John Bevins Moisant (April 25, 1868 – December 31, 1910), known as the "King of Aviators," was an
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
aviator
An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its Aircraft flight control system, directional flight controls. Some other aircrew, aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are al ...
,
aeronautical engineer
Aerospace engineering is the primary field of engineering concerned with the development of aircraft and spacecraft. It has two major and overlapping branches: aeronautical engineering and astronautical engineering. Avionics engineering is si ...
,
flight instructor
A flight instructor is a person who teaches others to operate aircraft. Specific privileges granted to holders of a flight instructor qualification vary from country to country, but very generally, a flight instructor serves to enhance or evaluate ...
,
businessman
A businessperson, businessman, or businesswoman is an individual who has founded, owns, or holds shares in (including as an angel investor) a private-sector company. A businessperson undertakes activities (commercial or industrial) for th ...
, and
revolutionary
A revolutionary is a person who either participates in, or advocates a revolution. The term ''revolutionary'' can also be used as an adjective, to refer to something that has a major, sudden impact on society or on some aspect of human endeavor.
...
. He was the first pilot to conduct passenger flights over a city (
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
), as well as across the
English Channel
The English Channel, "The Sleeve"; nrf, la Maunche, "The Sleeve" (Cotentinais) or ( Jèrriais), (Guernésiais), "The Channel"; br, Mor Breizh, "Sea of Brittany"; cy, Môr Udd, "Lord's Sea"; kw, Mor Bretannek, "British Sea"; nl, Het Kana ...
, from Paris to
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
. He co-founded an eponymous
flying circus
Barnstorming was a form of entertainment in which stunt pilots performed tricks individually or in groups that were called flying circuses. Devised to "impress people with the skill of pilots and the sturdiness of planes," it became popular in t ...
, the
Moisant International Aviators.
[Caire, Vincent P. 2012. Louisiana Aviation: An Extraordinary History in Photographs.][Simmons, Thomas E. 2013. A Man Called Brown Condor: The Forgotten History of an African American Fighter Pilot.]
Moisant funded his aviation career with proceeds from business ventures in
El Salvador
El Salvador (; , meaning " The Saviour"), officially the Republic of El Salvador ( es, República de El Salvador), is a country in Central America. It is bordered on the northeast by Honduras, on the northwest by Guatemala, and on the south b ...
, where he had led two failed revolutions and
coup attempts against
President Figueroa in 1907 and 1909.
Only months after becoming a pilot, Moisant died after being ejected from his airplane over a field just west of
, where he was competing for the 1910
Michelin Cup The Michelin Cup refers to a number of competitions sponsored by the French tyre manufacturer Michelin for long distance flight made in aeroplanes.
The first Michelin prize was announced in March 1908. The principal prize, to be awarded annually ...
. The site of his crash is the location of
Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport
Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (French language, French: ''Aéroport international Louis Armstrong de La Nouvelle-Orléans'') is an international airport under Airspace class (United States), Class B airspace in Kenner, Loui ...
, which was originally named Moisant Field in his memory.
Early life
![Matilde Moisant (cropped)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fd/Matilde_Moisant_%28cropped%29.jpg)
He was born in
L'Erable, Illinois
L'Erable is an unincorporated community in Ashkum Township, Iroquois County, Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East se ...
to Medard Moisant (1838-1887) of
St-Cyprien-de-Léry and Josephine Fortier (1841–1901). Both parents were
French-Canadian
French Canadians (referred to as Canadiens mainly before the twentieth century; french: Canadiens français, ; feminine form: , ), or Franco-Canadians (french: Franco-Canadiens), refers to either an ethnic group who trace their ancestry to Fr ...
immigrants. His siblings include: George Moisant (1866–1927); Ann Marguerite Moisant (1877–1957);
Matilde Moisant
Matilde Josephine Moisant (September 13, 1878 – February 5, 1964) was an American pioneer aviator, the second woman in the United States to obtain a pilot's license.
Early life
Moisant was born on September 13, 1878 in Earl Park, India ...
(1878–1964) who was the second American woman to receive her pilot's license; Alfred J. Moisant (1862-1929); Louisa Josephine Moisant (1882–1957); and possibly Eunice Moisant (1890-?) who was born in Illinois. Alfred and Matilde were also aviators.
In 1880 the family was living in
Manteno, Illinois
Manteno is a village in Kankakee County, Illinois, United States. The population was 9,204 at the 2010 census, up from 6,414 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Kankakee-Bourbonnais-Bradley Metropolitan Statistical Area.
