Oskar Bider (12 July 1891 in
Langenbruck
Langenbruck is a municipality in the district of Waldenburg in the canton of Basel-Landschaft in Switzerland.
History
Langenbruck is first mentioned in 1145 as ''Langebruccho''.
Geography
Langenbruck has an area, , of . Of this area, or 51 ...
– 7 July 1919 in
Dübendorf
Dübendorf is a municipality in the district of Uster in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland.
It is a suburb of Zürich in Switzerland with a population of about 30,000 (2021). It is the fourth largest city in the canton, after Zürich, Winter ...
) was a
Swiss
Swiss may refer to:
* the adjectival form of Switzerland
*Swiss people
Places
* Swiss, Missouri
*Swiss, North Carolina
* Swiss, West Virginia
*Swiss, Wisconsin
Other uses
* Swiss-system tournament, in various games and sports
* Swiss Internation ...
aviation
Aviation includes the activities surrounding mechanical flight and the aircraft industry. ''Aircraft'' includes airplane, fixed-wing and helicopter, rotary-wing types, morphable wings, wing-less lifting bodies, as well as aerostat, lighter- ...
pioneer.
Early life
Oskar Bider grew up in
Langenbruck
Langenbruck is a municipality in the district of Waldenburg in the canton of Basel-Landschaft in Switzerland.
History
Langenbruck is first mentioned in 1145 as ''Langebruccho''.
Geography
Langenbruck has an area, , of . Of this area, or 51 ...
(canton of Basel-Land) and graduated from the primary school to the district school in Waldenburg. He had no interest in his father's business as a draper and preferred to become a farmer; he attended the Agricultural School in Langenthal and then worked on several farms. Having completed the primary military service (''Rekrutenschule'') in Switzerland in June 1911, he decided to emigrate to Argentina and worked in 1911/12 as a
gaucho
A gaucho () or gaúcho () is a skilled horseman, reputed to be brave and unruly. The figure of the gaucho is a folk symbol of Argentina, Uruguay, Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil, and the south of Chilean Patagonia. Gauchos became greatly admired and ...
on the farm of a Swiss citizen living in
Romang, Santa Fe
Romang is a municipality located in San Javier, Santa Fe Province, Argentina. The town is located north of the provincial capital Santa Fe on Provincial Route 1.
Economy
Romang's economy centers around agriculture, livestock, and industry. Tw ...
.
Aviation pioneer
Driven by ambition and nostalgia, Oskar returned to Europe in 1912. On 8 November that year, he joined Blériot's aviation school in
Pau, situated in the northern
Pyrenees
The Pyrenees (; es, Pirineos ; french: Pyrénées ; ca, Pirineu ; eu, Pirinioak ; oc, Pirenèus ; an, Pirineus) is a mountain range straddling the border of France and Spain. It extends nearly from its union with the Cantabrian Mountains to ...
. After one month of training, he earned an international pilot's licence on 8 December 1912 with Swiss pilot's licence number 32. He later bought 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, and on 24 January 1913 pioneered in crossing the Pyrenees from Pau to
Madrid
Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...
. In March 1913 he returned to Switzerland by train, welcomed at the border in Basel as a much-admired 'aviation hero'. On 9 March he flew the first airmail flight in Switzerland from
Basel
, french: link=no, Bâlois(e), it, Basilese
, neighboring_municipalities= Allschwil (BL), Hégenheim (FR-68), Binningen (BL), Birsfelden (BL), Bottmingen (BL), Huningue (FR-68), Münchenstein (BL), Muttenz (BL), Reinach (BL), Riehen (B ...
to
Liestal
Liestal (, Standard ), formerly spelled Liesthal, is the capital of Liestal District and the canton of Basel-Landschaft in Switzerland, south of Basel.
Liestal is an industrial town with a cobbled-street Old Town.
The official language of L ...
