Didier Daurat (January 2nd 1891 with Montreuil-sous-Bois - December 2nd 1969 with Toulouse) is a pioneer of the French Aviation .

Biography

He is fighter pilot during the First World War where he is distinguished by locating the Grosse Bertha which rams Paris.

After the war, it enters to the air lines Latécoère (which will become the Aéropostale, then Air France) where it is initially pilot then director production.

Consequently will begin the legend of the man to the iron will which will make of Didier Daurat a chief admired by much, fears by all, haï by some. He does not hesitate to return those which show only one sign of weakness, dispute his methods or do not adhere to " the spirit of the courrier". Many pilots begin their career with " royal dirty oil " i.e. while remaining on the ground to dismount, to clean and go up parts of engine. According to Daurat that forms the character and will oblige the pilots to respect mechanics. But it can see when a pilot has talent. When Mermoz presents and does one dazzling demonstration of piloting in Toulouse, Daurat says to him: " I do not need artists of circus but of drivers of autobus" but it nevertheless urges it… to clean the engines. These methods prove reliable because the Latécoère lines then the Air-mail one will reach a punctuality and an unknown level of confidence for the time initially on the line Toulouse - Saint-Louis-of-Senegal then on the line Toulouse Santiago of Chile with the crossing of the South Atlantic and the the Andes.

When the Air-mail one is integrated into Air France in 1933, Daurat, which does not have that friends, is thanked.

In 1935 it founds the company Blue Air, which transports mail in all France, of day like night. There too the results are remarkable but the company is militarized with the declaration of war in 1939.

With the release, it starts again the Postal one of night then becomes chief of the center of exploitation of Air France with Orly until its retirement in 1953.

He dies in Toulouse in 1969. Exceptional privilege: Didier Daurat is buried, with his request, on the aerodrome of Toulouse Montaudran, old base of the Air-mail one.

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry took as a starting point Didier Daurat for his character of Rivière in Night flight.

See too

• List of the pilots of Air-mail the

Publications

• Saint-Exupéry such as I knew it (1954)
• In the wind of the propellers (1956)

Random links:

Hong Myung-bo | The Island of Haraï | Magnum (musician) | Barbara Strozzi | Series 13 (SNCB)