Louis Paulhan

Following his national service, he was employed by the balloon manufacturer Édouard Surcouf as an engineer, working on the construction of the dirigible La Ville de Paris and making many flights as its mechanic during 1907.He took part in many airshows, including one in La Brayelle Airfield, Douai, in July 1909, where he set new records for altitude (150 metres (490 ft)) and duration (1h 07m), covering 47 kilometres (29 miles), and the Grande Semaine d'Aviation in Rheims where he crashed.In Lyon, flying a Farman III, he broke three records: height (920 m), speed (20 km in 19 minutes) and weight, carrying a 73-kilogram (161 lb) passenger.Local press reported that the land surrounded by the Brooklands Motor Racing Track was converted into an aerodrome for this event by a gang of men working day and night.[6] From Los Angeles, Paulhan moved on to give exhibitions in San Francisco[7] and Salt Lake City, Utah, where the Deseret News headline announced that the "Air King is Here to Fly".Furious, he cancelled his American tour and went to New York City to challenge the Wright brothers by giving public demonstration flights for free.The dispute rumbled on and in March an agreement was reached whereby he could continue to give flying exhibitions in his Farman biplane on condition that he pay a $6,000 a week bond, pending the outcome of the case.The affair threatened the planned international aviation meet to be hosted by the Aero Club of America, at which the competition for the Gordon Bennett Trophy was to be held.According to Courtlandt Field Bishop, president of the Aero Club of America, all the leading foreign aviators had assured him that they would not appear in the country until the case was decided.In 1927, Paulhan was a co-founder of the company Société Continentale Parker (subsequently Coventya) in France together with Robert Deté, Enea Bossi and Pierre Prier [fr].
Louis Paulhan in 1909
Louis Paulham aboard the Voisin biplane
Louis Paulhan at takeoff in a Farman III biplane at the 1910 Los Angeles International Air Meet at Dominguez Field
Paulhan and passenger Mrs. Dick Ferris at the Los Angeles Air Meet
Paulhan's monument in Pézenas
Plaque to Paulhan in Rue Conti, Pézenas .
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