FIRST - Czech aviator - Pardubice, Czech Republic
Posted by: 
ToRo61
N 50° 01.391 E 015° 45.537
33U E 554365 N 5541483
The memorial of the first Czech aviator Jan Kašpar and his first successful flight on 16 April 1910
Waymark Code: WM105YD
Location: Pardubický kraj, Czechia
Date Posted: 03/04/2019
Views: 10
Jan Kašpar (20 May 1883 – 2 March 1927) (
visit link) was a Czech aviator, aircraft constructor, designer and engineer. He is considered an aviation pioneer in the Czech lands.
His first attempts to construct a monoplane were inspired by the model Antoinette by the French designer Hubert Latham. In 1909, during the construction of his own monoplane, Kašpar heard about Blériot's successful flight from Calais to Dover. Kašpar had completed his own aircraft, but he was unable to take off. Some of his first attempts nearly cost him his life. He decided to buy a Blériot XI (No. 76) by the French manufacturer. At first, he equipped the Blériot XI with his own engine, but later switched to an engine made by Anzani.
On 16 April 1910, Kašpar made his first successful flight with the Blériot XI. The flight covered two kilometres at a height 20–25 metres. This day became a celebrated milestone in Czech aviation because of the flight and Kašpar being the first pilot of Czech nationality.[3][4] Despite this, Kašpar was not the first person to fly these relatively new inventions in the Czech lands. In January, 1910, French pilot Gaubert flew over the aerodrome in the Velká Chuchle district of Prague. German aviator Otto Hieronymus, the chief engineer at Laurin & Klement, undertook his flight two weeks before Kašpar.
Memorial Inscription:
CZ: Prvnímu ceskoslovenskému pilotu inž.Janu Kašparovi na pamet jeho prvého vzletu 16.IV.1910
EN: First Czechoslovak pilot Jan Kašpar in memory of his first take-off 16.IV.1910
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