Still no guesses? I guess it's time for another clue, or two:
Looking for a pilot in this case
1) This aviation pioneer was self taught
2) He made history less than a year after learning to fly
3) He was killed in a crash less than a year later
4) He was posthumously awarded a flying medal for the feats he previously performed
5) In his first "history making" flight, he actually damaged his plane
6) His flight lasted only 2.5 miles
7) He fatally crashed in the southeastern part of his home country
8) His fatal crash was only two days short of his 25th birthday
9) During his "history making" flights, he and his plane both were equipped with flotation since part of the flights were over water
10) Between two of his flights, he had a meal with a high ranking military officer
Good Luck