Some women have proved that aviation is not just for men. In this article, AEROAFFAIRES goes back in time to present 4 women who have left their mark on the world of aviation.
Women in the conquest of aviation
Often forgotten in the history of aviation, women have often fallen into the shadows. However, they have succeeded in imposing themselves in an initially male professional world. In order to prove their skills, they needed a lot of determination and patience.
Since the advent of hot-air balloons, women have made their mark in aviation with great difficulty, because at that time it was still claimed that the female organs were not strong enough to withstand aerial experiments.
Elisabeth Tible, pioneer of women’s aviation
Elisabeth Tible was a French aeronaut, born in Lyon in 1757 and died in 1784. Elisabeth is considered to be the first woman to have flown in a gas ball named “La Gustave” in honour of Gustav III of Sweden, who was visiting Lyon on that day, 8 June 1784. In this way, she proved to the world that women’s bodies are capable of withstanding altitude in the same way as men’s.
Sophie Blancard, the first gas balloon pilot
Sophie Blancard was born on 24 March 1778 in Yves, Charente-Maritime, and died in Paris on 6 July 1819. She was the widow of the famous aeronaut Jean-Pierre Blanchard. She was the first professional female aeronaut to fly regularly as a pilot in her own gas balloon. With nearly 70 ascents, she was also the first woman to die in an aerial accident from her balloon that caught fire in the air in Paris on 6 July 1819. On that day, she climbed over the Rivoli gardens to launch a fireworks display from her balloon, which caught fire without her knowledge. Sophie Blancard was also a minister under Napoleon Bonaparte and had even considered plans for an invasion of Europe in balloons.
Thérèse Peltier, first woman to fly in an aeroplane
Thérèse Peltier was born on 28 September 1873 and died on 18 February 1926 in Paris. She was the first woman to leave the ground in an aeroplane, initially as a passenger. But she was also the first woman to fly one alone. She was a student of Léon Lagrange, but when he died in an accident in 1910, she gave up flying to return to her preoccupations as a sculptor. Her first solo flight took place in September 1908, from Issy-les-Moulineaux.
Elisabeth Boselli, first female fighter pilot
Elisabeth Boselli was born on 11 March 1914 in Paris and died on 25 November 2005. She was the first female fighter pilot in the French Air Force. Holder of eight patents and eight world records, she was one of the best pilots. Passionate about aviation, she made a maiden flight in 1938 and passed her civilian pilot’s licence. During the Second World War, she joined the Red Cross. In May 1947, she turned to gliding. She broke the women’s world altitude record. She joined the air force in 1952 and joined the Patrouille d’Étampes which became the Patrouille de France in 1953. In 1957, she was involved in the Algerian war and carried out numerous liaison missions. Later, in 1969, she retired and logged a total of 900 hours of flight time, a feat for a woman at the time.
The Élisabeth Boselli gardens on Boulevard Victor Hugo in Paris pay tribute to her. She is one of the pioneers as the first female fighter pilot.
The world of aviation now includes more and more women and is becoming more democratic. At AEROAFFAIRES, Isabelle Clerc is at the head of the family business. Mrs Clerc and all our aviation experts are available 24 hours a day to assist you in chartering your private jet. You can also contact us on +330144099182, by email: charter@aeroaffaires.com or make a free estimate of your flight with our online quote.
