For France and Civilization

The original hangars of the Escadrille's training site at Pau were designed by Gustave Eiffel. This picture was shot in 2006, before the hangars were torn down. They probably were the home to trainers known as “penguins,” Bleriot monoplanes whose wings were clipped so short that they could not fly. The trainees used them to learn how to handle an airplane on the ground. They progressed to Bleriots with full-size wings for their solo flights.