice's California Aerodrome at just before 7.20. He was enthusiastically received, and carried in triumph to his hotel.

Garros, in his new machine, reached Frejus from Avignon shortly after Beaumont had taken off, and after about fifteen minutes on the ground set off again, landing at Nice at 7.58

Kimmerling started from Troyes at 3.30, reaching his native town of Lyon at 8.15. After an hour on the ground he then continued to Avignon, which was reached a few minutes after noon, a quarter of an hour's stop having been made on the way at Valence-sur-Rhone. He rested for about an hour, and then started for Nice. After making a plucky fight against wind and rain he decided to come down at Brignoles (Var), 65 km short of Nice.

Frey took off from Dijon at 4.15 and arrived at Lyon about a quarter to eight. He resumed operations about an hour later, and then, losing his way, came down at Valence. While making inquiries he saw Kimmerling

30 May
Beaumont was prevented from starting by engine problems: after lengthy attempts by his mechanics to get it to run properly it was decided to fit a new one.

31 May
Garros took off from Pisa at 5.55 but had to make a landing at Castagneto Carducci, again seriouly damaging his aircraft, and he returned to Pisa to await the arrival of a new aircraft which had been sent by rail. After a short flight to test the new engine, Beaumont took off at 3.55, arriving at Genoa 6,50. 7.49, 10.05 Pisa.error. Realising his mistake, he afterwards restarted the machine and flew over to the proper aerodrome, where he landed an hour later. At ten minutes past twelve he left for Rome, and landed in the precincts of the Eternal City at eight minutes past three, hi

Frey took off from Genoa at 5.04 and reached Pisa at 0.02 but by mistake landed not at the aerodrome at Sabn Rossore but on the hippodrome. damaged aircraft, rough ground. 12.50 takes off despite warnings of a thunderstorm in the Gulf of and arrives at Rome 3.56.

Day Five
Garros, now flying the new aircraft which had finally arrived at Pisa

Rome&mdash;Turin
André Frey was the only pilot to make at attempt.
 * Rome–Florence
 * Rome–Florence
 * Rome–Florence