Juan Pablo Aldasoro
Encyclopedia
Juan Pablo Aldasoro an aviation pioneer, was born on September 14, 1893 in the "Casa Grande" of Real of Monte
, State of Hidalgo, Mexico
; in the same place, his brother Eduardo Aldasoro Suárez was born on October 27, 1894. Both brothers were born to an upper-class family, their father Ing. Andrés Aldasoro
was Minister of Promotion under Porfirio Díaz
and was General Manager of the Mine "Las Dos Estrellas" in the state of Michoacán
.
Both brothers were world aviation pioneers, also known as Early Birds of Aviation
.
). They achieved brilliant results as they managed to fly about one hundred meters in their own designed gliders.
They used diverse methods for the propulsion: the glider was towed by a steam automobile that reached a terminal velocity of 50 km/hour. The structure of the plane was made of wood, the wings were covered by a blanket hardened with engrudo and the landing gear was adapted from steel tubes and bicycle wheels. The gliders were cautiously hidden, to avoid someone else stealing their design by covering them with linen cloths.
The tests were performed at different hours, mainly at dawn. For his first flights he used leader mandiles for protection, since the gliders were severely damaged after each flight.
As they started moving, a huge cloud of dust arose, the glider slowly elevated the tail and finally emerged from the cloud. The car continued moving for about 300 meters and then slowly decreased the speed to allow the glider to loosen the cable and then continue flying. Suddenly something unexpected happened. The device to release the cable did not worked properly and Juan Pablo went flying above the car without being able to free himself. As the plane continued, the cable pulled it back and immediately turned in a somersault and crashed. The glider was destroyed and, miraculously, Juan Pablo was alive with only a fractured leg. The experience drawn from this flight was extraordinary, the pilot had managed to have absolute control of the glider for more than 480 meters as well as a very stable flight at a height of 10 meters.
This accident and others undergone by Eduardo, did not discouraged them at all. On the contrary, having seen that their planes were able to fly, they decided to construct an engine that could be adapted into an aeroplane. With this intention in mind, they travelled to the mine of "Las Dos Estrellas" , in Tlalpujahua, Michoacán
, where his father was the manager. They took with them drafts and designs and used the mine's welding and smelting facilities to construct an internal combustion engine with two opposite cylinders. At that time, the existing engines were very heavy and voluminous, they had enormous radiators for cooling, and many of accessories that did not satisfy the required characteristics to propel an aeroplane.
Finally, on January 1911 they finished the construction and testing of the motor, cooled by air, it could develop 60 h.p., and up to 900 RPM. The prime feature was its weight/power ratio: 3 kilos per hp.
In addition, the Aldasoro brothers constructed a very rudimentary wind tunnel
to help them study the process of flying. They experimented with different shapes and angles for the wings as well as their centre of gravity. Years before other European designers, they designed the "thick wing", which was highly efficient. They had improved aerodynamics of the airplane. Once assembled all the components, the aeroplane complete with engine was ready to be tested.
's War Minister General Angel García Peña, inspected the plane very carefully. He decided that before testing it, Juan Pablo and Eduardo Aldasoro should be granted a scholarship by the Government of Mexico to attend the Moisant aviation school
in New York
. The President of Mexico, Don Francisco I. Madero, was a progressive and visionary man, he thought that aviation offered great possibilities to create a modern army, about which the vocation, the professional formation and a pure patriotic spirit of youth, served as incentive to renew people, styles and customs of the past. Then, the Aldasoro brothers, accompanied by Alberto Salinas Carranza
, Gustavo Salinas Camiña
and Horacio Ruiz, travelled to the USA and were the first Mexicans to graduate as pilots on March 12, 1913.
The Fédération Aéronautique Internationale
granted the licenses nbr. 217 to Juan Pablo Aldasoro and nbr. 218 to Eduardo Aldasoro. On the graduation day, the authorities authorised one of the recent pilots to fly over the Statue of Liberty
.
Juan Pablo won the draw and took off the training fields at Long Island NY, he completed the flight, above the waters with total control and security, he reached the Statue, and returned to the fields as the first man to fly over this famous New York symbol. Newspapers and magazines recorded the event with great detail. The New York Council granted a diploma to Juan Pablo Aldasoro in memory of the event and the airplane's propeller
is now kept in the National Air and Space Museum
in Washington, D.C, where it pays tribute to these pilots who contributed with courage and sacrifice to the history of aviation.
.
