ANTOINE DE SAINT EXUPÉRY 80 YEARS FLIGHT TO NEW YORK 1939 · 2019 Design drawings for the Latécoère 521, Latécoère Foundation Archives ANTOINE DE SAINT EXUPÉRY 80 YEARS FLIGHT TO NEW YORK 1939 · 2019 A VISIONARY JOURNEY AFTER HE CROSSED THE ATLANTIC ON BOARD A GIGANTIC FLYING BOAT, ANTOINE DE SAINT EXUPÉRY ALREADY RECOGNISED THE CORE OF A PHENONEMON WHICH WOULD ULTIMATELY LEAD TO GLOBALISATION. In July 1939, Antoine de Saint Exupéry than time itself – increasingly disappear. in New York. Staying at the Ritz-Carlton true. Ever since a pilot took him on a crossed the Atlantic Ocean on board the In doing so, he already recognised the Hotel, and later at the apartment of his test flight from the Ambérieu-en-Bugey flying boat Latécoère 521 "Lieutenant de core of a phenomenon which would friend, Colonel William Donovan, he met airfield in southeastern France at the age Vaisseau Paris". It was the first non-stop ultimately lead to globalisation in the with his American editors and worked of 12, the young Antoine knew that he crossing of the North-Atlantic with this following 80 years. Not least thanks to on “Terre des Hommes” (“Wind, Sand would one day sit in the cockpit himself. French aircraft, the largest ever built at the the achievements and spirit of discovery and Stars”). A regular guest at events While the Frenchman still had to fulfil time. With a flight time of 28 hours and 27 of aviation pioneers like Saint Exupéry, in the workshop of Bernard Lamotte, his great dream, Jones had already minutes, it was a great success, bringing the world has literally turned into a village. he was closely involved with the city’s lived his. In 1868, he had travelled from prestige to France. This milestone also intellectuals and artists. In the metropolis America to Switzerland and founded marked the introduction of the first regular With the Pilot's Watch Timezoner on the Hudson River, Saint Exupéry also the "International Watch Company" passenger service between France and Chronograph Edition "80 Years Flight created his most famous literary work, in Schaffhausen. With his innovative the United States. to New York" we pay tribute to this “Le Petit Prince” ("The Little Prince"). engineering approach, he established the defining event in the life of the French industrialised production of mechanical Even the experienced pilot Saint Exupéry pilot, author and visionary. The patented It is also in New York that the life story watches in Switzerland. was deeply impressed by the immense Timezoner function allows the wearer to of the Frenchman meets the American dimensions, the technical prowess and effortlessly switch from one time zone heritage of IWC Schaffhausen. Both men crossed the Atlantic several the luxurious comfort aboard the gigantic to another, making it a perfect fit for times during their lives. However, they flying boat. In a radio interview, he later the theme of the Atlantic crossing. But Both Antoine de Saint Exupéry and did so in different eras and in different said that humanity was moving towards there is more to this watch than that. It the American IWC founder Florentine ways. While Jones travelled to Europe a kind of simultaneity and that modern also acts as a reminder of the exciting Ariosto Jones worked with passion and on a ship, Saint Exupéry crossed the technology would make distances – more and inspiring time Saint Exupéry spent tenacity to make their dreams come Atlantic by aeroplane without a stopover. New York, 1939 Portrait of Antoine de Saint Exupéry The Lieutenant de Vaisseau Paris in Port Washington, USA, July 1939 The Latécoère 521 in Port Washington, USA, July 1939 Antoine de Saint Exupéry and Henri Guillaumet in the cockpit of the Latécoère 521 This page and bottom right: Top: Antoine de Saint Exupéry and Henri Guillaumet Antoine de Saint Exupéry and his friend leaving their seaplane on board a Henri Guillaumet, the pilot of the Latécoère 521 boat with a journalist and a crewman Antoine de Saint Exupéry and Henri Guillaumet reach the coast on a boat with a journalist and a crewman Henri Guillaumet, Antoine de Saint Exupéry and their guide disembark in the USA after successfully crossing the North Atlantic on board the Latécoère 521, July 1939 Antoine de Saint Exupéry The Rockefeller Center, New York, 13 July 1939 The Rockefeller Center, New York NBC INTERVIEW that no such calamity occurred, but the qu’il craignait le feu pour les secondes TRANSCRIPTION OF THE INTERVIEW RECORDED IN THE STUDIOS OF THENBC, curious thing about this adventure was qui suivaient. Nous avons appris ensuite that we discovered that this pilot had qu’aucun drame ne s’était produit mais