“Aviation pioneer” might spring to mind when you think of Allée Jules Védrines. Who was Jules Védrines? Why does this Parisian allée bear his name?
Allée Jules Védrines is more than just a street. It’s a tribute to a man who touched the sky and dared to dream. Jules Charles Toussaint Védrines was born in Saint-Denis in 1881. He became a celebrated French aviator.
Imagine young Jules. He worked as a roofer and plumber. Yet his heart soared with the pioneers of flight. By 1908, he wanted one thing only. That was to fly.
He became a mechanic. His skills caught the eye of British pilot Robert Loraine. Védrines earned his pilot’s license in 1910 after only five lessons. He was awarded license number 312.
In 1911, Védrines won the Paris-Madrid air race. He flew a Morane-Borel monoplane. But before that, he flew over Paris dropping flowers. These violets rained down on the mid-Lent procession.
Flying for Morane, he covered 1,197 kilometers. He won 100,000 francs. Also he won the Coupe Pommery prize for flying 394 km from Paris to Angoulême.
Védrines was keen for more trophies. Two days later, he aimed to win the Paris-Rome-Turin race. That was a distance of 2,095 kilometers.
He survived a plane crash in August 1911. However, his plane was badly damaged.
Védrines was married to Amélie Mélanie Noémie Lejeune. They had four children. He landed in Bussière in 1911. Fog and family drew him there. A monument marks the spot where he landed. It shows Védrines’ face and a piece of his plane.
Driven by his friends, he entered politics in 1912. He wanted France to have more aircraft. He ran for election in Limoux. He campaigned partly by flying from town to town. He lost by only a few hundred votes. But locals adopted him. They even wrote a song about him.
On January 13, 1912, Védrines set a speed record. He flew at 145.177 km/h in a Deperdussin monoplane. Later, he covered 159.303 kilometers in one hour.
On April 29, 1912, he crashed near Épinay-sur-Seine. He was badly hurt. But he still played himself in a film called Le Roman de Védrines.
From 1913 to 1914, Védrines flew from France to Egypt. He was the first pilot to land in Beirut.
During World War I, Védrines joined the aviation corps. He trained Georges Guynemer. Védrines flew dangerous missions. He transported French spies behind enemy lines. His planes bore a cow image. This may have been a nod to his Limousin roots.
He landed a Caudron G.3 on the roof of the Galeries Lafayette in 1919. He won 25,000 francs. A marker commemorates this event.
Sadly, Védrines died on April 21, 1919. His plane crashed near Saint-Rambert-d’Albon. He was attempting a Paris-Rome flight. He and his mechanic, Marcel Guillain, perished. He was buried in Paris with great ceremony.
Allée Jules Védrines is a reminder of a daring aviator. He pushed boundaries. He captured the imagination of France. He risked his life to advance aviation.