French skies

The history of aviation, as related by English language historians and journalists in books, on the radio and on television, is far too often devoid of any allusion to French aeronautics.

And yet France was the scene of the first real aircraft factory (Voisin), the first Aviation Trade Association, the first International Air Show, the International Aeronautical Association (FAI), the first Aeronautical Engineers Graduate School (Sup'Aéro), the first Air Museum, the International Association of Aeronautical Manufacturers (AICMA) etc...

Over the years, French engineers have provided an enormous amount of technical innovations such as the "joy stick", the first helicopter, the first seaplane, the first on-board instrumentation (Badin), the first flight recorders (Hussenograph), the ramjet engine (Leduc) the first servo-controls, the "jet deflector" (reserve), jet engine helicopters, the first jet engines attached to the fuselage of civil aircraft, automatic landing on airliners (ATT), etc... Just how many spectacular performances, records and feats by French crews have echoed round the world throughout the twentieth century?

The author, who has been a spokesman for the French aeronautical industry for 33 years and Head of the Paris Air Show Press Service for 28 years, thought it was time to put the record straight by writing French Skies. He has assembled a wealth of facts and convincing arguments which plainly show the contribution and often, the inspiration which France has provided to world aviation.