Ivan Sarić (27 June 1876 – 23 August 1966) was a Yugoslavian sportsman and aviator. He founded the athletic club

ŽAK Subotica ŽAK Subotica (Serbian Cyrillic: ЖAK Cубoтицa) was a football club based in Subotica, Kingdom of Yugoslavia. The club was formed in 1921 and the name comes from the initials of ''Železničarski atletski klub'' derived from the fact that th ...

in his hometown of

Subotica Subotica ( sr-cyrl, Суботица, ; hu, Szabadka) is a List of cities in Serbia, city and the administrative center of the North Bačka District in the autonomous province of Vojvodina, Serbia. Formerly the largest city of Vojvodina region, ...

. He was also one of the most important pioneers of aviation in Eastern Europe. As a

cyclist Cycling, also, when on a two-wheeled bicycle, called bicycling or biking, is the use of cycles for transport, recreation, exercise or sport. People engaged in cycling are referred to as "cyclists", "bicyclists", or "bikers". Apart from two ...

, he competed in and won many races throughout Europe. He lived and worked as a bookkeeper in his hometown.

Life

Ivan Sarić was born in

, then in

Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...

, (today in

Serbia Serbia (, ; Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe, Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Bas ...

) in a family of

Bunjevci Bunjevci ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Bunjevci, Буњевци, ; sh-Latn-Cyrl, label=, separator=" / ", Bunjevac, Буњевац, sh-Latn-Cyrl, label=, separator=" / ", Bunjevka, Буњевка) are a South Slavic sub-ethnic group living ...

. While finishing Trade Academy in his native town, Sarić took to sports early – he was an athlete, wrestler and one of the founders of the local football club. He began cycling in 1891 and soon became one of the best cyclists in the

Kingdom of Hungary The Kingdom of Hungary was a monarchy in Central Europe that existed for nearly a millennium, from the Middle Ages into the 20th century. The Principality of Hungary emerged as a Christian kingdom upon the coronation of the first king Stephen ...

, taking second place in the 1896 international race in

Pécs Pécs ( , ; hr, Pečuh; german: Fünfkirchen, ; also known by other #Name, alternative names) is List of cities and towns of Hungary#Largest cities in Hungary, the fifth largest city in Hungary, on the slopes of the Mecsek mountains in the countr ...

. He became the champion of the Kingdom of Hungary on a 10-kilometer track in 1897 and then again a year later. In 1899 he won the 25-kilometer race that took place in Vienna and a 100-km race in Budapest. In 1910 he became the champion of Serbia in one-kilometer and 25-km races. Sarić was also a football enthusiast. He was among the founders of the oldest club in Yugoslavia,

FK Bačka 1901 FK Bačka 1901 () is a football club from Subotica in Bačka, Serbia. It is the longest running club in Serbia and also the oldest within the former Yugoslavia. Founded in 1901 in Subotica, the club's colors are red and white, while the club's ...

, and was its player as well.Bačka 1901–1991, page 29 While visiting Paris in 1909, Sarić met some of the French flight pioneers, including Louis Blériot, and saw the first planes and instantly became fascinated with the prospect of flying. Upon his return to Subotica, he immediately starting building his own aircraft. His first construction was made entirely from materials he had close at hand: wood, linens, motorcycle wheels and even piano strings. In early 1910, he completed his one-winged ''Sarić 1'' aircraft by incorporating the 24-horsepower Delphos engine. During the summer he experimented and practiced with his new machine, and then on 16 October 1910, in front of 7,000 of his fellow citizens, Sarić took to air successfully. In 1911 he built ''Sarić 2'', an improved airplane with a more powerful motor of his own construction (50-horsepower). His further excursions into flying were stopped by the First World War but Sarić continued the work on the ground experimenting with a flying machine that could take off vertically—a sort of early helicopter with a motor of a double star shape. In tests, this machine showed very good results. Until the end of his life, he continued with his inventions and constructions and remained a sports promoter. He died in his home town of Subotica. Aero-club in Subotica is named after Sarić, as well as the Airport Subotica, near Subotica. A reconstruction of his aircraft ''Sarić 1'' is displayed in the

Museum of Aviation in Belgrade The Aeronautical Museum Belgrade, formerly known as the Yugoslav Aeronautical Museum, is a museum located in Surčin, Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. Founded in 1957, the museum is located adjacent to Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport. The current f ...

Gallery

File:Sarić1.jpg, Monument to Ivan Sarić in

File:Saric1AirplaneMuseumYUAF.jpg, A reconstruction of his aircraft ''Sarić 1'' in the

References

External links

Otvoreni maketarski forum
(lot of pics)

{{DEFAULTSORT:Saric, Ivan Aviation pioneers 1876 births 1966 deaths Sportspeople from Subotica Bunjevci Croats of Serbia Croats of Vojvodina FK Bačka 1901 players Association footballers not categorized by position Yugoslav footballers