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Aurel Vlaicu

Aurel Vlaicu (November 19, 1882, Bintinti near Orastie, Hunedoara county - September 13, 1913, near Ploiesti) was a Romanian engineer and aviation pioneer.

He finished the high school in Orastie, named "Liceul teoretic Aurel Vlaicu" after him in 1919 and took the Baccalaureate at Sibiu in 1902.

Further his engineering studies at the Munchen University in Germany earning his engineer diploma in 1907. After working as an engineer at Opel in Russelheim he returns at Orastie and begins the construction of his first airplane Vlaicu I. The airplane was extremely well build, stabile and very maneuverable won him several prizes in international contest abroad in the company of other aviatic pioneers from that time like Rolland Garos. In 1912 he wins 2 memorable prizes at Aspern, Austria.

He died in 1939, near Ploiesti during a flight attempt with his own airplane Vlaicu II to fly over the Carpathian mountains.