2020-10-23 Fri

Brazilian Aviator's Day is celebrated on October 23. It commemorates the first official flight of Alberto Santos-Dumont, a Brazilian aviation pioneer. In Brazil, Santos-Dumont is regarded as the “father of flight” and considered a national hero.

At a very young age, he became enthusiastic about balloons and dirigibles. He made numerous flights on lighter-than-air aircraft, some of which he constructed himself. In the early 20th century, his primary interest turned to heavier-than-air aircraft.

Santos-Dumont's first successful flight of a heavier-than-air aircraft took place on October 23, 1906. It was the first flight of a powered heavier-than-air machine in Europe to be verified by the Aero-Club de France. Although Santos-Dumont spent most of his life in France, Brazilians consider him to be a national hero. The anniversary of his historical flight was designated as Aviator's Day.

He has been featured on 10000 Cruzeiros banknotes of Brazil issued in the year 1966. The banknote depicts the portrait of Alberto Santos-Dumont in an oval vignette on the obverse and “Santos-Dumont" biplane on the reverse.

Image Courtesy: banknote.ws