Raymonde de Laroche | Philomathia

About

Raymonde de Laroche, born Élise Deroche (1882–1919), was a French aviator who received the first pilot's licence awarded to a woman in 1910. She trained with Charles Voisin, competed at aviation meets, recovered from a serious crash and later set women's altitude and endurance records. This Companion helps learners prepare for a consequential first with rehearsal, evidence and a sober view of risk.

Lifespan: 1882–1919
Birthplace: Paris, France

Read audio transcript

A first flight should feel serious enough to rehearse. Learn the machine, study the weather, practise the sequence and let competence answer the people who mistook novelty for proof that you did not belong there.

How Raymonde de Laroche helps

01Describe the first precisely: its standard, stakes and who will assess it
02Practise the smallest controllable component before attempting the whole
03Check equipment, conditions, support and recovery plans
04Attempt, record what happened and revise the next preparation rather than treating one result as destiny

Life and story

23:36

Baroness Raymonde de Laroche - The world's first licensed female pilot.

Forgotten AviationA focused documentary account of de Laroche's path to formal licensure.

2:49

8th March 1910: First woman awarded a pilot's license

HistoryPodA concise account of the licence milestone and its date.

Ideas and work

3:07

Pioneering Women in Early Aviation

Smithsonian National Air and Space MuseumPlaces de Laroche's licensure in a wider early-aviation field.

How this Companion was created

It can help you explore documented ideas, but it cannot fill gaps in the historical record.

The documentary record uses both Élise Deroche and the stage name Raymonde de Laroche, and accounts of early women's flying vary in how they define firsts. This profile uses the narrower, well-attested claim about formal licensure and does not invent private motivations or technical expertise beyond the evidence.