Dieudonné Costes

First steps

First World War, pilot, affected with the army of the East, it becomes a “ace”, obtaining 6 air victories, eleven quotations, the military decoration and the legion of honor.

October 28th 1926, Costes and Rignot, beat the world records of distance in straight line and without stopover fall again, with 5.396 km in 32 hours, new performance for Costes on board a Breguet 19.

1926, on the Breguet super can “Question mark”, Costes carries out, with the lieutenant Brix, first round the world tour (57 000 km, in 39 stopovers all the same) with, in premium, the first crossing of the South Atlantic without stopover, then the return from Tokyo in Paris in less than four days.

May 8th 1927: taking off on board a Levasseur PL.8 baptized the white Bird, the French aviators Nungesser (Ace of the First World War) and Coli launch out in an attempt at crossing of the North Atlantic in the East-West direction. Having lightened their apparatus of all that is not essential, they carry some vivres and a distiller of sea water, where necessary. The plane, which exceeds the 5 tons with full load, must traverse 1 km before taking the air. Nungesser and Coli will disappear at sea. Officially, no remains will be found…

Successes

May 21st 1927, May 20th and 21st, first non-stop flight with the top of the Atlantic, achieved by American Charles Lindbergh, 27 years, between New York and Paris, on board a Ryan baptized Spirit off Saint-Louis . The aviator traverses, during the 33 hours 30 minutes that its voyage lasts, a distance of approximately 5.780 km, that is to say an average of approximately 172 km/h. Its arrival with the Le Bourget is a true triumph moving more than 200.000 people.

October 15th 1927, October 14th and 15th, Costes and Brix, on board a Breguet 19 GR. baptized “Nungesser and Coli”, carry out the first crossing without stopover of the South Atlantic between Saint-Louis of the Senegal and Natal with the Brésil. French will continue their voyage while traversing all South America then will connect New York to San Francisco, where they will make embark their apparatus to join Tokyo. From there they will gain Paris, where they will receive a triumphal reception, on April 14th 1928.

November 21st 1929: Costes and Bellonte finish a Paris-Tsitsihar-Hanoï-Paris raid on board their Breguet “Question mark”. This raid, begun on September 27th, comprises a non-stop flight of 7.905 km corresponding to world records! The totality of the distance covered on this occasion is of 24.275 km.

May 12th 1930: taking off of Saint-Louis of Senegal, on board a Laté 28, baptized Count-with-The-Vaulx, in company of the navigator Dabry and the operator radio operator Gimié, Jean Mermoz rejoins Brazil in 21 hours. Following this exploit, the Aéropostale establishes in a final way the connection by air between Toulouse and Santiago of Chile (lasted: 4,5 days).

September 1st 1930, charged with 5.200 fuel L, which confer to him an autonomy of 9.000 km, the Breguet super can “Question mark”, (Co) controlled by Costes and Bellonte, takes off Le Bourget to rejoin New York, via the North Atlantic. It will that point reach indeed on September 2nd at the end of a voyage from 37 H and 18 mn.

It is the first time that the North Atlantic “will be overcome” without stopover, in the East-West direction, vis-a-vis the dominant winds… Following this success - waited by a whole country which had not forgotten the drama of the white Oiseau -, the Question mark will be renamed “the plane of all the exploits”.

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