Elizabeth Thible
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.[1]
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[disambiguation needed 
] 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.[2]
