Paul Tissandier
Encyclopedia
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
aviator
Aviator
An aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
.
Biography
Tissandier was the son of aviator Gaston TissandierGaston Tissandier
Gaston Tissandier was a French chemist, meteorologist, aviator and editor. Adventurer could be added to the list of his titles, as he managed to escape besieged Paris by balloon in September 1870. He founded and edited the scientific magazine La Nature and wrote several books.His brother was...
and nephew of Albert Tissandier
Albert Tissandier
Albert Tissandier was a French architect, aviator, illustrator, editor and archaeologist. He was the brother of adventurer Gaston Tissandier with whom he collaborated in writing the magazine La Nature, a French language scientific journal aimed at the popularization of science...
, Gaston's brother.
Tissandier began his flying career as a hot air balloon
Hot air balloon
The hot air balloon is the oldest successful human-carrying flight technology. It is in a class of aircraft known as balloon aircraft. On November 21, 1783, in Paris, France, the first untethered manned flight was made by Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier and François Laurent d'Arlandes in a hot air...
pilot and later moved to airship
Airship
An airship or dirigible is a type of aerostat or "lighter-than-air aircraft" that can be steered and propelled through the air using rudders and propellers or other thrust mechanisms...
s and finally to aircraft
Aircraft
An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...
. He was a pilot-pupil of Wilbur Wright. Together with Count Charles de Lambert
Charles de Lambert (aviator)
Charles, Count de Lambert, was an early European aviator.De Lambert was the first person in France to be taught to fly by Wilbur Wright. The first lesson took place at Le Mans on 28 October 1908...
, he was involved in the construction of hydro-gliders.
The Aero Club Paul Tissandier based at the Saint-Cyr-l'École
Saint-Cyr-l'École
Saint-Cyr-l'École is a commune in the western suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.It used to host the training school for officers of the French army, the École Spéciale Militaire de Saint-Cyr , which was relocated to Coëtquidan in 1945.The old buildings of the ESM are...
airfield was named in his honour.
Paul Tissandier Diploma
Perpetual international awards established in 1952 by FAI in memory of Paul Tissandier, a pioneer French aviator, Treasurer of the FAI from its foundation to 1919, and its Secretary General from 1919 to 1945.As stated on the Diplomas, they are awarded to those persons who have served the cause of aviation and private and sporting aviation in particular, by their work, initiative, devotion or in any other way.
Each Aero club which is a member of FAI may recommend a number of deserving candidates for these Diplomas each year; the U.S. is allowed three. The recipients are confirmed by the FAI Administrative Council and publicly announced and the Diplomas are awarded at the annual FAI General Conference.
Tissandier served as Secretary General of 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...
(FAI) from 1919 to 1945. In 1952 the FAI established the Paul Tissandier Diploma; awarded to those who have served the cause of Aviation in general and Sporting Aviation in particular.
Notable recipients include:
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champion. - Yves RousseauYves RousseauYves Rousseau is credited with some ultralight aircraft FAI world records and has received international recognition for his 13 years of work on human-powered ornithopter flight; Rousseau attempted his first human-powered flight with flapping wings in 1995.In 2005, Rousseau was given the Paul...
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aviation pioneer. - Kathy SuttonKathy Cox (skydiver)Kathy Cox, CM, now known as Kathy Sutton, is a Canadian skydiver. Cox placed first overall at the Canadian National Parachuting Championships in 1973, 1978, and 1980 . She is also noted for having won the Gold Medal in Women's Individual Accuracy at the XV World Parachuting Championships in...
- Canadian world sky diving champion.