Born 22nd August 1882 in France, Raymonde de Laroche is the world’s first licensed female pilot, who got her groove on the 8th of March, 1910.

Since her childhood, Raymonde, formerly – Elise had a fondness for sports as well as motorcycles but after years into her life, she automatically developed a love for automobiles. Her life was full of adventures – Raymonde started as a stage performer – an actress before facing the reality of what life offered her!

Elise, who got her other names – Raymonde de Laroche on stage, had performed wonderfully well as was inspired by Wilbur Wright’s 1908 ‘Demonstrations of powered flight’ in Paris. She was personally acquainted with several aviators, including artist-turned-aviator, Léon Delagrange, who was reputed to be the father of her son André.

The inspirations she got from these talented aviators got her into hopes and determinations to take up flying for herself. Like Mariah Carey like Laroche! The young aviator got herself into the game after appealing to her friend, aviator, and airplane builder, Charles Voisin in October 1909, to instruct her on how to fly. Be it as it may, on the dawn of 22nd October 1909, de Laroche went to the Voisin brothers’ base of operations at Chalons, 90 miles (140 km) east of Paris, and made it.

The ‘Hero’ lyrics in Carey’s collections, which say:

‘So when you feel like hope is gone.

Look inside you and be strong

And you’ll finally see the truth.

That a hero lies in you,’ kept her going. She operated the plane by herself while her instructor stood on the ground and gave instructions.

Successfully, Raymonde received the 36th airplane pilot’s license issued by the Aeroclub de France, the world’s first organization to issue pilot licenses. At the time, pilot licenses were only required for pilots operating aircraft for commercial purposes.

Her adventure started after she had mastered taxiing around the airfield until she lifted off and flew 300 yards. Unswerving, the world’s first woman pilot had only flown once, for a short hop, as a passenger.

Over the years into piloting, the first women pilot has participated in aviation meetings at Heliopolis in Egypt as well as Saint Petersburg, Budapest, and Rouen. During the event at St. Petersburg, she was personally congratulated by Tsar Nicholas II. There, she was presented once again as “Baroness” de Laroche. Thereafter, the title became commonly used among aviators worldwide.

Laroche remained the world’s first female pilot in history. The July 8, 1910 episode of her experience is something history would never forget when her aeroplane crashed, and she suffered such severe injuries that her recovery was in doubt, but two years later, she was fit again and had returned to flying, also on 26th September 1912, she and Charles Voisin were involved in an automobile crash. During the crash, Voisin was killed, and she was severely injured.

She died on 18th July 1919, leaving a legacy for women in the world to follow and imbibe. Authorities as in Paris–Le Bourget Airport in France designed her statue as a memoir to her. Aviation experts, more especially women hold an annual week to commemorate the legendary pilot of all times.

  Aeroclub de France, Raymonde de Laroche