Thursday, January 9, 2020

Our First Flight and The French Open?

Fort Worth is celebrating an aviation feat this week. It's the 104th anniversary of the first aircraft to fly in Ft. Worth way  back in 1911. Yes, the Wright brothers had achieved flight  in 1903, but by 1911 most people across the country had not seen one of these flying machines.. Seventeen thousand people were on hand to watch this amazing event, which happened to be just up the street from me. Okay how does that tie into the French Open?

Well one of the pilots of the Moisant Flying Team,  and the one at the controls for that first flight was Roland Garros.

 That is Garros in the center standing in front of that plane, a Bleriot XI. in Fort Worth. Garros went on to become a celebrated fighter pilot for his country of France in World War I, and the event we all know as The French Open is played at the Tennis Complex named for Garros. Actually the French don't call it The French Open, but the Roland Garros Tennis Tournament.
This likeness of the plane stands in the exact location of this exciting event.


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 From this angle, you can see the skyline of downtown Ft. Worth.
There is a history plaque at the sight, but I'll bet most folks in town have not stopped to read it. Funny, when folks think of Ft. Worth,  they think of Cowtown, but aviation fever caught on here and one in five in this town are employed in the aviation industry. 

If you would like to read more about Roland Garros go:HERE



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7 comments:

  1. biebkriebelsJanuary 10, 2020 at 5:35 AM

    What an interesting story Janey, I know the name Garros indeed of the tennis tournements. What a sad end he had, those horrible World Wars....You live in the right place now with your flying history :)!

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  2. SharonJanuary 10, 2020 at 10:29 AM

    That's a bit of history I did not know. Thanks for the information. About 20 years ago, I visited a friend in Fort Worth and I remember a lot of things we did but I don't think we passed by this memorial.

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  3. William KendallJanuary 10, 2020 at 3:54 PM

    Well worth commemorating.

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  4. The PadreJanuary 10, 2020 at 6:49 PM

    Had No Idea, Very Informative Posting - Well Done

    Cheers

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  5. Mariette VandenMunckhof-VedderJanuary 10, 2020 at 9:53 PM

    Dearest Janey,
    One would never have thought that!
    What a tragic life's ending for Roland Garros and so young...
    Very interesting and glad you did write about such an important piece of history and factual information about the aviation connected to Ft. Worth.
    Hugs,
    Mariette

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  6. PerthDailyPhotoJanuary 12, 2020 at 5:42 AM

    Looking back I see that you had the very best Christmas present ever Janey. Huge congratulations on the arrival of your newest wee granddaughter, I bet her big sister is thrilled. I miss my grandchildren already and they've only been gone for one day 💙 Here's wishing you the very best for the new year ahead ✨

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  7. Preppy Empty NesterJanuary 17, 2020 at 12:12 PM

    Wow! Great post. I read something every day! Have a wonderful weekend, Janey. I have a feeling that yours will be a lot warmer that than mine.

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