JOURFIXE

22 августа 1909 В Реймсе началось первое в мире авиашоу. Для участия в состязаниях были заявлены 38 аэропланов, но взлететь смогли только 23 машины. Митинг привлёк авиаторов и авиаконструкторов со всей Европы и пробудил большой интерес к авиации у широкой общественности. Полёты в Реймсе совершали аэропланы следующих типов: «Антуанетт», «Блерио XI», «Блерио XII», «Блерио XIII», «Бреге», «Кертисс», «Анри Фарман», REP, «Вуазен» и «Райт».

http://www.centennialofflight.gov/essay ... ms/EX2.htm
From August 22 to August 29, 1909, 22 of the world's leading aviators met at a racetrack on the Betheny Plain outside Reims, France, to compete in the first organized international air meet. Officially known as Le Grande Semaine D'Aviation de la Champagne (The Champagne Region's Great Aviation Week), the Reims Air Meet featured many prestigious contests, including those for the best flights of distance, altitude, and speed. Lucrative cash prizes and impressive trophies enticed the competitors to set new records in nearly every category. As the first competition of its kind, the meet attracted the attention of numerous political and military leaders as well as the public at large. Spectators who watched the various contests throughout the week experienced a wide range of emotions from sheer exuberance when their heroes won, to utter horror when their favorites crashed. In short, the Reims Air Show almost exclusively established aerial competitions as a leading form of entertainment in the early 20th century.