Juan Bielovucic
| Juan Bielovucic | |
|---|---|
Juan Bielovucic, c. 1913
|
|
| Nickname(s) | Bielo |
| Born |
30 July 1889 Lima, Peru |
| Died | 14 January 1949 (aged 59) Paris, France |
| Allegiance | |
| Service/branch | |
| Rank | Colonel (Peruvian Aviation Corps) |
| Unit |
Escadrille les Cigognes (Service Aéronautique) |
| Commands held | lieutenant commander of the Peruvian Aviation Corps Reserve |
| Battles/wars | World War I |
| Awards |
|
| Other work | Held several aviation records Peruvian air attaché in France |
Juan Bielovucic (30 July 1889 – 14 January 1949) was a Peruvian aviator of Croatian and French descent who set several speed and altitude aviation records in 1910–13. He was also the first person to complete a successful powered aircraft crossing of the Alps in 1913, following a 1910 attempt by Jorge Chávez that ended in a fatal crash landing. He established the first aviation school in South America in Lima, Peru. Bielovucic became a colonel of the Peruvian Aviation Corps (PAC) in 1911, joined the Service Aéronautique of the French Army as a volunteer in 1914 and earned the Legion of Honour for his service in World War I. He retired from active aviation in 1920 and returned to Peru where he became the lieutenant commander of the PAC Reserve. He was also active with the French Resistance during World War II. In Croatia, he is regarded as the first Croatian aviator.
Juan Bielovucic was born on 30 July 1889 in Lima, Peru to Croat father Miho Bjelovučić (Juan Miguel Bielovucic) and French mother Adriana Cavalié. The couple had moved to Peru after Bielovucic's father, originally from Mokošica in Rijeka Dubrovačka area, retired from his position as a merchant navy captain. When Bielovucic was eight, his father fell ill and moved to Dubrovnik where he died shortly afterwards. After his death, Bielovucic and his mother moved to live with her relatives in France. Bielovucic attended school and university in Paris where he graduated with degrees in philosophy and literature. He was nicknamed "Bielo".
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