Rue Maurice Bellonte

Could a street hold the spirit of a daring aviator? Here on Rue Maurice Bellonte in Le Bourget, the air practically vibrates with the echoes of a historic flight. Rue Maurice Bellonte isn’t just a street. It’s a tribute to the French aviator Maurice Bellonte, a man who dared to conquer the skies. He, alongside Dieudonné Costes, achieved the first westbound transatlantic flight from Paris to New York in 1930. Imagine the thrill. They flew aboard the Breguet XIX Point d’interrogation, a plane as intriguing as its name suggests, pushing the boundaries of aviation and human endurance. Bellonte’s journey began long before that momentous flight. Born in Méru, Oise, in 1896, his fascination with mechanics started early. By 1910, he was an apprentice at Anzani, the company that built the engine for Blériot XI, the first plane to cross the English Channel. He served as a gunner in World War I, further fueling his passion for flight. After the war, he honed his skills in Morocco, then worked for Hispano-Suiza and the Franco-Colombienne company. He became a mechanic and navigator on early airline routes, experiencing the precarious yet exhilarating beginnings of commercial aviation. His partnership with Costes began in 1923 on the Paris-London route. Their shared ambition led to the record-breaking flight from Paris to Tsitsikar (Manchuria) in 1929, a 7,925 km journey proving the capabilities of their Breguet XIX. This success paved the way for their historic transatlantic flight just a year later. That 37-hour flight earned Bellonte the Gold Medal of Aeronautics, cementing his place in aviation history. Rue Maurice Bellonte here in Le Bourget stands as a testament to his courage and innovation. It’s more than a street; it’s a runway to the past, reminding us of a man who chased the horizon and helped bring the world closer together.