Before Amelia Read Online Free PDF

emergency women were not suited to fly. Their training usually kept them circling a course free of other machines without permitting them to gain the kind of experience that competition flying demanded. Exhibition flying was a different matter; there was no competitive hustle in the air. It was polite and ladylike, not in the same category as competition.
    André Beaumont, who flew as Lieutenant Jean Conneau, described in his 1912 memoir the qualities needed in an aviator: a grown man (too young or too old was not desirable), alertness, strength, sturdiness, good health, and, above all, endurance. He then went on to say: “Such qualities are not often to be found in women, and it is a pity, for the few bold ‘aviatresses’ who are regular visitors to the aerodromes bring with them a charm and brightness not to be despised; and we men are always ready to applaud their womanly bravery, for though we may be man–birds we remain none the less men.” His comments, meant to be supportive, had a patronizing tone that the ladies did not miss.
    In the aftermath of the crash, long months of recuperation followed surgery, but Raymonde’s tenacity and the caring support of Charles Voisin helped her recover. She had lost none of her love for flying. By 1912 she was in the air again, showing more confidence and better judgment. Her white sweater and pulled–down cap were a common sight on the airfield at Châlons as she prepared to compete for the Coupe Fémina, established for women in 1910. Thanks to Pierre Lafitte, owner of the magazine of the same name, a prize of two thousand francs, designed to encourage women in aviation, would be awarded to the woman who flew the longest distance alone, without a stop, before sunset of December 31 of that year. Raymonde, showing her old vitality, would give it a try.
    In the meantime, she went to court in April to obtain redress from a company, Office d’Aviation, for breach of contract, contending that the company was to furnish her an aeroplane and book engagements for her, none of which happened. The Commercial Tribunal found for the company, declaring the contract did not specify an aeroplane for her use, nor could the company be held responsible for not securing engagements. Furthermore, Raymonde had gone to two meets, in Tours and St. Petersburg, without the company’s authorization. She was ordered to pay eight thousand francs in damages. On Raymonde’s appeal of the judgment, the Fourth Chamber found in her favor and ordered the Office d’Aviation to pay her ten thousand francs. No doubt, Raymonde needed money; she had earned nothing in 1911.
    On September 25, tragedy struck again. Charles and Raymonde were driving near Belleville–sur–Saone, not far from Lyons, on the way to visit his parents, when their automobile collided with another vehicle at a crossroads. Charles was killed instantly, and Raymonde was “desperately injured.” The aviation world mourned the loss of one of France’s foremost aeroplane builders and pilots; the irony of his death on the ground was not lost on the public, nor on his brother, Gabriel, who lost the courageous half of their partnership.
    Raymonde was devastated. Once again she faced weeks of recuperation, but her indomitable spirit, though saddened, wouldn’t quit. A letter written November 19 to her friend Jacques Mortane revealed that she was learning to fly a Sommer biplane at Mourmelon, outside of Paris and if all went well she would try for the Coupe Fémina. She admitted to sadness, but, happily, aviation helped her forget the pain, the feeling of being alone, that was especially bad at night.
    By the end of November, the aviation journals reported that she was making good progress on the Sommer aeroplane. The move from the Voisin camp was probably due to Gabriel’s refusal to extend the company’s courtesy to her after Charles’s death. It meant learning the