Duthrieux, Helene

Helene Dutrieux was born on July 10, 1877 in the Belgian city of Tournai .

Her brother Eugene was one of the leading cyclists in Northern France, and, thanks to him, Helene became interested in racing. Before becoming a pilot, Dutrieux participated in cycling as part of the Simpson Lever Chain group, setting several speed records ( 1897 - 1899 ). Duthrieux was engaged in both motorcycle and automobile sports. At a competition in Berlin, she got into a car accident and was treated for six months.

In December 1908, she first flew into the air (without taking a single piloting lesson!) On a light Santo Dumont type Demoiselle and crashed. Then she decided to study as a pilot and entered the Farman school. Dutrieux passed the flight exam on August 23, 1910, but for some reason her French license was considered invalid. Subsequently, she retook the exam in Belgium ( November 25, 1910 ).

In September of that year, public attention was drawn to her forty-five-kilometer non-stop flight from Blankenberg to Brugge and vice versa. In addition to the impressive distance, delight was caused by the fact that Dutrieux was accompanied by a passenger - her mechanic Bo.

At a competition in Florence in 1911, she received a cup from the hands of the Italian king. In the fall, Helen took part in competitions in the United States , where she won a prize for the longest flight. In 1910, she won the Coupe Femina competition by flying an hour and seven minutes (for the first time a woman stayed in the air for more than an hour!), And after a few days she improved her own record - 2 hours 35 minutes - and flew over 167 kilometers. In 1911, Helen won again, flying 254 kilometers in 2 hours 58 minutes.

For aerial achievements in 1913, Helene Dutrieux became the first woman to become a knight of the French Order of the Legion of Honor.

Helene Dutrieux took part in the First World War , protecting Paris from attacks by German aircraft. Officially, it is not documented anywhere, but it is known from recollections that Duthrieux flew as an observer. After the war, she became the driver of an ambulance.

During World War II, Dutrieux led a field hospital.

In 1922, Helene married the Frenchman Pierre Mortier and adopted French citizenship. She later became vice president of the women's section of the French flying club and instituted a prize of 200,000 francs for women who made the longest non-stop flight.

The first Belgian air route died on June 27, 1961 .

• Hélène Dutrieu at Early Aviators
• Short Biography, Smithsonian on Helene Dutrieu (English)
• Dutrieu as a cyclist for the Simpson Lever Chain team
• Short biography, Femmes remarquables ... Hélène Dutrieu
• Museum-quality print of Hélène Dutrieu by Argent Editions