Raymonde de Laroche, French Aviatrix
Raymonde de Laroche (August 22, 1882 - July 18, 1919) was a French aviatrix. As a young woman she became an actress and used the stage name, Raymonde de Laroche. Inspired by Wilbur Wright's 1908 demonstrations of powered flight in Paris she became determined to take up flying for herself. In 1910, she became the first woman in the world to receive a pilot licence when the Aero-Club of France issued her licence, 36 of the Fcedceration Aceronautique Internationale. In 1913 she won the Aero-Club of France's Femina Cup for a non-stop long-distance flight of over 4 hours duration. During WWI, she served as a military driver, chauffeuring officers from the rear zones to the front under fire. On July 18, 1919 de Laroche, who was a talented engineer, went to the airfield at Le Crotoy as part of her plan to become the first professional woman test pilot. She co-piloted an experimental aircraft on its landing approach the aeroplane went into a dive and crashed, killing both de Laroche and the co-pilot. She was 36 years old. Bain News Service, 1915-1919
