Marthe Niel

Marthe Niel (29 December 1878 – 18 November 1928) was a French aviator, becoming the second woman in the world to earn an aeroplane pilot's licence on 19 September 1910.[1][2]

Marthe Niel

Early life

Niel was born Marie-Ange Denieul in Le Cannée, a hamlet in the commune of Paimpont, Ille-et-Vilaine. She was the daughter of Joachim Denieul, a farm worker, and his wife Marie-Joseph Saget.[3] On 9 May 1900, she married Pierre Firmin Fontalbat, a wine merchant, after which she worked as a cook. They divorced on 4 February 1904.[4]

Career as an aviator

In April 1910, she was admitted to the piloting school founded by aeroplane builder Paul Koechlin at Mourmelon-le-Grand.[5]

On 19 September 1910, after flying a Koechlin monoplane, she received Licence No. 226 from the Aéro-Club de France.[1]

References
  1. Lebow, Eileen F. (2002). Before Amelia: Women Pilots in the Early Days of Aviation. Potomac Books, Inc. pp. 83–. ISBN 978-1-61234-225-2.
  2. Lam, David (23 March 2003). "Marthe Niel 1880-1929". Early Birds. Retrieved 16 December 2016.
  3. "Acte de naissance n°97 de Marie Ange Denieul, Archives départementales d'Ille-et-Vilaine : cote 10 NUM 35211 670". Archives Municipales de Paimpont. Missing or empty |url= (help)
  4. "Niel Marthe: une pionnière de l'aviation" (in French). Encyclopédie de Brocéliande. Retrieved 16 December 2016.
  5. Marck, Bernard (2009). Elles ont conquis le ciel: 100 femmes qui ont fait l'histoire de l'aviation et de l'espace. Arthaud. pp. 27–.
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