. Later that year on 13 May he crossed the Alps from Bern to
Sion, Switzerland
, neighboring_municipalities= Ayent, Conthey, Grimisuat, Grône, Les Agettes, Nax, Nendaz, Saint-Léonard, Salins, Savièse, Vernamiège, Vex
, twintowns =
Sion (; german: Sitten ; it, Seduno; la, Sedunum) is a Swiss town, a mun ...
for the first time.
Emile Taddéoli
Emil or Emile may refer to:
Literature
*'' Emile, or On Education'' (1762), a treatise on education by Jean-Jacques Rousseau
* ''Émile'' (novel) (1827), an autobiographical novel based on Émile de Girardin's early life
*'' Emil and the Detecti ...
lost a wheel while taking off to fly from Bern to Biel/Bienne on 3 June 1913. Bider witnessed the incident and took off with the wheel to catch up with Taddéoli and warn him of the danger. Taddéoli acknowledged and landed without a problem in Biel/Bienne.
First Alpine flight
Bider's big goal was crossing the
Alps
The Alps () ; german: Alpen ; it, Alpi ; rm, Alps ; sl, Alpe . are the highest and most extensive mountain range system that lies entirely in Europe, stretching approximately across seven Alpine countries (from west to east): France, Sw ...
from
Bern
german: Berner(in)french: Bernois(e) it, bernese
, neighboring_municipalities = Bremgarten bei Bern, Frauenkappelen, Ittigen, Kirchlindach, Köniz, Mühleberg, Muri bei Bern, Neuenegg, Ostermundigen, Wohlen bei Bern, Zollikofen
, website ...
to
Milan
Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...
which had been attempted three years earlier by fellow aviation pioneer
Jorge Chávez
Jorge Antonio Chávez Dartnell (January 13, 1887 – September 27, 1910), also known as Géo Chávez, was a Peruvian aviator. At a young age, he achieved fame for his aeronautical feats. He died in 1910 after a heavy wind broke the wings of ...
(
Pennine Alps
The Pennine Alps (german: Walliser Alpen, french: Alpes valaisannes, it, Alpi Pennine, la, Alpes Poeninae), also known as the Valais Alps, are a mountain range in the western part of the Alps. They are located in Switzerland (Valais) and Italy ( ...
only from
Ried-Brig
Ried-Brig is a municipality in the district of Brig in the canton of Valais in Switzerland.
History
Ried-Brig is first mentioned in 1232 as ''Riet''. In 1428 it was mentioned as ''ried de briga''. Until 1993 it was officially known as ''Ried be ...
to
Domodossola
Domodossola (; Lombard: Dòm) is a city and ''comune'' in the Province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola, in the region of Piedmont, northern Italy. It was also known as Oscela, Oscella, Oscella dei Leponzi, Ossolo, Ossola Lepontiorum, and Domo d'Ossola ...
). He prepared for this ambitious flight carefully and left nothing to chance. His first attempt did not happen as planned because a prior test flight showed that his airplane, with a 70-hp engine and full fuel tanks could not reach the required altitude in the
thin mountain air. He decided to stop halfway in
Domodossola
Domodossola (; Lombard: Dòm) is a city and ''comune'' in the Province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola, in the region of Piedmont, northern Italy. It was also known as Oscela, Oscella, Oscella dei Leponzi, Ossolo, Ossola Lepontiorum, and Domo d'Ossola ...
to refuel and finish the flight. On 13 July 1913 (the day after his 22nd birthday) he took off at 4 a.m. in Bern for Italy. The
Jungfraujoch
The Jungfraujoch (German: lit. "maiden saddle") is a saddle connecting two major 4000ers of the Bernese Alps: the Jungfrau and the Mönch. It lies at an elevation of above sea level and is directly overlooked by the rocky prominence of the Sphinx ...
was the greatest obstacle for this flight and for over half an hour Bider struggled desperately before he finally reached the required altitude of resulting in a new Swiss record.
