The fiancés of the air
Elisabeth Boselli
At the School of the instructors of Tours it is the solo left on Dewoitine 500 and Dewoitine D.520. With Suzanne Melk, Elisabeth is the only one of the group to be considered capable of flying on the best plane during the campaign of France : Dewoitine D.520. She crosses successfully the tests of fighter pilot's military patent. She is patented on February 12th, 1946.
In May, 1947, she turns to the gliding and begins her instruction on Kranich, a two-seater German glider in the national center of Beynes placed under the leadership of Paul Lepanse, future record holder for distance. Four months later, she obtains the patent D.
Elisabeth dashes into the competition. She beats first time the feminine world record at high altitude by reaching 4 800 meters then second time in April, 1948, on a glider Meise, which she takes in 5 600 meters. During four years she practises the gliding to Beynes, Challes-les-Eaux, Saint-Auban-sur-Durance and Fayence.
Year 1952 marks a big bend in the life of the young woman. Of the aborted attempt to incorporate women into the military aviation, Elisabeth is the only one, age ten later, to emerge. The Air Force suggests her joining the squadron of presentation based to Étampes, equipped with Stampe. The acrobatic patrol that the organizer Jacques Noetinger will name 'Patrouille de France', receives ovations of the public of France and North Africa, fond of aviation meetings. She becomes the solo presenter and occurs in Morocco and in Algeria, via Spain.
Returning in France from USA in October, she is transformed on Mistral. It is aboard this under equipped plane, without radio compass and endowed with a simple radio set VHF of twelve frequencies, that Elisabeth is going to beat several records during the next year. On January 26th, 1955, she wins the feminine world record of closed circuit speed of 1 000 km on the route Mont-de-Marsan-La Ciotat with 746,2 kph. One month later, she removes the feminine world record of closed circuit distance Mont-de-Marsan-Oran-Mont-de-Marsan with 1 840 km. And finally, on March 1st, 1955, she beats the world record any categories of distance in a straight line of Creil in Agadir with 2 331,220 km in 3:30 am.
On her thrown the young woman requests to serve in Algeria. In July, 1957, Elisabeth puts on again the uniform and joins the squadron of air connection 54, based to Oued Hamimine. She realizes missions of connection in very difficult conditions.
Photo : http://pics-aeronef.discutfree.com/t2820-elisabeth-boselli
Photo : http://janinetissot.fdaf.org/jt_boselli.htm Photo : http://janinetissot.fdaf.org/jt_boselli.htm
At the age of 45, Elisabeth adds up 900 hours of flight. She ends her career as first class attaché-writer (captain) in administrative tasks in the service of the aviation. She keeps this post until 1969, year of her retirement. Member of "hurdy-gurdies stalks ", she participates in the works of the committee of History and Literature of which she becomes shortly after the president.
She was corresponding of the national Academy of the air and the space since 1985. With Jacqueline Auriol, Hélène Boucher and Jacqueline Cochran, Elisabeth Boselli was one of the famous aviators who wrote most right-hand pages of the history of the women's records in the aviation with reaction.
Decorated with the Medal of the Legion of Honor, the Cross of the military Value and the Medal of the Aeronautics, Élisabeth Boselli dies on November 25th, 2005 at the age of 91.
Marks and references
· Jacques Noetinger, « Élisabeth Boselli », Air et Cosmos, no 1033, 26 janvier 1985.
· Martine Tujague, « Hommage à Élisabeth Boselli (1914-2005) », Aéro-Club de France.
Editor's note
In the lacks of a text in English language about Miss Elisabeth Boselli, I tried to make myself a translation of it with the hope of just a few errors. I apologize for its in advance. However, if you meet unacceptable errors, be kind to inform me about them. Thanks so much.