A French aviator. That’s who Henri Guillaumet was. Here on Rue Henri Guillaumet, we honor a pioneer. He wasn’t just any pilot. Guillaumet helped build French aviation.
Henri Guillaumet was born in Bouy in 1902. He became a legend in aviation history. He flew across the Andes, the South Atlantic, and the North Atlantic. Guillaumet helped open many new routes. Some say he was the best pilot of his time. Didier Daurat, an Aéropostale director, admired him greatly.
Guillaumet flew mail between Argentina and Chile. One Friday in 1930, disaster struck. It was his 92nd Andes crossing. His Potez 25 crashed at Laguna del Diamante. Bad weather caused the crash. Guillaumet walked for a week over mountains. He thought of his wife, Noëlle. A teenage boy rescued him on June 19. Locals could hardly believe his story. This made him a star of Aéropostale.
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, his friend, searched for him. Guillaumet told him something remarkable. He said no animal could have done what he did. Saint-Exupéry wrote about Guillaumet’s ordeal in his book Wind, Sand and Stars.
After many South Atlantic flights, Guillaumet became an Air France director. But his story doesn’t end there.
In 1940, tragedy struck again. Guillaumet flew to Syria with Jean Chiappe. Chiappe was the new French High Commissioner to the Levant. Their plane was a Farman F.220 NC.2234 airliner named Le Verrier. An Italian fighter shot it down over the Mediterranean Sea.
Guillaumet’s legacy lives on. A 1995 film told his story. Wings of Courage showed his early airmail adventures. Craig Sheffer played Henri Guillaumet. Tom Hulce played Saint-Exupéry. It was the first dramatic IMAX movie.
Antonio Iturbe wrote about him in a novel. The Prince of the Skies tells Guillaumet’s story.
Near Châlons-en-Champagne, in Bouy, there is an exposition about Henri Guillaumet. It is in the old school where he grew up. The Association des Amis de Henri Guillaumet runs it. They show special collections to the public.
So, as we stand on Rue Henri Guillaumet. Remember the aviator. Remember his courage. Remember his contribution to aviation. He was a true hero of the skies.