The first figure in Czech aviation history

Ing. Jan Kašpar, one of the most famous figures in Czech aviation history, was born in Pardubice on 20 May 1883. After graduating from a technical secondary school he studied mechanical engineering at the Imperial Czech Technical University. He worked at the Laurin & Klement factory where, together with ing. Hieronym, he participated in the development of the first aircraft engine in Bohemia. He developed such a passion for aircraft engineering that he left the company and, with his cousin Evžen Čihák, dedicated himself entirely to flying. He learnt to fly a monoplane of his own design. The plane was built in three months and in February 1910 Kašpar and his cousin made their first flying attempts. The engine output, however, was very small and the plane was destroyed in a fall. A similar fate awaited the next three machines, too. To accelerate his experiments as much as possible, Kašpar finally bought a Blériot, which was the most advanced aircraft in its time. In this aircraft, on 13 May 1911, he made the first historical flight from Pardubice to Prague. This date can be marked as the founding milestone of Czech aviation. Many other achievements followed – the same year the first flight with a passenger took place. There were also downturns on the way – injuries and obstacles.

Zdroj: Národní technické muzeum a www.libri.cz