Women Pilots

This is a poster of the hot air balloon flight of Sophie Blanchard in Milan, August 15, 1811. Sophie was actually a Frenchwoman who was married to a professional balloonist named Jean-Pierre Blanchard. Her husband convinced her to fly with him, launching her fame as the first female aeronaut. Interestingly, Sophie was afraid of horse-drawn carriages, but had no issues riding a hot air balloon. She soloed in festivals and celebrations, even Napoleon Bonaparte's wedding. In a display in Paris in 1819, Sophie went up in her balloon and lit fireworks, which caught her balloon on fire. On its decent, her basket tipped over the top of a house and she fell to her death.