As far back as April 1842, Benito Leon Acosta, from Guanajuato, became the first Mexican to fly a balloon. Joaquin del la Cantolla y Rico designed, constructed and flew balloons in 1862 for more than 30 years, flying over Mexico City.
Some of the first Mexican pilots: Alberto Braniff, Guillermo Villasana and Miguel Lebrija became world known names.
Mexican president Francisco I. Madero was the first head of state in the world who flew in an airplane on November 30, 1911. After that experience he trained five enthusiastic pilots: Alberto Salinas Carranza (nephew of later president Venustiano Carranza), Gustavo Salinas Campiña, Horacio Ruiz Caviño and brothers Juan Pablo and Eduardo Aldazoro. These five founded the Mexican Air force. Their bronze busts are exhibited in “Benito Juarez International Airport” in Mexico City.
The first bombardment from an aircraft in the world took place in Mexico. Pilot Gustavo Salinas Carranza and artilleryman Theodoro Madariaga on board the constitutionalist’s army biplane “Sonora” defeated the Federal Government gunboats Guerrero and Moreloson April 15,1914 in Topolobampo Sonora. A few months later on June 28, World War I exploded,