At 6:10 a.m. he passed the top of Jungfraujoch with about of clearance. He stopped in Domodossola, located south of the Alps, for fuel as planned and then finished his journey in Milan. He waited 13 days in Milan for good weather conditions and then flew back this time crossing
Lukmanier Pass and
Chrüzli Pass. He landed in
Liestal
Liestal (, Standard ), formerly spelled Liesthal, is the capital of Liestal District and the canton of Basel-Landschaft in Switzerland, south of Basel.
Liestal is an industrial town with a cobbled-street Old Town.
The official language of L ...
to refuel and continued on to Basel and then came back to Bern. Bider thus became the first aviator to cross the Alps entirely and the Alps in both directions (north to south and south to north).
Other records
Continuing his pioneering streak, on 1 August 1913 Bider completed the first night flight in Switzerland. On Christmas Day 1913, Bider set a new record flying from
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 ...
to Bern in 4 hours and 20 minutes non-stop.
On 21 June 1919 Bider accomplished another great aviation performance in benefit of the civil aviation: he started with two passengers in St. Jakob, Basel, for a flight around Switzerland, landing successfully after seven and a half hours at the starting point.
Commercial services
Oskar Bider and Fritz Rihner started the ''Schweizerische Gesellschaft für Lufttourismus'' (Swiss Society for air tourism) in July 1919. Tour flights—using flying boats—were planned from sites at
Zürichhorn Zürichhorn is a river delta on Zürichsee's eastern shore in the lower basin of the lake. The area is part of the parks and quays in the Seefeld quarter of the city of Zürich in Switzerland. The gardens are one of the most popular recreational a ...
,
Geneva
Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaki ...
,
Interlaken
, neighboring_municipalities= Bönigen, Därligen, Matten bei Interlaken, Ringgenberg, Unterseen
, twintowns = Scottsdale (USA), Ōtsu (Japan), Třeboň (Czech Republic)
Interlaken (; lit.: ''between lakes'') is a Swiss town and mun ...
/
Thun
, neighboring_municipalities= Amsoldingen, Heiligenschwendi, Heimberg, Hilterfingen, Homberg, Schwendibach, Spiez, Steffisburg, Thierachern, Uetendorf, Zwieselberg
, twintown =
, website = www.thun.ch
Thun (french: Thoune) ...
,
Locarno
, neighboring_municipalities= Ascona, Avegno, Cadenazzo, Cugnasco, Gerra (Verzasca), Gambarogno, Gordola, Lavertezzo, Losone, Minusio, Muralto, Orselina, Tegna, Tenero-Contra
, twintowns =* Gagra, Georgia
* Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic
...
,
Lugano
Lugano (, , ; lmo, label=Ticinese dialect, Ticinese, Lugan ) is a city and municipality in Switzerland, part of the Lugano District in the canton of Ticino. It is the largest city of both Ticino and the Italian-speaking southern Switzerland. Luga ...
,
Lucerne
Lucerne ( , ; High Alemannic German, High Alemannic: ''Lozärn'') or Luzern ()Other languages: gsw, Lozärn, label=Lucerne German; it, Lucerna ; rm, Lucerna . is a city in central Switzerland, in the Languages of Switzerland, German-speaking po ...
,
Lausanne-Ouchy,
Romanshorn
Romanshorn is a municipality in the district of Arbon in the canton of Thurgau in Switzerland.
History
Romanshorn was probably settled in the 7th century, and is first mentioned in 779 as ''Rumanishorn'' in a land grant from Waldrata to the Abbe ...
and
St. Moritz. Unfortunately, Oskar would be killed in a plane crash before the ambitious project was realized.