ce ROCKEFELLER PLAZA OF NEW YORK. just suffered this loss of an engine and qui est curieux dans cette aventure, c’est feared a fire might break out, certainly que nous avons su que ce pilote venait before the passengers travelling on his de subir cette rupture de moteur et qu’il plane were made aware of this fact! craignait le feu certainement avant les This next disc is an interview in French This next disc is an interview in French record between New York and Tierra del avec un avion qui était embarqué à bord passagers qui étaient transportés par lui dated August 3rd 1939. dated August 3rd 1939. Fuego, a record that was unfortunately de l’Île-de-France – c’est par l’Île-de- - That's astounding! It is astounding dans son avion. This aired between 11.05 and 11.20 AM It is aired between 11.05 and 11.20 AM interrupted by an accident in Guatemala France que j’étais venu – dans le but de indeed! Well, Monsieur, I wonder if you on or out of studio 3E. on… out of studio 3E. where I spent two months in the military faire un record de vitesse entre New might let us know what you think of New - Mais c’est formidable ! C’est le cas de There is only one part to this, it is on a There is only one part to this, it is on a hospital in Guatemala City. I came York et la Terre de Feu, record qui a York? You are already very familiar with le dire, c’est formidable ! single-sided aluminium-based disc. single-sided aluminum-based disc. back to New York after this accident to été malheureusement interrompu par un the "Big Apple”, is that right? complete my treatment – and I was very accident au Guatemala où j’ai passé deux Et bien cher Monsieur, je me demande si This is the Antoine de Saint Exupéry This is the Antoine de Saint Exupéry well cared for there – then I returned to mois à l’hôpital militaire de Guatemala - Yes, but I only really know the United vous voulez m’indiquer vos impressions – Thomas interview – spelt SAINT – Thomas interview – spelt SAINT France. I returned to the United States Cité. Je suis revenu à New York après States as New York, so there is a big de New York. Vous connaissez déjà bien EXUPERY - recorded today in studio EXUPERY - recorded today in studio this January in support of the publication cet accident pour achever de me faire gap in my experience that I intend la grande métropole ? 3E, August 3rd 1939. 3E, August 3rd 1939. of this book, Wind, Sand and Stars, and soigner – j’y ai été d’ailleurs très bien to bridge by travelling a little around I also had the opportunity, a little later, soigné – puis rentré en France. Je suis America on this visit. I like New York - Oui, je ne connais d’ailleurs guère que "Ladies and gentlemen, we are delighted "Mesdames, Mesdemoiselles, Messieurs, to make a return journey on the French revenu cette année-ci au mois de janvier immensely. When I disembarked for New York de l’Amérique, ce qui est une to introduce to you now a major French nous avons le plaisir de vous présenter flying boat – the Lieutenant de Vaisseau à propos de la parution de ce livre, Wind, the first time, I was expecting to grosse lacune et que je compte corriger figure who has kindly agreed to speak to maintenant une grande personnalité Paris piloted by Captain Guillaumet – Sand and Stars, et j’ai eu la chance, find something clearly spectacular, a en allant un peu visiter les États-Unis us here, at Radio City, New York. française que nous avons eu le succès which is preparing to operate a future également, un peu plus tard, de faire magnificent feat of human engineering… cette fois-ci. New York m’a infiniment plu. d’amener devant notre micro, à Radio airmail line between the United States l’aller-retour sur l’hydravion français qui but what I really did not expect to find Quand j’ai débarqué pour la première We are pleased to introduce Monsieur Cité New York. and France. prépare l’exploitation future d’une ligne was a kind of aesthetic perfection here fois, je me suis attendu à trouver Antoine de Saint Exupéry, the great aérienne postale entre les États-Unis et and, in particular, the building to which quelque chose d’évidemment grandiose, French writer and pioneering aviator. As Il s’agit de Monsieur Antoine de St - That's right. And, Monsieur, as you la France sur le Lieutenant de Vaisseau I am referring – the Rockefeller Center une magnifique réalisation de l’énergie we all know, Monsieur Antoine de Saint Exupéry, grand aviateur français et recently made two crossings, a round- Paris avec le Capitaine Guillaumet. – is one of the places in the world that humaine… mais je ne m’attendais pas du Exupéry worked as a pilot for eight years grand écrivain français.