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Mermoz was a poetry lover. He also admired sculpture and other forms of art. He has been described as shy and as a quiet adolescent. He also liked literature, but he shunned potential careers in any art fields to concentrate on becoming a pilot. In 1919, he graduated from school.
In 1920, he met Max Delby , a teacher who helped Mermoz increase his interest in aviation. In April of 1921Events January 2 The first religious radio broadcast ( KDKA AM in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) January 2 Spanish liner Santa Isabel sinks off Villa Garcia 244 dead January 2 DeYoung Museum in Golden Gate Park San Francisco opens. January 20 Republic of Turke, he flew as a pilot for the first time.
Mermoz, whose infancy had been marked by World War 1 news, joined the French air force in 1922Events January 7 Dali Eireann ratifies the Anglo-Irish Treaty by 64-57 votes. January 10 Arthur Griffith is elected President of Dail Eireann January 11 First successful insulin treatment of diabetes. January 12 British government releases Irish prisoners, being assigned, as a pilot of the air force's 11th regiment, to duty in SyriaThe Syrian Arab Republic is a country in Southwest Asia, bordering (from south to north) on Lebanon, Israel, Jordan, Iraq and Turkey. The border with Israel is subject to dispute, pending the resolution of outstanding conflicts over possession of the Gola. In 1924Centuries: 19th century 20th century 21st century Decades: 1870s 1880s 1890s 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s Years: 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 See also 1924 in aviation 1924 in film 1924 in literature 1924 in mu, he returned to France, having arguably been one of the most successful pilots in the Syrian operations. Mermoz relocated to ToulouseToulouse Tolosa in Occitan) is a city in southwest France on the banks of the Garonne River, half-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. With a population of 1. 05 million inhabitants, the Toulouse metropolitan area is the second larges. Later on, Mermoz went on to become an acrobatic pilot, with Didier Daurat 's company. It was there that Mermoz met Antoine de Saint-ExupéryAntoine de Saint-Exupery ( June 29 1900 July 31 1944) was a French writer and aviator. Life Antoine Marie Roger de Saint-Exupery was born in Lyon into an old family of provincial nobility; one of his ancestors fought with the Americans at Yorktown. After. Mermoz travelled to MoroccoAl Mamlakah al-Maghribiyah In Detail( Full size) Official language Arabic Capital Rabat Largest City Casablanca King Mohammed VI Prime Minister Driss Jettou Area Total Ranked 56th 446,550 km² Population Total (2003) Density31,689,267 70/km² Ranked 36th In, Senegal and other African areas with Daurat's company.
In 1926, one of Mermoz's flights ended with an accident, when his plane crashed in the Sahara. Taken hostage by thieves of the area, he was later found alive.
In 1927, Mermoz began building a substitute to an airplane that he had flown himself, the Breguet XIV. This was a direct consequence of his accident over the Sahara: the Latécoère 25 , (or "Laté 25") and, later, the Latécoère 26 proved to be efficient aircraft when flying from Morocco to Senegal, and Mermoz himself flew the types on those routes on multiple occasions.
From Senegal, Mermoz became determined to reach the Pacific Ocean, and Mermoz was able, after multiple stops, to reach Santiago, Chile, realizing his dream.
After flying from Saint-Louis , in Senegal, to Natal, Brazil, Mermoz and the French government understood the importance of having a national airline, and Aeropostale was soon born. The airline flew to Africa, South America and the rest of Europe, helping convince governments from other countries that soon, Zeppelins could be substituted by airplanes owned by national flag carriers.
By 1929, it became evident that it would be economically viable for France to establish a commercial air route to South America, so Mermoz and others flew over the Andes. Despite Mermoz finding the flying conditions over the Andes to be tough, he and his companions were commissioned, in 1931, to fly from Natal to Santiago. This flight was performed on a Latécoère 28.
In 1933, Mermoz was appointed general inspector by Air France. That same year, he arrived in Argentina, where he and de Saint-Exupery became important persons during the infancy of what would later become Aerolineas Argentinas. Mermoz and Saint-Exupery flew many dangerous flights for the then new air company. They became regarded as two of the most important men in ths history of Argentina commercial aviation. From 1934 to 1936, Mermoz would fly private expeditions on Latécoère 300 airplanes. He flew 24 expeditions with that type. In 1935, he also flew De Havilland DH88 "Comet" airplanes.
On December 7, 1936, while flying on his airplane named "Croix du Sud" ("Cross of the South"), Mermoz sent an SOS message, where he declared that one of his engines had come loose, breaking his tail and part of the fuselage as he flew over the South Atlantic ocean. No further messages were received, and Mermoz's body was never recuperated.