Death
In the early morning of 7 July 1919, Bider left the officers' mess at Dübendorf airfield. He had spent the previous few days celebrating the completion of his service in the Swiss Air Force, which had ended on 2 July. But before starting the commercial tourist flights, he wanted to put on an aerobatic display for his former military colleagues. So after a sleepless night at 6.30am he took off in a
Nieuport 21
The Nieuport 21 (or Nieuport XXI C.1 in contemporary sources) was a French single-seat, single-engine fighter aircraft used during World War I. The aircraft was used by the French, Russian, British and American air forces. After the war, the Nie ...
fighter for the demonstration. However, during a manoeuvre his plane entered an unrecoverable stall causing it to crash into the ground killing Bider instantly.
When news of his death reached his devoted 25-year-old sister, Julie Helene "Leny" Bider (she had moved to
Zurich in 1915 to live near her famous brother), she shot herself that afternoon in her room at the Hotel Bellevue au Lac, in Zürich.
Oskar and Leny Bider were buried together in their hometown of Langenbruck on 10 July 1919.
Mystery still surrounds the death of Bider because the exact circumstances of his crash were never publicized for decades. A crash investigation found that the plane's engine and control cables were all in working order at the time. As mechanical issues were not the cause, the official report theorized that the swiftness of one of Bider's manoeuvres probably resulted in his loss of consciousness. However, this conclusion has been questioned because it was not published until decades after Bider's death and to the leadership of the Swiss Army "a military pilot and aviator does not take his life!" (''Ein Militärpilot und Fliegeridol nimmt sich sicher nicht das Leben!'').
Honors
In Bern, a monument designed by
Hermann Haller remembers Bider's aeronautical services.
Several streets were named after him: "Oskar Bider-Strasse" in
Langenbruck
Langenbruck is a municipality in the district of Waldenburg in the canton of Basel-Landschaft in Switzerland.
History
Langenbruck is first mentioned in 1145 as ''Langebruccho''.
Geography
Langenbruck has an area, , of . Of this area, or 51 ...
,
Dübendorf
Dübendorf is a municipality in the district of Uster in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland.
It is a suburb of Zürich in Switzerland with a population of about 30,000 (2021). It is the fourth largest city in the canton, after Zürich, Winter ...
,
Liestal
Liestal (, Standard ), formerly spelled Liesthal, is the capital of Liestal District and the canton of Basel-Landschaft in Switzerland, south of Basel.
Liestal is an industrial town with a cobbled-street Old Town.
The official language of L ...
and
Zürich
Zürich () is the list of cities in Switzerland, largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zürich. It is located in north-central Switzerland, at the northwestern tip of Lake Zürich. As of January 2020, the municipality has 43 ...
and "rue Oscar Bider" in
Sion
Sion may refer to
* an alternative transliteration of Zion
People
* Sion (name) or Siôn, a Welsh and other given name and surname, including a list of people and fictional characters with the name
* Shion or Sion, a Japanese given name
Pl ...
and
Geneva
Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaki ...
.
Among other Swiss air pioneers, he is commemorated with a Swiss postage stamp issued in 1977.
The ''Bider-Hangar'', called after Oskar, one of the
hangar
A hangar is a building or structure designed to hold aircraft or spacecraft. Hangars are built of metal, wood, or concrete. The word ''hangar'' comes from Middle French ''hanghart'' ("enclosure near a house"), of Germanic origin, from Frankish ...
s at
Bern Airport
The Regional Aerodrome Bern-Belp , marketed as ''Bern Airport'',, french: Aéroport de Berne, it, Aeroporto di Berna, rm, Eroport da Berna officially referred to as in German, is a regional aerodrome serving Bern, the de facto capital of Switz ...
, is listed as a heritage site in the November 2008 review draft of the
.
References
External links
*
Oskar Bider on the official website of the canton of Basel-Land
Oskar Bider: flights 1913, death 1919, family
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bider, Oskar
1891 births
1919 deaths
People from Basel-Landschaft
Swiss aviators
Aviation pioneers
Members of the Early Birds of Aviation
People from Dübendorf
Swiss aviation record holders
Swiss Air Force personnel