History
Origins ...
and Moisant's father was working as a farmer. In the late 1880s, after the death of Moisant's father, the family moved to
Alameda, California
Alameda ( ; ; Spanish for "Avenue (landscape), tree-lined path") is a city in Alameda County, California, located in the East Bay (San Francisco Bay Area), East Bay region of the Bay Area. The city is primarily located on Alameda (island), Alam ...
.
El Salvador
He and his brothers moved to
El Salvador
El Salvador (; , meaning " The Saviour"), officially the Republic of El Salvador ( es, República de El Salvador), is a country in Central America. It is bordered on the northeast by Honduras, on the northwest by Guatemala, and on the south b ...
in 1896 and bought
sugarcane
Sugarcane or sugar cane is a species of (often hybrid) tall, Perennial plant, perennial grass (in the genus ''Saccharum'', tribe Andropogoneae) that is used for sugar Sugar industry, production. The plants are 2–6 m (6–20 ft) tall with ...
plantation
A plantation is an agricultural estate, generally centered on a plantation house, meant for farming that specializes in cash crops, usually mainly planted with a single crop, with perhaps ancillary areas for vegetables for eating and so on. The ...
s that generated a substantial sum for the family. In 1909,
José Santos Zelaya
José Santos Zelaya López (1 November 1853 in Managua – 17 May 1919 in New York City) was the President of Nicaragua from 25 July 1893 to 21 December 1909.
Early life
He was a son of José María Zelaya Irigoyen, who was originally from ...
, president of
Nicaragua
Nicaragua (; ), officially the Republic of Nicaragua (), is the largest country in Central America, bordered by Honduras to the north, the Caribbean to the east, Costa Rica to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Managua is the cou ...
asked John to go to
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
to investigate airplanes.
Aviation career
Early aeronautical engineering
John Moisant entered the aviation field in 1909 as a hobby, after attending the
Grande Semaine d'Aviation de la Champagne
The ''Grande Semaine d'Aviation de la Champagne'' was an 8-day aviation meeting held near Reims in France in 1909, so-named because it was sponsored by the major local champagne growers. It is celebrated as the first international public flying ev ...
air show
An air show (or airshow, air fair, air tattoo) is a public event where aircraft are exhibited.
They often include aerobatics demonstrations, without they are called "static air shows" with aircraft parked on the ground.
The largest air show m ...
in
Reims
Reims ( , , ; also spelled Rheims in English) is the most populous city in the French department of Marne, and the 12th most populous city in France. The city lies northeast of Paris on the Vesle river, a tributary of the Aisne.
Founded by ...
,
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
in August 1909. He designed and built two aircraft between August 1909 and 1910, before he became an officially licensed pilot. His first was the
Moisant Biplane, alternatively known as "L'Ecrevisse", which he had built in
Issy-les-Moulineaux
Issy-les-Moulineaux () is a commune in the southwestern suburban area of Paris, France, lying on the left bank of the river Seine. Its citizens are called ''Isséens'' in French. It is one of Paris' entrances and is located from Notre-Dame Cath ...
,
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
,
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
. This experimental aircraft constructed entirely from
aluminum
Aluminium (aluminum in American and Canadian English) is a chemical element with the symbol Al and atomic number 13. Aluminium has a density lower than those of other common metals, at approximately one third that of steel. It has ...
and
steel
Steel is an alloy made up of iron with added carbon to improve its strength and fracture resistance compared to other forms of iron. Many other elements may be present or added. Stainless steels that are corrosion- and oxidation-resistant ty ...
by workers hired by Moisant from
Clément-Bayard
Clément-Bayard, Bayard-Clément, was a French manufacturer of automobiles, aeroplanes and airships founded in 1903 by entrepreneur Gustave Adolphe Clément. Clément obtained consent from the Conseil d'Etat to change his name to that of his b ...
was the first all-
metal
A metal (from Greek μέταλλον ''métallon'', "mine, quarry, metal") is a material that, when freshly prepared, polished, or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electricity and heat relatively well. Metals are typicall ...
aircraft in the world. This aircraft was completed in February 1910; the Moisant biplane's inaugural flight, and Moisant first flight, ultimately resulted in a crash after ascending only 90 feet with limited airtime.
Moisant's second project, begun in January 1910, resulted in the
Moisant Monoplane, alternatively known as "Le Corbeau", which was partially built out of the wreckage of L'Ecrevisse. The alternative design had difficulty staying upright on the ground and was never flown.
