On this day in aviation history, 116 years ago (March 8, 1910), French pilot Raymonde de Laroche became the world’s first licensed female pilot. Considered by many to be the first woman to pilot an aeroplane, de Laroche earned the 36th pilot’s licence issued by the Aeroclub de France. This club was the world’s first to issue pilot licences. During the time of issuance, licenses were only required for pilots flying for commercial purposes.
Raymonde de Laroche was born on August 22, 1882, as Elise Raymonde Deroche. As a child, she had an interest in sports. As she grew, her interest would spread into motorcycles and automobiles. She became an actress, which is where the name Raymonde de Laroche came from. Raymonde witnessed Wilbur Wright’s 1908 flight demonstrations in Paris and became inspired. She befriended many aviators, including artist-turned-aviator Léon Delagrange. She was set on becoming a pilot herself.
In October 1909, de Laroche asked her friend Charles Voisin, a noted aviator and aeroplane builder, to give her flying lessons. Some say she began her training on October 22, in Chalons (90 miles east of Paris). Voisin’s aircraft could only seat one pilot, so any instruction de Larache received was on the ground. With some basic instruction from Charles, Raymonde began to taxi around. After she gained experience on the ground, de Laroche would soon take flight, a total distance of approximately 300 yards on her first flight. This jaunt has often been cited as the first by a woman in a powered heavier-than-aircraft. However, evidence exists of two other women, P. Van Pottelsberghe and Thérèse Peltier, who flew the previous year.
De Laroche would continue to build flight experience under Voisin’s tutelage, master flight in windy conditions, and perform a variety of maneuvers. On March 8, 1910, Raymonde would earn her pilot’s license, becoming the first woman to do so. Raymonde de Laroche would continue to fly, having many adventures along the way. She would experience severe injuries from an accident at the Reims Air Show on July 8, 1910. Her recovery was arduous, but Raymonde would return to flight in 1913, winning the Aero-Club of France’s Femina Cup for a non-stop long-distance flight of over four hours in duration. Raymonde de Laroche lost her life on July 18, 1919, while training as a test pilot at Le Crotoy. Although her life ended far too soon, de Laroche’s legacy lives on. A statue of de Laroche was dedicated at Paris–Le Bourget Airport in France, standing as a permanent reminder of women’s rightful place in aviation.
Commercial Pilot, CFI, and Museum Entrepreneur, with a subject focus on WWII Aviation. I am dedicated to building flight experience so I can fly WWII Fighters, such as the P-51 Mustang, for museums and airshows, and in the USAF Heritage Flight. I lead and run the Pennington Flight Memorial, to honor local MIA Tuskegee Airman F/O Leland “Sticky” Pennington.
