A hundred years of military aviation mean a century of stories, passion and discovery. To pay tribute to one of the greatest pilots of the past century, AIR14 Payerne was proud to display the "Mikael Carlson Blériot XI" in flight. On September, 6, its pilot Mikael Carlson brought the greatest moments of early Swiss military aviation back to life in front of 110,000 spectators. Used for civilian purposes, but also and above all for military ends, the plane was the first to perform a loop, fly across the Alps and was one of the first to drop a parachutist. The aircraft can be credited for the advent of aerobatics and it was on board this plane that Blériot achieved his feat at the beginning of the last century. In the summer of 1909, competition was in full swing to meet the challenge set by British newspaper the Daily Mail. On 25 July 1909, Blériot took off and he reached England in 37 minutes, his Zenith watch on his wrist.
Zenith having been one of the first brands to build flying instruments, particularly altimeters and on-board watches, at the start of the 20th century.