Training in France
In the spring of 1910, Moisant took four flying lessons at the Blériot School, headed by
Louis Blériot, in
Pau,
Pyrénées-Atlantiques
Pyrénées-Atlantiques (; Gascon Occitan: ''Pirenèus Atlantics''; eu, Pirinio Atlantiarrak or ) is a department in the southwest corner of France and of the region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine. Named after the Pyrenees mountain range and the Atlanti ...
, France, beginning his short but distinguished flying career. Later, Moisant was granted a pilot's license from the
Aéro-Club de France
The Aéro-Club de France () was founded as the Aéro-Club on 20 October 1898 as a society 'to encourage aerial locomotion' by Ernest Archdeacon, Léon Serpollet, Henri de la Valette, Jules Verne and his wife, André Michelin, Albert de Dion, ...
, which he transferred to the
Aero Club of America
The Aero Club of America was a social club formed in 1905 by Charles Jasper Glidden and Augustus Post, among others, to promote aviation in America. It was the parent organization of numerous state chapters, the first being the Aero Club of New E ...
to become the thirteenth registered pilot in the United States.
Significant flights and aviation records
![Bleriot XI Thulin A 1910 a](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8c/Bleriot_XI_Thulin_A_1910_a.jpg)
On August 9, 1910, Moisant flew his third flight as a pilot in his first recently purchased Blériot XI from
Étampes
Étampes () is a commune in the metropolitan area of Paris, France. It is located south-southwest from the center of Paris (as the crow flies). Étampes is a sub-prefecture of the Essonne department.
Étampes, together with the neighboring c ...
to Issy-les-Moulineaux over
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
, landing the aircraft at the starting line of the
Le Circuit de l'Est aerial time trial circuit.
Accompanying Moisant as a passenger on the flight was his mechanic, making the trip the first passenger flight over a city in the world.
At the time Moisant was still considered a novice pilot and had been previously denied entry into Le Circuit de l'Est competition by the Aéro-Club de France.
That same day, he followed this performance with an encore, flying over Paris again with
Roland Garros, who would become a future member of the Moisant International Aviators flying circus, as his passenger.
On August 17, 1910, he flew the first flight with a passenger across the
English Channel
The English Channel, "The Sleeve"; nrf, la Maunche, "The Sleeve" (Cotentinais) or ( Jèrriais), (Guernésiais), "The Channel"; br, Mor Breizh, "Sea of Brittany"; cy, Môr Udd, "Lord's Sea"; kw, Mor Bretannek, "British Sea"; nl, Het Kana ...
. His passengers on the flight were Albert Fileux, his mechanic, and his cat, Mademoiselle Fifi. This feat was accomplished on Moisant's sixth flight as a pilot.
Competitive events
![John B](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/94/John_B._Moisant_in_Flight_Over_the_Statue_of_Liberty.jpg)
At the Belmont International Aviation Tournament at
Belmont Park
Belmont Park is a major thoroughbred horse racing facility in the northeastern United States, located in Elmont, New York, just east of the New York City limits. It was opened on May 4, 1905.
It is operated by the non-profit New York Racin ...
, New York, John Moisant flew his
Blériot XI
The Blériot XI is a French aircraft of the pioneer era of aviation. The first example was used by Louis Blériot to make the first flight across the English Channel in a heavier-than-air aircraft, on 25 July 1909. This is one of the most fa ...
around a marker balloon 10 miles (16 kilometers) away, and returned to the racetrack in only 39 minutes, winning an $850 prize. After this initial competition, Moisant collided his brake-less Blériot into another aircraft while both were
taxiing
Taxiing (rarely spelled taxying) is the movement of an aircraft on the ground, under its own power, in contrast to towing or pushback where the aircraft is moved by a tug. The aircraft usually moves on wheels, but the term also includes aircra ...
, causing it to flip over, but had repairs completed in time for the next event. On October 30, 1910, at the same show, he competed in a race to fly around the
Statue of Liberty
The Statue of Liberty (''Liberty Enlightening the World''; French: ''La Liberté éclairant le monde'') is a List of colossal sculpture in situ, colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor in New York City, in the U ...
. He won the race, beating
Claude Grahame-White
Claude Grahame-White (21 August 1879 – 19 August 1959) was an English pioneer of aviation, and the first to make a night flight, during the ''Daily Mail''-sponsored 1910 London to Manchester air race.
Early life
Claude Grahame-White was born ...
, a British aviator, by 42.75 seconds. However, he was later disqualified because officials ruled that he had started late. The $10,000 prize later went to
Count
Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...
