Jan 1924 helicopter in France sets record for 8+ minutes airborne
Toronto. The cut line for the photograph at left says, ” Raúl Pescara’s 16-bladed helicopter leaves the ground at Issy les Moulineaux, France, to attempt the world endurance record in January 1924. Pescara’s flight set a new record, staying airborne for eight minutes, 13.8 seconds.”
The photograph demonstrates once again how photography can bring history to life. Who knew that a century ago eight minutes and change in the air in a helicopter was a life time. Today we take for granted all the helicopters wandering around in the air for umpteen hours at a time.
This image and the link to the Atlantic magazine’s photo site for 1924 is courtesy of my good friend and fellow PHSC member, George Dunbar. While the photos seem to be mostly American and French, they show how great photography is as a means to augment written history. Image collectors can see from this link that photographs covered more than portraits and landscapes.
