Jacqueline Marie-Thérèse Suzanne Auriol (; ; 5 November 1917 – 11 February 2000) was a French

aviator An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its directional flight controls. Some other aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are also considered aviators because they a ...

who set several world speed records.

Biography

Born in Challans,

Vendée Vendée () is a department in the Pays de la Loire region in Western France, on the Atlantic coast. In 2019, it had a population of 685,442.shipbuilder Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and other Watercraft, floating vessels. In modern times, it normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation th ...

, Edmond Pierre Douet, she graduated from the

University of Nantes Nantes University () is a public university located in the city of Nantes, France. In addition to the several campuses scattered in the city of Nantes, there are two satellite campuses located in Saint-Nazaire and La Roche-sur-Yon. The university ...

then she studied art at the École du Louvre in

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. In 1938, she married Paul Auriol, son of

Vincent Auriol Vincent Jules Auriol (; 27 August 1884 – 1 January 1966) was a French politician who served as President of France from 1947 to 1954. Early life and politics Auriol was born in Revel, Haute-Garonne, as the only child of Jacques Antoine Aurio ...

(who would later become

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). During World War II, she worked against the

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by helping the

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. She took up flying in 1946, got her pilot's license in 1948 and became an accomplished stunt flier and test pilot. Auriol was severely injured in a crash of a SCAN 30 in which she was a passenger in 1949—many of the bones in her face were broken—and spent nearly three years in hospitals undergoing 33 reconstructive operations. To occupy her mind she studied algebra, trigonometry, aerodynamics, and other subjects necessary to obtain advanced pilot certification. She earned a military pilot license in 1950 then qualified as one of the first female test pilots. She was among the first women to break the

sound barrier The sound barrier or sonic barrier is the large increase in aerodynamic drag and other undesirable effects experienced by an aircraft or other object when it approaches the speed of sound. When aircraft first approached the speed of sound, th ...

and set five world speed records in the 1950s and 1960s. On four occasions she was awarded the Harmon International Trophy by an American president in recognition of her aviation exploits. She once explained her passion for flying by saying: "I feel so happy when I'm flying. Perhaps it is the feeling of power, the pleasure of dominating a machine as beautiful as a

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a list of horse breeds, horse breed developed for Thoroughbred racing, horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thorough ...

horse. Mingled with these basic joys is another less primitive feeling, that of a mission accomplished. Each time I set foot on an airfield, I sense with fresh excitement that this is where I belong." In 1970, she published an autobiography, ''I Live to Fly'', in both French and English. Auriol and her husband divorced in 1967 and remarried in 1987. They had two children together, both boys. In 1983 she became a founding member of the French '' Académie de l'air et de l'espace''.

Records

Auriol set the following speed records: Search for "Jacqueline Auriol" in the "Person, Record, Year, ID..?" field under "Record Search". *12 May 1951 - Auriol set a ''

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''- (FAI-) ratified average speed of flying a British-made

Vampire A vampire is a mythical creature that subsists by feeding on the Vitalism, vital essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living. In European folklore, vampires are undead, undead humanoid creatures that often visited loved ones and c ...

over a 100-km (62.1-mile) closed circuit in France from Istres, outside

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, to

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and back to claim the women's world air speed record from its previous holder, Jacqueline Cochran of the

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. *21 December 1952 - Flying a Sud-Est Mistral (a French-built development of the Vampire with a Hispano-Suiza Nene engine), Auriol broke her own 1951 world speed record over a 100-km (62.1-mile) closed circuit by flying at . The new record was set over the same 100-km (62.1-mile) closed course as in 1951, from Istres to Avignon and back. *31 May 1955 - Flying a Mystère IVN, Auriol broke the previous women's speed record over a 15/25-km (9.3/15.5-mile) straight course previously held by Jacqueline Cochrane with an FAI-ratified speed of . *22 June 1962 - Flying a Dassault Mirage IIIC, Auriol achieved an FAI-ratified average speed of over the 100-km (62.1-mile) closed circuit at Istres, to reclaim the women's world air speed record in that category from Jacqueline Cochran. *14 June 1963 - Flying a Dassault Mirage IIIR, Auriol achieved an FAI-ratified average speed of over a 100-km (62.1-mile) closed circuit at Istres. It was her final attempt to break the women's air speed record over that distance, and she broke a record Jacqueline Cochran had set over the distance in May 1963. On 1 June 1964, Cochran broke Auriol′s June 1963 record, achieving an FAI-ratified average speed of Search for "Jacqueline Cochran" in the "Person, Record, Year, ID..?" field under "Record Search". over a 100-km (62.1-mile) closed circuit in a Lockheed F-104G Starfighter.

Honours

* She was awarded four Harmon Trophies in 1951,1952,1953 and 1956. * She was made ''Grand officier'' (Grand officer) of the

Légion d'honneur The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and Civil society, civil. Currently consisting of five cl ...

. * She was made ''grand-croix'' (Grand cross) of the

Ordre national du Mérite The (; ) is a French order of merit with membership awarded by the President of the French Republic, founded on 3 December 1963 by President Charles de Gaulle. The reason for the order's establishment was twofold: to replace the large number of ...

in 1997. * Honored as an

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in 1992. *On 23 June 2003, France issued a €4.00 postage stamp in her honor. *Named an honorary fellow of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots

Sources

* ''I Live to Fly'' - Jacqueline Auriol. (1970) E.P. Dutton & Co.: New York;

References

External links

Biography on the Air University website

* ttps://www.zed.fr/en/tv/distribution/catalogue/programme/supersonic-women-a-duel-in-the-sky Supersonic women: a duel in the sky by Fabrice Hourlier