Jules Védrines
| Jules Charles Toussaint Védrines | |
|---|---|
Jules Vedrines in 1911
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| Born |
21 December 1881 Saint-Denis, France |
| Died | 21 April 1919 (aged 37) Saint-Rambert-d'Albon, France |
| Cause of death | Aircraft accident |
| Resting place | Cimetière parisien de Pantin |
| Nationality | French |
| Relatives | Emile Védrines (brother) |
| Aviation career | |
| Known for |
Air racing First pilot to fly at more than 100 mph Winner of 1912 Gordon Bennett Trophy race |
| Flight license | 7 December 1910 Pau, Pyrénées-Atlantiques |
Jules Charles Toussaint Védrines (21 December 1881 – 21 April 1919) was an early French aviator, notable for being the first pilot to fly at more than 100 mph and for winning the Gordon Bennett Trophy race in 1912.
Jules Védrines was born in Saint-Denis, an industrial suburb of Paris, on 21 December 1881.
He was raised in the tough back alleys of Paris, shaping his rough and foul-mouthed nature which nevertheless made him a favorite of the French public. He was apprenticed to the Gnome engine manufacturing company, after which he spent six months in England as Robert Loraine's mechanic in 1910, and then returned to France, where he gained his pilot's license (no. 312) on 7 December 1910 at the Blériot school at Pau. His rise to become one of the most prominent pilots of the time started when he won the 1911 Paris to Madrid air race in May 1911 flying a Morane-Borel monoplane, although the previous month he had attracted attention by dropping bouquets of violets onto the Mi-carême procession as it entered the Place de la Concorde in Paris. That year he also came second in the Circuit of Britain race and third in the Circuit of Europe race. In 1912, flying the Deperdussin 1912 Racing Monoplane he was the first person to fly an aircraft at more than 100 mph (160 km/h) and he also won the Gordon Bennett Trophy race.
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