Mircea “Miky” Cantacuzino

Mircea Cantacuzino, graduate of the prestigious Polytechnic College of Charlottenburg, is among the most important promoters of civil aviation in Romania.

In May 1928, together with Octav Oculeanu, they purchase a Klemm light aircraft which they bring it from Böblingen, Germania, to Pipera, thus making the first major flight in the history of Romanian sport aviation. Shortly after bringing the light aircraft to Romania, Mircea Cantacuzino opened the first civil aviation school in Romania „…without the initiative of Mr. Cantacunzino, no-one would have been found to do what he did and today, still, no movement in the sense of aviation tourism would have been manifested in our country. The early movement started by the Airclub through the “Potez” light aircraft belonging to Prince Bibescu and the even earlier movement started by the Blue Airclub through the light aircraft “Avia”, were limited to a single person for an Airclub and a too limited circle of aviators for the other airclub. Mircea Cantacuzino crashed the light aircraft after taking a bend while flying at the speed limit. Unscathed, although after a month of convalescence, he bought another light aircraft on which he resumed flights on 26 September 1928.

In 1930, Mircea Cantacuzino operated passenger flights. Unfortunately he will perish while carrying out one such flight, on 25 May 1930, crashing on the Otopeni – Baneasa highway. “A serious plane crash, to which it fell victim engineer Mircea Cantacuzino, was recorded last night at 7:30pm at Baneasa. At that time, ing. Mircea Cantacuzino, which is the sport commisioner of the Romanian Aeroclub and the director of the private school of aviation, was performing a flight on its light aircraft, having ms. Collete G. Polizu-Micşuneşti as passenger. After flying over Baneasa, he was returning and preparing for landing when piloting error made the plane to crash. The plane crashed over the grill kiosk of the pub belonging to M. Mărculescu on Otopeni-Băneasa road and broke into pieces. Passenger Collette G. Polizu-Micșunești was left only with minor injuries and a terrible fright, which is easy to imagine. Taken to hospital, engineer Mircea Cantacuzino died that night”

Although the founder’s death was a great loss for the school, the institution continued its activity with remarkable results. In June 1930, the Mircea Cantacuzino Association for the Development of Air Tourism was established.