Vélizy - Villacoublay

Hélène Antoinette Eugénie Boucher was the daughter of Parisian architect Léon Boucher and Élisabeth Hélène Dureau. From her childhood onwards she was nicknamed Léno. At the age of 22, Hélène Boucher decided to become an aviator and became a pupil of the French pilot Henri Farbos (who founded the Aéroclub des Landes in Mont-de-Marsan in 1928). She made her maiden flight on July 4, 1930.

She was trained in speed flying by Delmotte and in air acrobatics by Détroyat.

On October 8, 1933, in Villacoublay, she competed in a memorable contest pitting her against the German virtuoso, Vera Von Bissing. The demonstration of these two women, performed before 100,000 spectators, was amazing. According to one witness, "Hélène Boucher flew very low in her blue and black plane and before everybody's gaze performed three spins to the left, then to the right, looped the loop twice, then did immelmann loop, two quick barrel rolls, another slower roll and finally a long flight upside down", whilst the German performed her figures at very high altitude.

The display was not designed to determine the respective rank of these two champions, but the event crowned the success of Hélène Boucher and the long, persevering preparation which lay behind it.

On August 8, 1934, at the controls of a Caudron-Renault, Hélène Boucher took both the speed record for 100km - 412 kph and the 1,000km record - with an average of 409 kph (the holder of the previous record ' 393 kph ' was Maurice Arnoux). On August 11 she took the women's world record with a speed of 445 kph.

On November 30, 1934, Hélène Boucher died following an accident during a training flight at Guyancourt aerodrome flying a Caudron C.460 Rafale. Pilots Raymond Delmotte, Fouquet and Goury witnessed the accident and were the first to arrive on the scene. Hélène Boucher was seriously injured and taken to Versailles hospital. She died in the ambulance on the hill between Satory and Guyancourt.
Her funeral was held in the Chapelle des Invalides, a very rare occurrence.

For further information: www.helene-boucher.com