Jacques de Lesseps not Grahame-White, because the latter had fouled during the race.
On December 30, 1910, in
, he raced his Blériot XI five miles (eight kilometers) against a
Packard
Packard or Packard Motor Car Company was an American luxury automobile company located in Detroit, Michigan. The first Packard automobiles were produced in 1899, and the last Packards were built in South Bend, Indiana in 1958.
One of the "Thr ...
automobile
A car or automobile is a motor vehicle with Wheel, wheels. Most definitions of ''cars'' say that they run primarily on roads, Car seat, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport private transport#Personal transport, pe ...
, but lost.
Entrepreneurship: the Moisant International Aviators
With his brother, Alfred Moisant, he formed the Moisant International Aviators, a flying circus which went
barnstorming
Barnstorming was a form of entertainment in which stunt pilots performed tricks individually or in groups that were called flying circuses. Devised to "impress people with the skill of pilots and the sturdiness of planes," it became popular in t ...
around the United States,
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
, and
Cuba
Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...
. Initially, John Moisant was one of the pilots in the exhibitions, along with
Charles K. Hamilton
Charles Keeney Hamilton (May 30, 1885 – January 22, 1914) was an American pioneer aviator nicknamed the "crazy man of the air". He was, in the words of the U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission, "known for his dangerous dives, spectacular cras ...
,
Rene Simon, Rene Barrier, J.J. Frisbie, C. Audemars, and
Roland Garros.
Death
![Airplane crashed by John Moisant (October 23, 1910)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a3/Airplane_crashed_by_John_Moisant_%28October_23%2C_1910%29.jpg)
Moisant died on the morning of December 31, 1910 in an air crash near
Harahan, Louisiana
Harahan is a city in the U.S. state of Louisiana and suburb of New Orleans. The city of Harahan is located in Jefferson Parish; its population was 9,116 at the 2020 census.
Etymology
Harahan was named in honor of James Theodore Harahan, pres ...
. He was making a preparatory flight in his attempt to win the 1910
Michelin Cup The Michelin Cup refers to a number of competitions sponsored by the French tyre manufacturer Michelin for long distance flight made in aeroplanes.
The first Michelin prize was announced in March 1908. The principal prize, to be awarded annually ...
and its $4,000 prize for the longest sustained flight of the year.
While attempting to land at an airfield in Harahan, located about from the New Orleans city limits, Moisant was caught in a gust of wind and thrown from his
Blériot XI
The Blériot XI is a French aircraft of the pioneer era of aviation. The first example was used by Louis Blériot to make the first flight across the English Channel in a heavier-than-air aircraft, on 25 July 1909. This is one of the most fa ...
monoplane in view of a crowd of spectators.
[Bilstein, Roger E. 2001. Flight in America: From the Wrights to the Astronauts.] He fell about 25 feet to the ground and landed on his head, breaking his neck. Apparently still alive, Moisant's body was hurriedly placed aboard a nearby railroad car and driven into the city, where he was then pronounced dead.
The crash was later blamed on a "loss of equilibrium caused by an extra load of gasoline, placed aboard the plane for the endurance flight."
Fellow aviator
Arch Hoxsey
Archibald Hoxsey (October 15, 1884 – December 31, 1910) was an American aviator who worked for the Wright brothers.
Biography
Hoxsey was born in Staunton, Illinois, on October 15, 1884. He moved with his parents to Pasadena, California. ...
died the same day in a similar crash in Los Angeles.
John Moisant was buried at the
Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery
Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery is located at 10621 Victory Boulevard in North Hollywood and Burbank, California.
The cemetery has an entrance called the Portal of the Folded Wings Shrine to Aviation that is the final resting place for aviation ...
in
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
. His body was later moved to the
Portal of Folded Wings Shrine to Aviation
The Portal of the Folded Wings Shrine to Aviation is in Los Angeles, California. The shrine is a structure of marble, mosaic, and sculpted figures and is the burial site for fifteen pioneers of aviation. Designed by Kenneth A. MacDonald Jr. an ...
, also in Los Angeles.
Legacy
John Moisant was one of the first to advocate for
monoplane
A monoplane is a fixed-wing aircraft configuration with a single mainplane, in contrast to a biplane or other types of multiplanes, which have multiple planes.
A monoplane has inherently the highest efficiency and lowest drag of any wing confi ...
s with one set of
fixed wings. Additionally, he believed in the potential of the use of aircraft in
armed conflict
War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular ...
