Sculptor Adolf Aarno recognized as pioneer of Finnish aviation in Tampere

Sculptor Adolf Aarno, originally named Kalle Virtanen, took his first steps in aviation after studying in Paris in the early 1900s. Upon returning to Tampere, he seized the opportunity to purchase the La Demoiselle aircraft, which had been brought to Helsinki, for 3,000 marks in March 1911.

Aarno made his inaugural flight in his hometown in April of that same year, but both flights he attempted concluded with damage to the aircraft. The first flight saw the right wheel and wingtip sustain damage, while a repeat attempt in March 1914 ended with the frame and propeller being destroyed, although the engine remained intact. After that, the aircraft was not repaired.

Kimmo Salomaa, an exhibition master with the Hanssin-Jukka heritage association, describes Aarno’s flights as tentative endeavors. Nevertheless, Aarno deserves recognition as a pioneer of Finnish aviation. “Like the Wright brothers’ flight in America, Aarno’s flight was a small leap. But it was a flight, nonetheless,” Salomaa noted.

The La Demoiselle, designed by Brazilian-French aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont, was one of the world’s first powered aircraft. It had a wooden and fabric-covered frame supported by cables, lacking any control surfaces—pilots steered it using a system of wires attached to their bodies, which made control quite challenging.

Currently, a replica of the La Demoiselle is displayed at the Tuulonen shopping mall in Hämeenlinna, alongside a restored DC-2 aircraft. This replica was made by the Aviation Association Grey Falcons and became part of the exhibition in 2001. With the collaboration of the Hanssin-Jukka heritage association, the replica now highlights Finland’s aviation history, complementing the existing collection of aircraft in Tuulonen.