22 October 1909 First solo powered flight by a woman

In October 1909, Elise Raymonde de Laroche appealed to her friend, aviator and aeroplane builder Charles Voisin, to instruct her in how to fly. On 22 October 1909, de Laroche went to the Voisin brothers’ base at Chalons, 90 miles (140 km) east of Paris. His aircraft was however, a single seater, so she operated the plane by herself while he stood on the ground and gave instructions. She flew some 300 yards (270 m).