Vélizy - Villacoublay

Marcel-Georges Brindejonc des Moulinais, a pioneer of aviation, was born at Le Légué in Plérin (Côtes-d'Armor) on February 8, 1892 and died in Vadelaincourt (Meuse) on August 18, 1916.

In 1913, the eyes of the whole world were on a Morane-Saulnier plane flown by a young lad aged twenty-one: the only person on board, Marcel Brindejonc des Moulinais, was completing the first circular tour of capitals of Europe: Paris-Warsaw-Dvinsk-Saint Petersburg-Reval-Stockholm-Copenhagen-The Hague-Paris. Between June 10 and July 2, he covered a total of 4,860km (including Paris-Warsaw - 1,400km - in a single day), flying over eight European countries and opening the way for the contemporary concept of Europe, although this idea was far from the world's minds at that time.

He left Villacoublay at 3.57am on June 10 and arrived in Madrid at 5.15pm after having travelled 1,360km in 13 hours 18 minutes, at an average speed of 102.5 kph

This was a first in the history of aeronautics, just five years after Farman, in a Voisin plane,  had become the first pilot to officially complete a one-kilometre circular flight, and just one year before the First World War, which was to move aviation so much further forward.

French aviation was at that time the best in the world.

Consequently, the pioneer Brindejonc des Moulinais, holder of the Pommery Cup, one of the most difficult trophies to win, also became one of the iconic figures of the First World War. He lost his life in the air on August 18, 1916, returning from a reconnaissance mission on the Verdun front. He was 24 and had been decorated with the Légion d'Honneur and the War Cross as well as the Orders of Saint Anne of Russia, Vasa of Sweden and the Dannebrog of Denmark.

His final resting place is in Pleurtuit cemetery in his native Brittany, close to his family's property, where he went to relax between exploits.