Ble'riot Crosses The Channel

In July 1909, French aviator Louis Ble'riot became the first person to fly across the English Channel. He took off from Sangatte, France, and flew northwest to land at Dover Castle in England after a flight lasting 43 minutes. He had designed the Type XI monoplane with control wires to warp the wings and made it with strong, flexible woods. After his flight, Ble'riot became an international celebrity. Move than 100 monoplanes were sold and he became the first large-scale aircraft manufacturer.