About Raymonde de Laroche
Raymonde de Laroche (22 August 1882 – 18 July 1919) was a French pilot who became the world's first licensed female pilot on 8 March 1910. She is thought to be the first woman to pilot a plane. She received the 36th aeroplane pilot's licence issued by the Aeroclub de France, the world's first organization to issue pilot licences. At the time, pilot licences were only required for pilots operating aircraft for commercial purposes. == Early life == Born on 22 August 1882 in Paris, France, as Elise Raymonde Deroche, de Laroche was the daughter of a plumber. She had a fondness for sports as a child, as well as for motorcycles and automobiles when she was older. As a young woman she became an actress and used the stage name "Raymonde de Laroche". She was inspired by Wilbur Wright's 1908 demonstrations of powered flight in Paris and was personally acquainted with several aviators, including artist-turned-aviator Léon Delagrange, who was reputed to be the father of her son André. Due to all of these inspirations, De Laroche was determined to take up flying for herself. == Achievements in aviation == In October 1909, de Laroche appealed to her friend, aviator and aeroplane builder Charles Voisin to instruct her in how to fly.
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