Mountain Aviation

After the excitement generated by the 100th anniversary of the first aerial crossing of the English channel, the first aeroplane flight over a mountain pass may not seem very important, at least in the UK, but it turned out to be a more hazardous undertaking that also cost the life of the pilot. Flight over the mountains was, however, seen as a challenge in Europe at that time, and the catalyst for a serious attempt was the offer of a prize of 70,000 Swiss francs for the first crossing by a heavier-than-air machine from Brig to Domodossola – a necessary stage in linking Switzerland and Italy.

 In the late summer of 1910 a number of pilots assembled with their aircraft at Brig, at the foot of the Simplon Pass. Among them was Georges Chavez, a Peruvian by birth, who had flown to record heights near Paris. Unfortunately bad weather prevented penetration of the mountains, except by car. On 23 September, Chavez determined to set off in his Blériot...