In 1912, his inspiration was kindled by a prize of 10.000 francs, offered by French car builder Peugeot to the first cyclist to make two aircraft flights of 10 meters each, relying solely on his or her own muscular power.
The war forced Alfred Renard to suspend his studies at the Free University of Brussels and the Department of Applied Sciences, but in 1920 he earned an engineering degree in civil construction, plus a license in aeronautics.
[1] After study came the tour of soldier's duty, especially important in this small country that had suffered heavily under the war, and was taking part in the occupation of Western Germany.
[1] Through the same Emile Allard, Renard got in touch with Jean Stampe and his cherished dream of operating his own flying school with his self-designed and self-built solid trainer aircraft.
During World War II he disappeared from public view, to re-emerge in 1945 as a technical advisor with the Belgian State Railways NMBS/SNCB, making a study of light alloy railcars.