A custom-designed high fashion pilot suit, created by Paris couturier Bernard et Cie, marked the public entrance of Hélène Dutrieu into the male-dominated aviation scene of 1910. Before she conquered the skies, however, she had already established her reputation as a professional track cyclist and a high-risk stunt performer across Europe.
Cycling and Stunt Career
Born in 1877 in Tournai, Belgium, Dutrieu began her career inspired by her brother, Eugène. She became a professional track cyclist for the Simpson lever chain team, claiming the women’s world record for distance in one hour in 1893. Her victories included the women’s speed track cycling world championships in Ostend in 1896 and 1897, alongside the 12-day race in London and the Grand Prix of Europe. Following her cycling success, she transitioned into variety show stunts. In 1903, she performed a vertical track loop in Marseille and debuted her own stunt, The Human Arrow, which involved a 15-meter bicycle jump. Her career as a stunt performer on bicycles and motorcycles continued until a severe crash in Berlin in 1904 necessitated an eight-month recovery period.
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Dutrieu learned to fly a Santos-Dumont Demoiselle monoplane in early 1910. On 19 April 1910, she flew with a passenger, and by 25 November 1910, she became the first Belgian woman to earn an aeroplane pilot license. Her skill earned her the nickname Girl Hawk. She set several early records, including becoming the first woman to remain airborne for more than an hour and winning the inaugural Coupe Femina in December 1910 for a 167-kilometer flight. In 1911, she competed in the United States using a Farman III biplane and secured the King’s Cup in Florence, Italy, by defeating 14 male pilots. In 1912, she pioneered seaplane flight and competed successfully at Ouchy-Lausanne.
Military Service and Later Life
During World War I, Dutrieu served as an ambulance driver and eventually managed the Campagne à Val-de Grâce military hospital. Following the war, she pursued journalism and, in 1922, married Pierre Mortier, subsequently adopting French citizenship. She maintained her connection to aviation as vice president of the women's section of the Aéro-Club de France. In 1956, she established the Hélène Dutrieu-Mortier Cup to support non-stop endurance flights for French and Belgian female pilots. She died in the 16th arrondissement of Paris in 1961 and was interred at Batignolles Cemetery.
Fast facts
- Born: 1877, Tournai, Belgium
- Died: 1961, 16th arrondissement of Paris
- Cycling World Championship Titles: 1896, 1897
- Aero Club of Belgium License Number: 27
- First Female Seaplane Pilot: 1912
- Knight of the Legion of Honour: 1913
- Marriage: Pierre Mortier, 1922
- Burial Site: Batignolles Cemetery
Questions readers ask
What was the reason for the minor scandal early in her aviation career?
The press reported that she did not wear a corset while flying.
Did Hélène Dutrieu ever pursue an acting career?
Yes, she played a small role at the Déjazet theatre in 1903 and performed comedy on various Parisian stages between 1906 and 1909.
Achievements
- Knight of the Legion of Honour — 1913
- Worked as aircraft pilot, sport cyclist and stunt performer
