Giacomo D'Angelis

Who is Giacomo D'Angelis?

Giacomo D'Angelis was a Corsic-Indian aviation pioneer who piloted the first powered airplane flight in Asia in Madras, India on 10 March 1910. The flight reportedly occurred nine months prior to another published account of a flight in Allahabad. D'Angelis performed the flight in a self-built aircraft.

Giacomo D’Angelis, a confectioner from Messina Italy, arrived in Madras in 1880 and opened his "Maison Francaise" as chief of cuisine, and his excellent service soon enabled him to open a small hotel in 1906, the latter Hotel d'Angeli. The biplane has been built by D'Angelis entirely from his own designs, experimenting with a small horse-power engine.

D'Angelis seems to been inspired by Louis Blériot who was the first to fly across the English Channel in July 1909. D'Angelis tested his aeroplane in Pallavaram, Tamil Nadu, and then arranged a public viewing in March 1910 reported by the local newspapers.

He is the founder of the famous Hotel d'Angeli's