President Madero did not have the opportunity to see his dream fulfilled, but those five pioneers, Juan Pablo and Eduardo Aldasoro, Alberto and Gustavo Salinas and Horacio Ruiz, would become the pillars of the Mexican Air Force
, not only as founders, but also teachers for the next generation of pilots. The Department of Military Aeronautics, the School, the National Factories of Aeronautical Constructions and the Mexican Air Force, regarded them as pillars and guides. In these institutions they committed their lives and work.
Juan Pablo Aldasoro Suárez died on the 4th of October, 1962 with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel Flying Pilot.
Eduardo Aldasoro Suárez died on the 10th of November, 1968, with the rank of General Brigadier Flying Pilot.
wrote a Short Story El Tesoro de Cabeza de Vaca which was inspired during a visit to Juan Pablo Aldasoro's Hacienda in the State of Jalisco in the 1920s. The Story appeared in the book La inutil Curiosidad later re-printed under the title of Las experiencias de Miss Patsy. Juan Pablo appears as himself in a fictional story of treasure hunts.
A primary school near Toluca (Clave 15EJN0622N, Turno MATUTINO) was named "Hermanos Aldasoro".
Mineral del Monte
Mineral del Monte is a small town and one of the 84 municipalities of Hidalgo, in central-eastern Mexico, lying at an altitude of 2700 metres ....
, State of Hidalgo, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
; in the same place, his brother Eduardo Aldasoro Suárez was born on October 27, 1894. Both brothers were born to an upper-class family, their father Ing. Andrés Aldasoro
Andrés Aldasoro
Andrés Aldasoro Espinoza was a Mexican Mining Engineer, he was the director of several mines during the rule of Porfirio Díaz. He was the director of the Mines "Las Dos Estrellas" in Tlalpujahua in the State of Michoacán, "Purísima Grande" in Real del Monte in the State of Hidalgo and "San Andrés...
was Minister of Promotion under Porfirio Díaz
Porfirio Díaz
José de la Cruz Porfirio Díaz Mori was a Mexican-American War volunteer and French intervention hero, an accomplished general and the President of Mexico continuously from 1876 to 1911, with the exception of a brief term in 1876 when he left Juan N...
and was General Manager of the Mine "Las Dos Estrellas" in the state of Michoacán
Michoacán
Michoacán officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Michoacán de Ocampo is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 113 municipalities and its capital city is Morelia...
.
Both brothers were world aviation pioneers, also known as Early Birds of Aviation
Early Birds of Aviation
The Early Birds of Aviation is an organization devoted to the history of early pilots. The organization was started in 1928 and ultimately accepted a membership of 598. Membership was limited to those who piloted a glider, gas balloon, or airplane, prior to December 17, 1916. The cutoff date was...
.
Studies & training
The inseparable brothers alternated their studies of preparatory with their vocation being mechanics and a passion for flying, and through publications and magazines of those days time they inquired researched about everything related to aviation.Aircraft builders
By 1908 they began to design and construct their first gliders, which were tested on fields near the Piedad Cemetery (Panteón de la Piedad, now Avenida Cuauhtémoc in Mexico CityMexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
). They achieved brilliant results as they managed to fly about one hundred meters in their own designed gliders.
They used diverse methods for the propulsion: the glider was towed by a steam automobile that reached a terminal velocity of 50 km/hour. The structure of the plane was made of wood, the wings were covered by a blanket hardened with engrudo and the landing gear was adapted from steel tubes and bicycle wheels. The gliders were cautiously hidden, to avoid someone else stealing their design by covering them with linen cloths.
The tests were performed at different hours, mainly at dawn. For his first flights he used leader mandiles for protection, since the gliders were severely damaged after each flight.
First flights
March 9, 1909 was a very important day for the Aldasoro brothers; that day they took the glider towards the outskirts of Mexico City, nowadays Calle de Querétaro in Colonia Roma. This was the first street to be opened in the neighbourhood and for them it represented a nice track without obstacles. They tied the glider to a steam car called "White", which was the fastest automobile of those days. Juan Pablo would be the pilot and his brother Eduardo would be in charge of driving the car that would tow the glider.As they started moving, a huge cloud of dust arose, the glider slowly elevated the tail and finally emerged from the cloud. The car continued moving for about 300 meters and then slowly decreased the speed to allow the glider to loosen the cable and then continue flying. Suddenly something unexpected happened. The device to release the cable did not worked properly and Juan Pablo went flying above the car without being able to free himself. As the plane continued, the cable pulled it back and immediately turned in a somersault and crashed. The glider was destroyed and, miraculously, Juan Pablo was alive with only a fractured leg. The experience drawn from this flight was extraordinary, the pilot had managed to have absolute control of the glider for more than 480 meters as well as a very stable flight at a height of 10 meters.
