Élisabeth Lion

Élisabeth Lion (1904 – 9 January 1998) was a French aviator who broke world altitude records and long-distance flying records. She was one of the five women who were selected to train as French military pilots after World War II.

Early life Lion was born in Balan, in Ardennes, France and grew up in Sedan. In 1914 the family moved to Saint-Malo and then to Paris. In 1934 she earned her pilot license.

Flying career In 1936 she competed in the Douze Heure d'Angers competition. She won the women's division of the competition and finished second in the general division. In the same year she won the Hélène Boucher Cup in the Paris-Cannes air race.

Commemoration In 2017, the town of Charleville-Mézières in Ardennes named a street in her honour.