Hélène Boucher

Hélène Boucher (23 May 1908 in Paris – 30 November 1934 in Guyancourt near Versailles) was a French pilot.

Records

In 1934, she flew the speed record over 100 km (485 km/h on average) and became thus the "quickest woman of the world". She held the altitude record with 5,200 metres and eight other world records.

Biography

Boucher was pupil of Michel Detroyat.

The young stunt pilot became one of the most popular attractions on flight shows in France and abroad. The company Renault took her temporarily under contract in order to promote the new Viva Grand Sport. She died at an early age of 26 on a testflight near Versailles when the machine crashed into the woods of Guyancourt. She was the first woman buried at Les Invalides. The press and others claimed Detroyat to be responsible for her death, spurring a "young, innocent girl" to such a "dangerous sport". She was posthumously dubbed to knight of the Légion d'honneur.

Literature

* Antoine Redier: Hélène Boucher, jeune fille de France, Flammarion in 1935 with a preface of general Denain (aviation minister)

External links

* [http://www.helene-boucher.com Hélène Boucher Site] (French)