Sophie Blanchard

Sophie Blanchard
Engraving by Jules Porreau [fr], 1859
Born	(1778-03-25)25 March 1778 Trois-Canons, Kingdom of France (now Yves, France)
Died	6 July 1819(1819-07-06) (aged 41) Paris, France
Cause of death	Balloon crash
Known for	First woman to work as a professional balloonist
Spouse	Jean-Pierre Blanchard
Aviation career
First flight	1804

Sophie Blanchard (French pronunciation: [sɔfi blɑ̃ʃaʁ]; 25 March 1778 – 6 July 1819^[1]), commonly referred to as Madame Blanchard,^[a] was a French aeronaut and the wife of ballooning pioneer Jean-Pierre Blanchard. Blanchard was the first woman to work as a professional balloonist, and after her husband's death she continued ballooning, making more than 60 ascents. Known throughout Europe for her ballooning exploits, Blanchard entertained Napoleon Bonaparte, who promoted her to the role of "Aeronaut of the Official Festivals", replacing André-Jacques Garnerin. On the restoration of the monarchy in 1814 she performed for Louis XVIII, who named her "Official Aeronaut of the Restoration".

Ballooning was a risky business for the pioneers. Blanchard lost consciousness on a few occasions, endured freezing temperatures and almost drowned when her balloon crashed in a marsh. In 1819, she became the first woman to be killed in an aviation accident when, during an exhibition in the Tivoli Gardens in Paris, she launched fireworks that ignited the gas in her balloon. Her craft crashed on the roof of a house and she fell to her death.

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