JEANNE HERVEUX 1885-1955 AKA Jane HerveuX & Jeanne Herveu

Le monoplan Blériot piloté par Jane Herveu Longeur 7 m 65 largeur 8 m 90 surface portante 13 m roue arriè remplacée par (patin â ressort, moteur Gyp 30=-40 HP, actionunant Hélice Chauviére de 2 m 50 de diamètre. tournant â 1200 tours. Poids total 250 Kgr.--- The Blériot Monoplane piloted by Jane Herveu Length 7 meters 6 cm, width 8 meters 90 cm, wingspread 13 meters, rear wheel replaced by spring-loaded skid, Motor GYP 30 of 40 Horsepower, driven by a Chauviére propeller 2 meters 50 cm in diameter turning at 1200 rpm. Total weight 250 kg. Photo & translation courtesy of David Lam

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES from David Lam - 7-13-03      Mademoiselle Jeanne Herveau (sometimes spelled Herveaux) was a well-known automobile driver/racer who also won her wings (flying a Bleriot) with license # 318 on 7 December 1910. Born in Paris 10 Dec 1885. Before going into aviation, she was an exhibition driver in automobiles, including a show at the Crystal Palace in London, where she "looped the loop: in a car. She raced at Deauville, Chateau-Thierry, Gaillon, and Laffrey. She also raced motorcycles for a while.       In 1909, she enrolled as a student in the Bleriot school at Mourmelon, and earned her wings on 7 Dec 1910 (#318). In Spring 1911, she was hired by La Societe de L'Ecole Nationale d'Aviation (in Lyon, France) for appearances during the period 28 May-8 June. In August, she began competing for the Coupe Femina for 1911, which she did not win. On 22 December 1911, she opened a flying school in France reserved for women, which apparently failed due to lack of students. She left aviation before World War I, and apparently never returned to it.

Les Pionniera de l'Air - L'Aviatrice Mlle Jane HERVEU Collection of David Lam

WOMEN INVADE AVIATION AVIATION September, 1911 Collection of Ernie Sansome      Miss Matilda Moisant, sister of the late aviator, John B. Moisant, recently made a flight at Hempstead, N. Y., in her monoplane and attained a height of nearly 2,500 feet. This is the greatest altitude ever reached by a woman aviator. The flight was made in a puffy wind and Miss Moisant displayed remarkable skill in handling her machine.      Miss Nellie Beese, a sculptress, qualified for a pilot's license September 8th and gained the distinction of being the first aviatress in Germany.      A new record was made for a continuous flight by a woman when Helene Dutrieux covered 136.62 miles thus winning the woman's cup, offered for the longest continous flight made by a woman aviator, in the present year. The record was formerly held by Jane H. Herveux, who covered 63 miles.

 

ONLINE RESOURCES      If you search for Jane Herveux using Google, you will find about nine links. Most of them simply repeat the fact that she was the first woman to start a school for women aviators in France.

A REVOLUTION IN AIRPOWER      You will find a short resumé of the history of women in aviation on this site. It only has a brief mention of Jane Herveux, but it does say that she had been a student of Blériot.

Mémoire d'aviation Musée itinérant Jacques Bidan des Métiers de l'Air)      One of the sections on this website, which is written entirely in French, is entitled Le saviez vous... ? If you click on this title, you will find a page on which there is a resume of the first women to be licensed. Included among them is Jane Hervaux. You might want to use your "FIND" function to find the location of the reference to Hervaux.      If you need a translation into English, as I do, you can click on: Hervaux

 

PARMI LES PIONNIERS FEMININS AMONG WOMEN PIONEERS      I was alerted to this very interesting website by S.Joyce Gadoua, CSJ. It displays a plaque which celebrates the contributions of pioneer women aviators including Jane Herveu. The text is in both French and English and offers a list of the important women aviators, many of whom are already well known, but also several who are all but forgotten. You can access the site by clicking on the title above.

 

Jane Herveux is reported to have died in 1955. from the website immediately above.   If you have any information on this pioneer aviator please contact me. E-mail to Ralph Cooper

 

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