Educational Media Reviews Online

The Wright Brothers’ flight at Kitty Hawk was monumental, but they were not the only aviators of note. The French were very active in the race for flight. A Daring Flight concerns the aeronautical exploits of one Louis Blériot. Or rather, it concerns two Louis Blériots - the original and his grandson. The first Louis Blériot is known today for being the first person to fly across the English Channel, but he was also responsible for designing the control system that came to be used in modern planes.

The documentary traces his progress through the series of prototypes he designed and test runs to his triumphant historic flight. Blériot made his fortune with the invention of a headlight that allowed early motorists to drive at night. With money behind him, he pursued aviation, his true passion. Unlike the Wright Brothers and other contemporaries who worked toward their goal with more scientific precision, Blériot was known for his haphazard approach. If one model failed, his next prototype was often radically different. He went through so many prototypes and so many crashes, that he earned the nickname “The Prince of Bad Luck.”

Even after the Wright Brothers successfully flew their plane for the first time, Blériot and others went on, continually improving and innovating. In particular, Blériot came up with a better way to control an aircraft. When Blériot’s finances were depleted, the prize money offered by an English newspaper for the first plane to cross the English Channel looked particularly attractive. He had competition - a dashing Englishman. Blériot’s win meant more than publicity and some welcome ready cash; one English newspaper put it best, “England is no longer an island.”

A Daring Flight uses early films, diagrams, simulations, and interviews in an engaging way to tell Blériot’s story as well as that of early twentieth century aviation history. Interwoven into the documentary is the story of Blériot’s grandson, who is attempting to recreate his grandfather’s historic journey. David Ogden Stiers narrates. The DVD comes with an activity guide in PDF format. PBS has a companion web site with excellent supplementary material including a transcript. A Daring Flight is highly recommended and would be a useful addition to collections supporting history.