Passengers traveling on the air bridge from São Paulo to Rio de Janeiro land at Santos Dumont Airport in the city, which opened its doors for the first time in 1936. In the spacious arrivals hall, with vast glass windows overlooking the runways and the stunning Guanabara Bay in the background, travelers cannot help but notice the immense panel by Rio artist Cadmo Fausto. Os Primórdios da Aviação (“The Dawn of Aviation”) depicts Santos Dumont’s flight in the 14-Bis in Paris, with curious spectators looking around and the Eiffel Tower rising above the scene.
Upon exiting the main hall, travelers are greeted by a bust of Alberto Santos Dumont, sculpted by French artist Hugues Desmazieres.
The panel, the sculpture, and the name of Brazil’s first civil airport are all tributes to the aviator whose 150th birthday was celebrated on July 20. Even his hometown — the city formerly known as Palmira — pays its tribute, having been renamed Santos Dumont in 1932.
Alberto Santos Dumont is acclaimed as the Father of Aviation — a title bestowed upon him for being a pioneer in flying a heavier-than-air powered aircraft. This groundbreaking feat occurred at the Bagatelle Field in Paris on October 23, 1906.
Maurício Inácio da Silva, a sergeant in the Air Force and historian at the Aerospace Museum of Rio (Musal), describes Santos Dumont as a pioneer.
“It was a time of many discoveries and inventions in all areas. He made the flight of the 14-Bis, heavier than air, possible. It was a huge success for that time. What Santos Dumont achieved left a lasting impact on a generation. He will be remembered forever, as he continues to contribute significantly to the progress of humanity,” he told Agência Brasil.
Pioneering feats abroad
Driven by innovation, Santos Dumont had accomplished several aerial feats before the flight of the 14-Bis, such as building a balloon — the smallest ever constructed to carry a person at that time. He flew for five hours in France in July 1898. Dumont continued to pursue his aspirations, combining internal combustion engines with balloons and creating ingenious rudders, which later led to the development of dirigibles. In 1901, he flew over Paris in one of them, catching the attention of the Brazilian and world press.
Living in Paris since he was 18, he spotted something along the banks of the Seine that helped him transition from balloons to the first model of an airplane. In 1905, while watching a regatta, Dumont realized that the engine of a boat could be the power source for the self-propulsion of the 14-Bis. After numerous tests and setbacks, this adaptation proved sufficient for the flight of 60 meters at a height of three meters the following year.
The Brazilian inventor continued working on his flying machine. In 1909, he took off in his Demoiselle, one of the world’s first airplanes. It resembled a modern ultralight.
The Father of Aviation passed away in 1932. He took his own life at the Grand Hotel La Plage in Guarujá, on the coast of São Paulo. Disappointment with the military use of airplanes during World War I (1914–1918) and in Brazil was cited as one of the reasons for Santos Dumont’s suicide.
“When Santos Dumont was dedicated to these inventions, he knew they could be used in war, but he envisioned airplanes as aerial observers for troop location and transportation of people. During World War I, he was shocked to see them used for bombing. The last straw was when he witnessed Brazilian government planes bombing the city of São Paulo during the Constitutional Revolution of 1932,” noted Inácio da Silva.
Source: Bruno de Freitas Moura / Agência Brasil