Lucien Maurice Prévost, known as Maurice Prévost, (22 September 1887 in
Reims
Reims ( ; ; also spelled Rheims in English) is the most populous city in the French Departments of France, department of Marne (department), Marne, and the List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, 12th most populous city in Fran ...
– 27 November 1952) in
Neuilly-sur-Seine
Neuilly-sur-Seine (; 'Neuilly-on-Seine'), also known simply as Neuilly, is an urban Communes of France, commune in the Hauts-de-Seine Departments of France, department just west of Paris in France. Immediately adjacent to the city, north of the ...
) was a French pioneer
aviator
An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its directional flight controls. Some other aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are also considered aviators because they a ...
, best remembered for winning the first
Schneider Trophy race in 1913, and the
Gordon Bennett Trophy in the same year.
Maurice Prévost was born in
Reims
Reims ( ; ; also spelled Rheims in English) is the most populous city in the French Departments of France, department of Marne (department), Marne, and the List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, 12th most populous city in Fran ...
at 5 rue Flodoard. He studied at the Practical School of Commerce and Industry of Reims. Joining the Betheny Deperdussin Aviation School in November 1910, Prévost rose to chief instructor. He obtained his civil pilot's license on 29 April 1911 (#475), and his military wings (#38) on 26 August 1911. He secured third place in the
French military aircraft trials in November 1911 and won the altitude competition. In December 1911 he reached 10,000 feet, breaking the world altitude record with a passenger. Prévost won the first
Schneider Trophy race at Monaco on 16 April 1913, and on 27 September 1913 he won the
Gordon Bennett Trophy.
Bulletin mensuel / Association générale aéronautique October 1913
''gallica.bnf.fr'', accessed 10 December 2022
In 1921 Prévost married Jeanne Catherine Françoise Mulaton (1881–1956) in Reims. He died in 1952 in Neuilly-sur-Seine
Neuilly-sur-Seine (; 'Neuilly-on-Seine'), also known simply as Neuilly, is an urban Communes of France, commune in the Hauts-de-Seine Departments of France, department just west of Paris in France. Immediately adjacent to the city, north of the ...
, and was buried in the "Southern Cemetery" of Reims, his grave being decorated with a bust signed Leon Chavalliaud which was presented to him in 1913 for his Gordon Bennett Cup victory.
References
External links
Maurice Prévost on The Early Birds of Aviation
{{DEFAULTSORT:Prevost, Maurice
French aviation pioneers
Officers of the Legion of Honour
Members of the Early Birds of Aviation
People from Reims
1887 births
1948 deaths
French aviation record holders