The Tragic Death of Sophie Blanchard, The First Woman Balloon Pilot

Ever since Sophie Blanchard stepped into the basket with her husband, the famous balloonist Jean-Pierre Blanchard, she knew she belonged to the air. Before she found her calling, Sophie was a shy and nervous person, who couldn’t even take a carriage ride because she was afraid of loud noises and was startled too easily. But once airborne, Sophie underwent a striking metamorphosis and transformed into an almost reckless daredevil. This recklessness would one day cost her life. Sophie began flying with Jean-Pierre Blanchard in 1804. Blanchard was a professional balloonist, who made money by charging spectators for admission to his demonstrations. Ever the showman, Blanchard would toss a dog tied to a parachute over the side of a balloon and once even tried to parachute jump himself. But money wasn’t coming in as fast. So Blanchard took Sophie along, believing the presence of a woman would generate some interest and attract attention. Soon Sophie began to fly alone, becoming the first woman to pilot her own balloon. In 1809, when Blanchard was flying above Hague, he suffered a heart attack and fell to his death. Crippled by debt, Sophie continued to fly, slowly developing her own style of showmanship. She often flew at night, sometimes staying aloft all throughout the night. While her husband dropped parachuted dogs, Sophie accentuated her shows with fireworks that she launched from the sky.  Sophie became a favorite of Napoleon’s, who made her “Aeronaut of the Official Festivals”, which meant that, henceforth, Sophie was responsible for organizing ballooning displays at all royal events. She made ascents to celebrate Napoleon's marriage to Marie-Louise of Austria. On the birth of Napoleon's son, Sophie took a balloon flight over Paris and threw out leaflets announcing the birth.