Elizabeth Thible
Encyclopedia
Élisabeth Thible, or Tible, born in Lyon
was one the first women of aeronautic history and the first woman on record to ride in an hot air balloon
.
On June 4, 1784, only eight months following the first manned balloon flight, Thible took her place with Mr. Fleurant on board a hot air balloon christened La Gustave in honour of King Gustav III of Sweden
's visit to Lyon.
In the original preparations for the flight, the pilot, a Monsieur Fleurant, had prepared to travel with Count Jean-Baptiste de Laurencin (1740–1812), who had been one of the six subscribed passengers on the experimental flight on the huge Montgolfier
balloon called the Flesselles
on January 19 of that year. The only flight that Joseph Montgolfier would pilot, the twelve minute flight ended dramatically when the balloon started to tear and smoulder. Although all six passengers and the pilot, were unhurt, some attribute cold feet to the count following the accident as the reason he gave Élisabeth Thible his spot on The Gustave.
As soon as the balloon left the ground, Fleurant and Thible, dressed as the Roman goddess Minerva
, sang two duets from Monsigny's La Belle Arsène, a celebrated opera of the time. A crowd was present for the lift off, many of whom assisted the ascent. The flight lasted 45 minutes, travelled four kilometres and achieved an estimated height of 1500 meters. The flight was witnessed by Gustav III. During the landing, which was typically bumpy, Thible turned an ankle when the balloon's basket hit the ground. She was credited by Fleurent with the success of the flight both because she fed the balloon's fire box en route and by exhibiting her remarkable courage.
Lyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
was one the first women of aeronautic history and the first woman on record to ride in an hot air balloon
Hot air balloon
The hot air balloon is the oldest successful human-carrying flight technology. It is in a class of aircraft known as balloon aircraft. On November 21, 1783, in Paris, France, the first untethered manned flight was made by Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier and François Laurent d'Arlandes in a hot air...
.
On June 4, 1784, only eight months following the first manned balloon flight, Thible took her place with Mr. Fleurant on board a hot air balloon christened La Gustave in honour of King Gustav III of Sweden
Gustav III of Sweden
Gustav III was King of Sweden from 1771 until his death. He was the eldest son of King Adolph Frederick and Queen Louise Ulrica of Sweden, she a sister of Frederick the Great of Prussia....
's visit to Lyon.
In the original preparations for the flight, the pilot, a Monsieur Fleurant, had prepared to travel with Count Jean-Baptiste de Laurencin (1740–1812), who had been one of the six subscribed passengers on the experimental flight on the huge Montgolfier
Montgolfier brothers
Joseph-Michel Montgolfier and Jacques-Étienne Montgolfier were the inventors of the montgolfière-style hot air balloon, globe aérostatique. The brothers succeeded in launching the first manned ascent, carrying Étienne into the sky...
balloon called the Flesselles
Flesselles
Flesselles can refer to:* The town of Flesselles, Somme, in France* Jacques de Flesselles, assassinated during the storming of the Bastille...
on January 19 of that year. The only flight that Joseph Montgolfier would pilot, the twelve minute flight ended dramatically when the balloon started to tear and smoulder. Although all six passengers and the pilot, were unhurt, some attribute cold feet to the count following the accident as the reason he gave Élisabeth Thible his spot on The Gustave.
As soon as the balloon left the ground, Fleurant and Thible, dressed as the Roman goddess Minerva
Minerva
Minerva was the Roman goddess whom Romans from the 2nd century BC onwards equated with the Greek goddess Athena. She was the virgin goddess of poetry, medicine, wisdom, commerce, weaving, crafts, magic...
, sang two duets from Monsigny's La Belle Arsène, a celebrated opera of the time. A crowd was present for the lift off, many of whom assisted the ascent. The flight lasted 45 minutes, travelled four kilometres and achieved an estimated height of 1500 meters. The flight was witnessed by Gustav III. During the landing, which was typically bumpy, Thible turned an ankle when the balloon's basket hit the ground. She was credited by Fleurent with the success of the flight both because she fed the balloon's fire box en route and by exhibiting her remarkable courage.