The Myths of Romanian Aviation

[Alexandru H.]

I was reading the last number of "History today" and came across a very interesting article "The Myth of the Aviator and the Flight to Fascism". Its author, Colin Cook, offers an intriguing view upon the art of aviation, seen at its beginnings as a noble form of warfare (a clash between two knights of the sky) but also as an art reserved only for the new Man, the Fascist. The proofs are there for Germany, Italy and, in a lesser extent, France and Great Britain. I was wondering if Romania has developed since Vuia such an "ideology" concerning its aviators. We can see that Bazu Cantacuzino, for example, is clearly the Romanian counterpart of Red Baron (daring, skilled, romantic), but I don't know if such an image was projected upon the other aviators, as a whole.

[Dénes]

Sorry, Alexandru, but I didn't fully grasp your actual question.
I checked the Oxford Dictionary (to be sure) and - as it's usual with the English language - there are several different meanings for the word.
I usually use 'myth' - even when referring to the Rumanian aviation - according to the 3rd definition of the word, namely: "widely held, but false notion". If you're referring to this meaning, yes, there are a few myths in Rumanian aviation.

[Dénes]

P.S. Where is Cpt. Getu' to ask me what remains of history if we "kill" all the myths? (I haven't seen his posts in a while...)

[Alexandru H.]

Well, yes, in a sense. It can be associated to your definition, but I don't like the "false" tag too much. Also, I was interested not only in the little myths which circulated among pilots, but in a sort of "official" image of a pilot in the eyes of the average romanian.

[Dénes]

If, by "average Rumanian" you mean the average women, then yes, the airmen had great success amongs them...

[Alexandru H.]

Why? Is it the uniforme, is it the plane? It must be something in everyone's subconscience that puts the pilot above anyone else... maybe it's because the pilot is basically an individual, he isn't perceived as part of an army (the most democratic part of the armed forces) or a navy (which can be associated with the army, except for one big exception: the captain, again an example of individualism, remember the "captain always goes down with the ship" quote which is not a myth). He is a lone rider who engages other knights in shinny armour, under the astonished eyes of the people below. Of medieval essence, that is for sure...