On this day 102 years ago, Louis Blériot awoke very early in the morning in Calais. The London Daily Mail was offering the prize of one thousand pounds to the first person to cross the English Channel in an aeroplane, and Blériot was determined to make the prize his. He had two rivals, Hubert Latham and Charles de Lambert, and all were gathered in Calais waiting for favourable weather for the crossing.
At 4.30am, as dawn was breaking, Blériot took off in his monoplane, and had to accelerate his engine to full speed to avoid telegraph wires near the end of the runway before settling back to a steady cruising speed of 64 km/h at an altitude of 250 feet. The French destroyer Escopette travelled through the sea below him to observe his journey. During the journey the weather became inclement, and Blériot lost sight of his escort ship and land.
Dover came into sight, but Blériot was facing rain and strong winds. Buffeted by wind gusts, he had a very rough landing which damaged the plane’s landing gear and propeller; however the landing was deemed successful, and the prize was his. The journey of 35 km had taken 36 1/2 minutes. Blériot became an instant celebrity and established a career as an aircraft manufacturer.