Destination » Destinacija | 113 Grof i njegov kraljevski gost u trenutku kad se njihov aeroplan diže u vazduh The Count and his royal guest at the moment their plane rises into the air NASLEĐE / HER I TAGE 1910. Aleksandar Karađorđević, prvi Srbin koji je leteo Dugo se nagađalo ko je bio prvi Srbin koji je leteo avionom. Pretpostavljalo se da je to bio neki od oficira koji su nad Banjičkimpoljemdecembra 1910. kod Beograda leteli samladim ruskim pilotomMaslenikovim. Relativno skoro potvrđeno je ipak da se prvi Srbin vinuo u vazduh u avionu nešto ranije te godine, sredinomaprila, i da je to bio niko drugi do srpski princ i prestolonaslednik Aleksandar Karađorđević, tad budući kralj Jugoslavije. Princ je tokomboravka u Francuskoj prihvatio ponudu jednog od najpoznatijih avijatičara toga vremena grofa De Lambera (obavio je senzacionalni let preko Ajfelovog tornja) da poleti avionom flajer br. 1 koji je bio jedan od aviona koji su konstruisala i njime pilotirala braća Rajt. Mada je krug koji su napravili oko letilišta iznosio samo nekoliko kilometara, bilo je to dovoljno da princ impresionira svetsku javnost. Tadašnja štampa, između ostalog, piše: „Princ Srbije Aleksandar, koji trenutno boravi u Parizu, može se podičiti da je prvi budući vladar koji je preduzeo let aeroplanom. U vazdušne brodove (cepelin) već je ušlo dosta moćnika, ali nestabilnom i nesigurnom aeroplanu još nijedan član neke kraljevske familije nije poverio život“. Itwas long speculatedwho the first Serb to fly aplanewas. Itwas assumed that thiswouldhavebeenoneof theofficerswho flewover theBanjica Fieldnear Belgrade inDecember 1910, witha youngRussianpilot called Maslenikov. Itwas confirmed relatively recently, however, that the first Serb to soar through theair aboardaplane, earlier that same year, inmid-April, was noneother thanSerbianCrown-PrinceAleksandar Karađorđević, the future kingof Yugoslavia. Duringa visit to France, theprinceacceptedanoffer fromoneof themost famous aviators of the time, Count de Lambert (who conducteda sensational flight over theEiffel Tower) to fly in the “Flyer No. 1” plane, whichwas oneof theplanes constructedandpilotedby theWright brothers. Although thecircuit theymadearound theairfieldcoveredonly a fewkilometres, itwas enough for theprince to impress theworldpublic. The thenEuropeanpress reported, amongother things, that: “Serbian PrinceAlexander, who is currently residing inParis, canboast of being the first future ruler to takea flight inanaeroplane. Airships (Zeppelins) have alreadybeenboardedby a lot of powerful people, but no singlemember of anyother royal family has entrusted their life to theseunstableanduncertain aeroplanes”. AIR SERBIA ALEKSANDARKARAĐORĐEVIĆ, THE FIRSTSERBTOFLY
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