This accident and others undergone by Eduardo, did not discouraged them at all. On the contrary, having seen that their planes were able to fly, they decided to construct an engine that could be adapted into an aeroplane. With this intention in mind, they travelled to the mine of "Las Dos Estrellas" , in Tlalpujahua, Michoacán
Michoacán
Michoacán officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Michoacán de Ocampo is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 113 municipalities and its capital city is Morelia...
, where his father was the manager. They took with them drafts and designs and used the mine's welding and smelting facilities to construct an internal combustion engine with two opposite cylinders. At that time, the existing engines were very heavy and voluminous, they had enormous radiators for cooling, and many of accessories that did not satisfy the required characteristics to propel an aeroplane.
Finally, on January 1911 they finished the construction and testing of the motor, cooled by air, it could develop 60 h.p., and up to 900 RPM. The prime feature was its weight/power ratio: 3 kilos per hp.
In addition, the Aldasoro brothers constructed a very rudimentary wind tunnel
Wind tunnel
A wind tunnel is a research tool used in aerodynamic research to study the effects of air moving past solid objects.-Theory of operation:Wind tunnels were first proposed as a means of studying vehicles in free flight...
to help them study the process of flying. They experimented with different shapes and angles for the wings as well as their centre of gravity. Years before other European designers, they designed the "thick wing", which was highly efficient. They had improved aerodynamics of the airplane. Once assembled all the components, the aeroplane complete with engine was ready to be tested.
Higher calling
When the aeroplane was finished, President Francisco I. MaderoFrancisco I. Madero
Francisco Ignacio Madero González was a politician, writer and revolutionary who served as President of Mexico from 1911 to 1913. As a respectable upper-class politician, he supplied a center around which opposition to the dictatorship of Porfirio Díaz could coalesce...
's War Minister General Angel García Peña, inspected the plane very carefully. He decided that before testing it, Juan Pablo and Eduardo Aldasoro should be granted a scholarship by the Government of Mexico to attend the Moisant aviation school
Moisant Aviation School
The Moisant Aviation School was a school in the early days of aviation founded Alfred Moisant at Hempstead, Long Island, New York. Alfred and his brother John Bevins Moisant formed the Moisant International Aviators, a flying circus which toured the United States, Mexico and El Salvador. John had...
in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. The President of Mexico, Don Francisco I. Madero, was a progressive and visionary man, he thought that aviation offered great possibilities to create a modern army, about which the vocation, the professional formation and a pure patriotic spirit of youth, served as incentive to renew people, styles and customs of the past. Then, the Aldasoro brothers, accompanied by Alberto Salinas Carranza
Alberto Salinas Carranza
Alberto Salinas Carranza was a Mexican aviator....
, Gustavo Salinas Camiña
Gustavo Salinas Camiña
Gustavo Adolfo Salinas Camiña was a pioneer aviator. He was the first to use a plane to attack a ship at sea in the Action of 9 April 1914.-References:...
and Horacio Ruiz, travelled to the USA and were the first Mexicans to graduate as pilots on March 12, 1913.
The Fédération Aéronautique Internationale
Fédération Aéronautique Internationale
The Fédération Aéronautique Internationale is the world governing body for air sports and aeronautics and astronautics world records. Its head office is in Lausanne, Switzerland. This includes man-carrying aerospace vehicles from balloons to spacecraft, and unmanned aerial vehicles...
granted the licenses nbr. 217 to Juan Pablo Aldasoro and nbr. 218 to Eduardo Aldasoro. On the graduation day, the authorities authorised one of the recent pilots to fly over the Statue of Liberty
Statue of Liberty
The Statue of Liberty is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, designed by Frédéric Bartholdi and dedicated on October 28, 1886...
.
Juan Pablo won the draw and took off the training fields at Long Island NY, he completed the flight, above the waters with total control and security, he reached the Statue, and returned to the fields as the first man to fly over this famous New York symbol. Newspapers and magazines recorded the event with great detail. The New York Council granted a diploma to Juan Pablo Aldasoro in memory of the event and the airplane's propeller
Propeller (aircraft)
Aircraft propellers or airscrews convert rotary motion from piston engines or turboprops to provide propulsive force. They may be fixed or variable pitch. Early aircraft propellers were carved by hand from solid or laminated wood with later propellers being constructed from metal...
is now kept in the National Air and Space Museum
National Air and Space Museum
The National Air and Space Museum of the Smithsonian Institution holds the largest collection of historic aircraft and spacecraft in the world. It was established in 1976. Located in Washington, D.C., United States, it is a center for research into the history and science of aviation and...
in Washington, D.C, where it pays tribute to these pilots who contributed with courage and sacrifice to the history of aviation.
