Pierre Deley
Encyclopedia
Pierre Deley was one of the pioneering pilots
for the Aéropostale (aviation)
company.
He was born in Marseillan, Hérault
, the grand nephew and godson of another Marseillan native, Pierre Roques
, the founder of French military aviation.
He obtained his fighter pilot's licence in 1917 and finished World War I
with six aerial victories. He joined the Pierre-Georges Latécoère
's Lignes Aériennes Latécoère company (later to become Aéropostale
) in 1923, rubbing shoulders with, among others, Didier Daurat
, Jean Mermoz
, Henri Guillaumet
and Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
.
After Mermoz and Guillaumet, he was the third pilot to cross the Andes
, eventually doing so more than 150 times. When Guillaumet disappeared in the Andes, Deley was one of the pilots who searched for him before he was eventually rescued.
He created and managed the airport at Port-Étienne, then became station chief at Santiago
airport, Chile
.
He was transferred to Air France
in 1933 following the company's creation, and posted to Buenos Aires
, becoming the company's representative for Argentina
and Chile.
He died in his home town of Marseillan.
film Wings of Courage
(director: Jean-Jacques Annaud
) traced the career of Guillaumet. The part of Pierre Deley was played by Ken Pogue
.
Aviator
An aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
for the Aéropostale (aviation)
Aéropostale (aviation)
Aéropostale was a pioneering aviation company. It was founded in 1918 in Toulouse, France, as Société des lignes Latécoère, also known as Lignes Aeriennes Latécoère or simply "The Line" .- History :Aéropostale founder Pierre-Georges Latécoère envisioned an air route connecting France to the...
company.
He was born in Marseillan, Hérault
Marseillan, Hérault
Marseillan is a commune in the Hérault department in southern France.It lies some west of Montpellier.Marseillan sits on a large salt-water lake, the Étang de Thau and is the southern Entreport for the Canal du Midi....
, the grand nephew and godson of another Marseillan native, Pierre Roques
Pierre Roques
Pierre Auguste Roques was a French general and creator of the French air force.-Biography:...
, the founder of French military aviation.
He obtained his fighter pilot's licence in 1917 and finished World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
with six aerial victories. He joined the Pierre-Georges Latécoère
Pierre-Georges Latécoère
Pierre-Georges Latécoère was a pioneer of aeronautics. Born in Bagnères-de-Bigorre, he studied in the École Centrale Paris and, after the First World War, started a business in aeronautics. He directed plants that made planes and opened the first airlines that operated from France to Africa and...
's Lignes Aériennes Latécoère company (later to become Aéropostale
Aéropostale (aviation)
Aéropostale was a pioneering aviation company. It was founded in 1918 in Toulouse, France, as Société des lignes Latécoère, also known as Lignes Aeriennes Latécoère or simply "The Line" .- History :Aéropostale founder Pierre-Georges Latécoère envisioned an air route connecting France to the...
) in 1923, rubbing shoulders with, among others, Didier Daurat
Didier Daurat
Didier Daurat was a pioneer of French aviation.-Biography:Daurat was a fighter pilot during World War I, distinguishing himself by spotting the Paris Gun which was pounding Paris....
, Jean Mermoz
Jean Mermoz
Jean Mermoz was a French aviator, viewed as a hero by many in both Argentina and his native France, where many schools bear his name...
, Henri Guillaumet
Henri Guillaumet
Henri Guillaumet was a French aviator.He was a pioneer of French aviation in the Andes, the South Atlantic and the North Atlantic. He contributed to the opening up of numerous new routes and is regarded by some as the best pilot of his age...
and Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry , officially Antoine Marie Jean-Baptiste Roger, comte de Saint Exupéry , was a French writer, poet and pioneering aviator. He became a laureate of France's highest literary awards, and in 1939 was the winner of the U.S. National Book Award...
.
After Mermoz and Guillaumet, he was the third pilot to cross the Andes
Andes
The Andes is the world's longest continental mountain range. It is a continual range of highlands along the western coast of South America. This range is about long, about to wide , and of an average height of about .Along its length, the Andes is split into several ranges, which are separated...
, eventually doing so more than 150 times. When Guillaumet disappeared in the Andes, Deley was one of the pilots who searched for him before he was eventually rescued.
He created and managed the airport at Port-Étienne, then became station chief at Santiago
Santiago, Chile
Santiago , also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile, and the center of its largest conurbation . It is located in the country's central valley, at an elevation of above mean sea level...
airport, Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
.
He was transferred to Air France
Air France
Air France , stylised as AIRFRANCE, is the French flag carrier headquartered in Tremblay-en-France, , and is one of the world's largest airlines. It is a subsidiary of the Air France-KLM Group and a founding member of the SkyTeam global airline alliance...
in 1933 following the company's creation, and posted to Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
, becoming the company's representative for Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
and Chile.
He died in his home town of Marseillan.
Film
The 1995 IMAXIMAX
IMAX is a motion picture film format and a set of proprietary cinema projection standards created by the Canadian company IMAX Corporation. IMAX has the capacity to record and display images of far greater size and resolution than conventional film systems...
film Wings of Courage
Wings of Courage
Wings of Courage is a 1995 American-French drama film directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud. The 40-minute picture was written by Annaud with Alain Godard. It was the world's first dramatic picture shot in the IMAX-format...
(director: Jean-Jacques Annaud
Jean-Jacques Annaud
Jean-Jacques Annaud is a French film director, film producer and screenwriter.- Biography :Annaud was born in Juvisy-sur-Orge, Essonne...
) traced the career of Guillaumet. The part of Pierre Deley was played by Ken Pogue
Ken Pogue
Ken Pogue is a Canadian actor.He is married to the actress Diana Barrington. His first motion picture role in 1973 was in The Neptune Factor. He almost drowned in SCUBA gear. He worked at the Stratford Festival and St. Lawrence Centre in the 1960s through 1980s before moving to television and film...
.