KAŠPAR, Jan

K. comes from a wealthy family of František Kašpar, a hotel and property owner from Paradubice, who participated in the motorcycle sport. His son already at a young age learnt about cars and motorcycles. After finishing secondary school in Pardubice, he went on to study at Prague Technical University and in 1907 finished his studies in mechanical engineering. In search of challenges he left for Germany. He studied engine construction at the Technical Automobile school in Mainz and in 1908/09 worked in »Basse und Selva« factory in Altona. Here too, was he concerned with traffic control, problems of monitoring the ballons, while following the success of Zeppelin's airships.
When he returned to the Czech Republic in 1909, K. was employed in the automotive company „Laurin & →Klement“ in Mladá Boleslav city, but remained there only four months. In his hometown of Pardubice, he began to take interest in aviation science. The first attempts to fly, which were carried out together with his cousin Eugen Čihak failed entirely. K. therefore left for France and bought a Blériot plane type XI with Anzani engine. His first success was a two-kilometre flight at an altitude of 25 to 30 m above the surface over fields near Pardubice on April 16th 1910. After further attempts, he carried out the first flight demonstration in front of about 10.000 spectators on 19th June. In the same year a number of public demonstrations followed in various places in the Czech Republic.
In 1911 he opened the season with aircraft, fitted with new liquid-cooled four-cylinder Daimler engine (51 kW). The test flight from Paradubice to Chrudim and back was carried out by him on 30th April and on May 13, 1911 K. took off for his first long-distance flight from Pardubice to Prague. He covered the distance of 120 kilometres in 1 hour and 32 minutes.
After further success K. in 1912 lost interest in flying and a year later donated his aeroplane to National Technical Museum in Prague. His flight from Prague to Paradubice is one of the most important contributions to the Czech aviation history. K's life ended tragically. He took his own life.