The fiancées of the air
Hélène Boucher
Many public equipment, ways, educational establishments bear her name. .
In 1933, after an initial fruitless attempt, she tried the Paris-Saigon long distance flight, but she could not get any farther than Iraq and she was forced to sell her plane.
In the 12-hours Angers competition she placed 13th with a Zodiac-Maubussin of 60 cv. She beat the world altitude record for women in light airplanes of the second category by 4,000 meters. She could not complete the Auvergne run because of mishaps. She studied acrobatics under Michel Detroyat and she triomphed in her first air acrobatics match.
In 1934, as a speed pilot for Caudron-Renault, she was second in the 12 hours of Angers beating the world record for all categories in the 1,000 kilometers range.
Hélène Boucher in 1933. Anonymous autor.
Hélène Boucher and her Caudron-Renault
At Istres, she broke the record for all categories in the 1,000 kilometer range. At that time she was the world champion with an average of 444 kilometers an hour.
She died on November 30, 1934 during a coaching period above the field of Guyancour, Department of Seine et Oise.
She makes a first approach too high and goes around. The second approch is too low and with too low speed. Or the plane takes down simply and runs up against the trees or the shutters left to the maximum and when it goes around she draws on the handle and the plane takes down, passing on the back very close to the ground. Well know accident since.
Shutters extended to the maximum, the go-round must be done carefully ans especially, it is necessary to push on the handle to keep altitude and to gently return the shutters before drawing on the handle to take height again. height. Her plane was very powerful, in theory, if it does not have too extended shutters, it must go up. It should be know that in 1934, all the laws of piloting are not yet known. Her plane was reliable and we can exclude the engine failure. Remain the human factor responsible with 80% for the accidents. What does not remove anything with the value or her exploits not her courage. The judgment is weak, this is why one learns the procedures ans one follows them.
Her funeral was national. Hélène Boucher has just entered the posterity.
