Léon Lemartin

Who was Léon Lemartin?

Théodore Clovis Edmond Lemartin, known as Léon Lemartin was a pioneer aviator who set a world record on 3 February 1911 at Pau, France when he carried seven passengers in a Blériot XIII Aerobus. He then took eight, eleven and thirteen passengers aloft the following month.

The son of a blacksmith, in 1902 he became a graduate Gadz'Art, an engineer of 'Arts and Crafts' of the École Nationale Supérieure d'Arts et Métiers – a prestigious university specialising in engineering. His aeronautic career included working with Gabriel Voisin, the Seguin brothers, Henri Farman, Ernest Archdeacon and Louis Blériot. He was present when Blériot made the historic first crossing of the English channel in 1909. On 4 October 1910 he was awarded Aviator's Certificate number 249 by the Aéro-Club de France.

On 24 May 1911, three weeks before his death, he reportedly surpassed the world speed record although it was never officially recognized. He achieved 128.418 km/h over the 33 kilometres flight between Etampes and Toury in a Blériot using his own enhancements to the Gnome Omega 50 hp motor.