Jean Mermoz

Jean Mermoz (Known as "The Archangel (L'Archange)")

Legendary Aéropostale Pilot, Pioneer of the South Atlantic and Andes Routes

Born Dec 09, 1901

Aubenton (Aisne), France

Passed Away Dec 07, 1936 South Atlantic Ocean (near Dakar), Atlantic Ocean

Lifespan 34 years old

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Notice / Correction

"It is the attempt that counts, the effort towards the summit, not the guarantee of arrival."

Archival Overview

Legendary French aviator known as 'The Archangel', heroic cornerstone of the Latécoère and Aéropostale airmail lines, who pioneered regular flights across the Andes mountains and completed twenty-four South Atlantic crossings.

Biographical Record

Joining Latécoère in Toulouse in 1924 alongside Antoine de Saint-Exupéry and Henri Guillaumet, Mermoz flew perilous desert routes across the Sahara, surviving crash landings and capture by Moorish nomads. In 1927, he opened airmail routes in South America.

In 1929, he established the hair-raising airmail route over the snowcapped Andes at 20,000 feet without oxygen. In May 1930, he made the first non-stop commercial mail flight across the South Atlantic from Senegal to Brazil. On December 7, 1936, piloting the Croix-du-Sud, his final radio message reported an engine cut before vanishing into the Atlantic.

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Rest in Peace Forever remembered and cherished Your legacy lives on in all of us With deep gratitude for your life and light

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Final Resting Place

Perpetual Memorial

Lost at sea in the South Atlantic (Commemorative plaque at Panthéon)
Paris, France

                         GPS: 48.8464, 2.3461                    

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