On 31 August 1908, the Antoinette (photo) was the first French monoplane to fly with a passenger. With a wingspan of 14.40 metres and a length of 12.37 metres, the plane broke several altitude records and came second in the speed test at the ‘Grande Semaine d’Aviation de la Champagne’ in 1909. Léon Levavasseur was also the inventor, in 1910, of the world’s first flight simulator. Called “le tonneau d’Antoinette” (Antoinette’s barrel), the simulator was used for ground training in the piloting of the Antoinette aircraft of the French Air Force. The Antoinette’s wheel system was more complex and less intuitive for a pilot than the joystick.