.
Moisant's touring show was among the first in aviation, and one of the first to introduce Americans to
airplane
An airplane or aeroplane (informally plane) is a fixed-wing aircraft that is propelled forward by thrust from a jet engine, propeller, or rocket engine. Airplanes come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and wing configurations. The broad spe ...
s.
Cessna
Among the people influenced by Moisant's exhibitions was aviation pioneer
Clyde Cessna
Clyde Vernon Cessna (; December 5, 1879 – November 20, 1954) was an American aircraft designer, aviator, and early aviation entrepreneur. He is best known as the principal founder of the Cessna Aircraft Corporation, which he started in 1927 i ...
, who saw the Moisant troupe's 1911 performance in
Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, a ...
. Cessna helped uncrate and assemble, then disassemble and re-crate, a
Blériot XI
The Blériot XI is a French aircraft of the pioneer era of aviation. The first example was used by Louis Blériot to make the first flight across the English Channel in a heavier-than-air aircraft, on 25 July 1909. This is one of the most fa ...
monoplane used in the show. From his memory of that activity, Cessna built his first airplane—the first airplane built and flown successfully on the
Great Plains
The Great Plains (french: Grandes Plaines), sometimes simply "the Plains", is a broad expanse of flatland in North America. It is located west of the Mississippi River and east of the Rocky Mountains, much of it covered in prairie, steppe, an ...
by a resident... and the first of hundreds of thousands of airplanes, worldwide, that would bear the "Cessna" name.
[ Phillips, Edward H., in]
"Clyde Cessna and the Birth of a Legend,"
September 23, 1996, ''Aviation History'' / HistoryNet.com, retrieved August 7, 2017[Harris, Richard,]
from the author's articles appearing in ''InFlightUSA,'' Sept.-Dec., 2002 and Mar.-Apr. 2003, retrieved August 7, 2017
Cessna would become one of the United States' first major advocates of
monoplane
A monoplane is a fixed-wing aircraft configuration with a single mainplane, in contrast to a biplane or other types of multiplanes, which have multiple planes.
A monoplane has inherently the highest efficiency and lowest drag of any wing confi ...
s, carrying forward Moisant's support of the then-controversial concept.
According to some historical accounts (reportedly later disputed by Cessna, himself), Cessna went to the
Queen Aeroplane Company in
New York, and worked in their factory for a month, learning the art of construction of Bleriot-type monoplanes. According to these accounts, when Moisant was killed, Cessna purchased a Queen/Bleriot
fuselage
The fuselage (; from the French ''fuselé'' "spindle-shaped") is an aircraft's main body section. It holds crew, passengers, or cargo. In single-engine aircraft, it will usually contain an engine as well, although in some amphibious aircraft t ...
that was being assembled at the Queen factory for Moisant—and that became the basis for Cessna's first airplane.
Moisant Field
The international
airport
An airport is an aerodrome with extended facilities, mostly for commercial air transport. Airports usually consists of a landing area, which comprises an aerially accessible open space including at least one operationally active surface ...
of
was originally named Moisant Field in his honor, though it has since been renamed
Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport
Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (French language, French: ''Aéroport international Louis Armstrong de La Nouvelle-Orléans'') is an international airport under Airspace class (United States), Class B airspace in Kenner, Loui ...
. The airport retains its "MSY" identifier, thought to be derived from "Moisant Stock Yards," and is located in suburban
Kenner
Kenner Products, known simply as Kenner, was an American toy company founded in 1946. Throughout its history, the Kenner brand produced several highly recognizable toys and merchandise lines including action figures like the original series of ' ...
, only a few miles from the field where Moisant's fatal airplane crash occurred.
References
External links
Early Aviators: John MoisantMoisant Aviation* Doug McCash
''
Times-Picayune
''The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate'' is an American newspaper published in New Orleans, Louisiana, since January 25, 1837. The current publication is the result of the 2019 acquisition of ''The Times-Picayune'' (itself a result of th ...
'', December 31, 2010.
Moisant and Madamoiselle FifiJohn and Alfred Moisant Early Aviation Archivea
The Historic New Orleans Collection
{{DEFAULTSORT:Moisant, John
1868 births
1910 deaths
Accidental deaths in Louisiana
Aviators from Illinois
Aviators killed in aviation accidents or incidents in the United States
Burials at Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery
People from Kankakee, Illinois
American people of French-Canadian descent
American emigrants to El Salvador
Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in 1910
American aviation record holders
Members of the Early Birds of Aviation