Top 10 Pioneering Women of Aviation

Baroness Raymonde de Laroche

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(Photo by Topical Press Agency/Getty Images)

Baroness Raymonde de Laroche was born August 22, 1882, in the city of Paris, France. She was the daughter of a plumber.

She rewrote history in 1909 when she became the first woman to receive a pilot’s license.

She left acting to study more about flying an aircraft, training under aviation expert Charles Voisin in 1909 and earned herself the title of baroness. In 1910, she was grounded for two years when her plane crashed at an air show in Reims, France. She also served as a military chauffeur during World War I. She died at the age of 36 on her quest to become the first female pilot when her experimental aircraft crashed in Le Crotoy.

A statue was erected to honor her at Paris Le Bourget Airport.

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