Early Birds
As Juan Pablo and Eduardo Aldasoro flew "solo" before 1916, they are recognized as part of the Early Birds of AviationEarly Birds of Aviation
The Early Birds of Aviation is an organization devoted to the history of early pilots. The organization was started in 1928 and ultimately accepted a membership of 598. Membership was limited to those who piloted a glider, gas balloon, or airplane, prior to December 17, 1916. The cutoff date was...
.
President Madero did not have the opportunity to see his dream fulfilled, but those five pioneers, Juan Pablo and Eduardo Aldasoro, Alberto and Gustavo Salinas and Horacio Ruiz, would become the pillars of the Mexican Air Force
Mexican Air Force
The Mexican Air Force is the aviation branch of the Mexican Army and depends on the National Defense Secretariat . Since 2008, its commander is Gen...
, not only as founders, but also teachers for the next generation of pilots. The Department of Military Aeronautics, the School, the National Factories of Aeronautical Constructions and the Mexican Air Force, regarded them as pillars and guides. In these institutions they committed their lives and work.
Juan Pablo Aldasoro Suárez died on the 4th of October, 1962 with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel Flying Pilot.
Eduardo Aldasoro Suárez died on the 10th of November, 1968, with the rank of General Brigadier Flying Pilot.
Military bases
Two bases of the Mexican Air Force were named after the Aldasoro Brothers:- Military Air Base Number 4 in Cozumel, Quintana Roo is called General Eduardo Aldasoro Suarez
- Military Air Base Number 11 in Mexico City is called Teniente Coronel Juan Pablo Aldasoro Suarez
Presence in Literary Works
Carlos Noriega HopeCarlos Noriega Hope
Carlos Noriega Hope was a Mexican writer and journalist. Born in Tacubaya, Mexico City, he studied law and became a journalist. In 1919 he traveled to Hollywood to report on the new cinematographic industry...
wrote a Short Story El Tesoro de Cabeza de Vaca which was inspired during a visit to Juan Pablo Aldasoro's Hacienda in the State of Jalisco in the 1920s. The Story appeared in the book La inutil Curiosidad later re-printed under the title of Las experiencias de Miss Patsy. Juan Pablo appears as himself in a fictional story of treasure hunts.
Streets and Schools
There is a street in Mexico City in the "Aviación Civil" neighbourhood south of the International Airport of Mexico City. Other famous Mexican (Juan Guillermo Villasana, Horacio Ruiz, Alberto Salinas and Roberto Fierro) and international pilots (Santos Dumont, Roland Garros, Louis Bleriot, Charles Lindebergh, Alberto Braniff, Enrique Farman, Simon Audenaro) have streets in the same neighbourhood.A primary school near Toluca (Clave 15EJN0622N, Turno MATUTINO) was named "Hermanos Aldasoro".
Related links
- Early Birds of AviationEarly Birds of AviationThe Early Birds of Aviation is an organization devoted to the history of early pilots. The organization was started in 1928 and ultimately accepted a membership of 598. Membership was limited to those who piloted a glider, gas balloon, or airplane, prior to December 17, 1916. The cutoff date was...
- Mexican Air ForceMexican Air ForceThe Mexican Air Force is the aviation branch of the Mexican Army and depends on the National Defense Secretariat . Since 2008, its commander is Gen...
- Moisant Aviation SchoolMoisant Aviation SchoolThe Moisant Aviation School was a school in the early days of aviation founded Alfred Moisant at Hempstead, Long Island, New York. Alfred and his brother John Bevins Moisant formed the Moisant International Aviators, a flying circus which toured the United States, Mexico and El Salvador. John had...
- Fédération Aéronautique InternationaleFédération Aéronautique InternationaleThe Fédération Aéronautique Internationale is the world governing body for air sports and aeronautics and astronautics world records. Its head office is in Lausanne, Switzerland. This includes man-carrying aerospace vehicles from balloons to spacecraft, and unmanned aerial vehicles...
External links
- Bases of the Mexican Air force
- Mineral del Monte webpage (spanish) Describes mines, attractions and the house where the Aldasoro family lived
- http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=%22pablo+aldasoro%22&sll=19.415063,-99.076424&sspn=0.001498,0.002519&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Juan+Pablo+Aldasoro,+Ciudad+de+M%C3%A9xico,+Distrito+Federal,+Mexico&ll=19.413113,-99.076209&spn=0.00599,0.010074&z=17 Googlemaps link to the junction between "Juan Pablo Aldasoro" and "Charles A. Lindebergh" in Mexico City.
- http://mexico.pueblosamerica.com/c/hermanos-aldasoro Webpage mentioning the school "Hermanos Aldasoro"