George Valentin Bibescu
| George Valentin Bibescu | |
|---|---|
Bibescu on a 2004 Romanian stamp
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| Born |
George III Valentin, Prince Bibescu 22 March 1880 Bucharest, Romania |
| Died | 2 July 1941 (aged 61) Bucharest, Romania |
| Nationality | Romanian |
| Occupation | Aviation pioneer and automobile enthusiast |
| Spouse(s) | Marthe Bibesco (1902–1941; his death) |
| Children | Valentina |
George III Valentin, Prince Bibescu (Romanian pronunciation: [ˈd͡ʒe̯ord͡ʒe valenˈtin biˈbesku]; 22 March 1880, Bucharest – 2 July 1941, Bucharest) was a Romanian early aviation pioneer and automobile enthusiast.
His parents were George Bibescu (son of Gheorghe Bibescu) and Valentine de Riquet de Caraman, In 1902, he married Marthe Lucie Lahovary, who took the name Marthe Bibesco. They had one daughter, Valentina, born 27 August 1903. In 1912, he gave his wife as a present the Mogoşoaia Palace.
Bibescu had an early interest in aviation; he flew a balloon named "Romania" brought from France 1905. Later he tried to teach himself how to fly a Voisin airplane, also brought from France, but without success. After Louis Blériot's demonstration flights in Bucharest on 18 October 1909 (organized at the invitation of Romanian Automobile Club, of which he was president ), Bibescu went to France and enrolled in Blériot's school in Pau. On 6 January 1910 he was awarded Aéro-Club de France pilot's license number 20. After returning from France, Bibescu organized the Cotroceni Piloting School in Bucharest where Mircea Zorileanu and Nicolae Capşa were licensed. On 5 May 1912, he founded the Romanian National Aeronautic League.
He was instrumental in founding the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI). Between 1927 and 1930, he was vice-president, and between 1930 and 1941 president of the FAI.
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