Aviation pioneer: Eduard Rusjan and his first motor flight

Aviation pioneer: Eduard Rusjan and his first motor flight

Gorizia, Italien - Edvard Rusjan, an important pioneer of motor flying, will be recognized in his homeland Slovenian city of Nova Gorica on June 1, 2025. Rusjan, then a young man who lived in the time of the Austrian-Hungarian monarchy, set a milestone in aviation history with his impressive success on November 29, 1909. On this day he managed the first motor flight with a double -decker he built, which secured his place in the history of aviation. According to Krone he is called in connection with other known pioneers such as Ignaz "IGO" Etrich, Alfred von Pischof and Adolf Warchalowski, who have also contributed decisively to the development of aviation in Austria.

Edvard Rusjan was born in Trieste, which was an important port of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire at the time. His roots are in the Gorizia region, where his father Franc Rusjan Slovene and his mother Grazia Cabas was Friulan. Rusjan spent his childhood and youth in Gorizia, in the suburb of Rafut, and initially became a professional cyclist. Together with his brother Josip, he designed his own bike models. These versatile skills contributed to the fact that he later worked in aviation, as wikipedia

pioneering spirit and technical developments

Rusjan's first flight took place on November 25, 1909 near Gorizia. He flew for the first time with the self -designed double -decker EDA I and covered an impressive distance of 60 meters, reaching a height of 2 meters. Just four days later, on November 29, another success followed when Eda I flew a distance of 600 meters at a height of 12 meters. These were the beginnings of his impressive career in engine flying, which led him from his hangar near Miren to international flight demonstrations.

Aviation itself has a long history that extends to the early human efforts to conquer the air. The first flight attempts can be traced back to ancient times, with diverse mythological and historical covers exist. The significant progress in aviation over the centuries finally leads to developments such as those of Rusjan, which played an important role in the first decade of the 20th century. This is also documented in the History of Aviation

recognition and legacy

Due to financial difficulties in the construction of EDA VII, Rusjan moved to Zagreb in 1910, where he worked with the first Croatian pilot Dragutin Novak. Tragically, however, his promising career ended abruptly when he died on January 9, 1911 on a flight day in Belgrade after a crash. His aircraft had gotten into difficulty due to strong winds. The grief for his death was great, and his funeral was visited by impressive 14,000 people, whereby its meaning as a pioneer was all the more recognized.

Edvard Rusjan left a lasting impression. His achievements are in the context of a story that is shaped by courageous experiments, technical achievements and the steady endeavor to expand the limits of human advancement. The development of aviation and the honor of personalities such as Rusjan make it clear how important progress in this field was and is.