113 - MERMOZ, Jean

MERMOZ, Jean L.A.S. “Jean,” Casablanca, February 10, 1927, to his grandparents, the GILLETs; 2 pages, in-4 format, written in blue ink on Lignes Aériennes Latécoère letterhead. In Morocco. “We’ve had snow. I’ve just returned from Spain, where I encountered a few snowstorms—a rare occurrence there at this time of year. I’m leaving for Cape Juby tomorrow. We don’t have our new aircraft yet, but the engines on the old ones have been overhauled. Modifications have been made to improve performance, which means fewer chances of breakdowns. Latécoère is officially launching the South American route on September 1. So I’ll certainly come see you two or three months before then, unless I go to France for ten days in April. […] If, for one reason or another, I were unable to go, I would leave the company anyway.” He’s considering a position as a flight instructor in Bolivia. “In America, I’ll be safe. There’s no comparison with Dakar, where everything is unsafe. And the climate there is excellent.” He has put his car up for sale, waiting for a good offer: “In the meantime, I’m visiting Morocco. I recently went to Meknes, where I saw Sergeant Major Coursault, who was not at all happy […] I think I’ve managed to convince him to leave the army and join us. […] We are in the process of founding a Union of Civil Aviation Flight Crew Professionals, solely to defend our interests. The airlines don’t want to believe it, but we firmly believe in it, and they will soon be faced with a fait accompli. How attractive the life of an airline pilot will be in the future!! At any rate, I fully intend to see that happen, for I hope with all my heart to continue in this profession for a long time to come.”…. Correspondence, No. 104. Source: - Jean Mermoz (1901–1936); - Gabrielle Gillet-Mermoz (1880–1955); - Then passed down through the family