‘The Flying Poet’ exhibit celebrates Brazil’s ‘first’ man in flight

RIO DE JANEIRO: One of Brazil’s most famous and eccentric heroes, the aviation pioneer Santos Dumont, lifts off again with an exhibition in Rio’s new Museum of Tomorrow.

A full scale replica of Dumont’s legendary airplane called “14 Bis” sits outside the museum, which is the centerpiece of a revamping of the Rio port area ahead of the Olympic Games starting in 100 days.

“The Flying Poet” is a big exhibit, the first of its kind dedicated to a man who while weighing a mere 110 pounds (50 kg) was a giant of aviation.

Although perhaps less well known than the Wright brothers in the United States, Dumont is celebrated in Brazil as no less than the true first pilot.

On October 23, 1906, he flew the “14 Bis” some 200 feet (61 meters) outside Paris. Shortly thereafter, he flew 722 feet (220 meters).

Although this was three years after the Wright brothers’ historic flight in North Carolina, his fans argue that only his exploit met the definition of a certified, independently powered flight. — AFP