Caroline Aigle

Caroline Aigle
Aigle in 1999
Born	(1974-09-12)12 September 1974 Montauban,France
Died	21 August 2007(2007-08-21)(aged 32)
Allegiance	France
Service/ branch	French Air Force
Years of service	2000-2007
Rank	Commandant
Unit	2/2 Squadron

CommandantCaroline Aigle(French pronunciation:[kaʁɔlinɛɡl]) (12 September 1974 – 21 August 2007) was a Frenchaviatorwho achieved a historical first when at the age of 25, she became the first womanfighter pilotin theFrench Air Force.Her promising military career was cut short by death from cancer seven years later. She was posthumously awarded theMédaille de l'Aéronautique(AeronauticsMedal).

Background

Born inMontauban,Aigle spent her early years inAfrica,where her father served as a military physician. After reaching her fourteenth birthday, she matriculated at theLycée militaire de Saint-Cyr(Saint-CyrMilitary High School), for the remaining three-year period from the second term until graduation.She subsequently proceeded toPrytanée Militaire,an advanced military high school and then to the military academy wing of the prestigiousÉcole Polytechnique,France's foremost school of engineering. During her first year (1994–1995), she fulfilled the requirements of her military duty while stationed with the 13th Battalionof the elite mountain infantry, TheChasseurs Alpins.She served her final year before graduation from the Polytechnique (1996–1997) in theÉcole de l'Air,theFrench Air Force's officer candidate school.

Career

After graduating from the Polytechnique, Aigle chose to join theFrench Air Force.On 28 May 1999, she became the first woman to receive the Air Force's covetedfighter pilotwings. She was assigned to theMirage 2000-5in theescadron 2/2"Côte-d'Or"in 2000, and promoted to the rank of Commandant (roughly equivalent toMajor) in 2005. Among the top candidates, she was also on the verge of being selected as an astronaut for theEuropean Space Agency.By the time of her sudden death three weeks before her 33rd birthday (the cancer, amelanoma,had been diagnosed only a month earlier), she had accumulated a total of 1600 hours of flight time.

Aigle was a keen athlete and represented the Air Force in inter-service sports competitions. She was the 1997 French military champion intriathlon,followed by the 1997 triathlon world championship in military team competition.Still competing in 1999, she and her team won the triathlon world military vice-championship. She was also askydiverandfree-fallparachutist.

Death

Aigle was pregnant when she was first diagnosed with rapidly progressing cancer and refused to undergo an abortion despite the increased difficulty in cancer treatment options.Her son Gabriel was delivered bycaesarean section,five-and-a half months into term, fifteen days before her death on 21 August 2007. She and her husband already had one other child.

On 2 October 2007,President Sarkozyposthumously awarded her the Médaille de l'Aéronautique (AeronauticsMedal).

Personal life

Aigle was married to Christophe "Douky" Deketelaere (born 27 September 1964), a former Air Force fighter pilot and deputy leader of theBreitling Jet Team.They had two sons, Marc and Gabriel.

See also

• Marie Marvingt- the first woman to fly in combat for France.

References

• A brief magazine interview {in French} with Caroline Aigle
• Caroline Aigle biographical details {in French}
• Caroline Aigle identity card {in French} with date and place of birth
• Announcement {in French} of the birth of Caroline Aigle's and "Douky" Deketelaere's son Marc on12 July 2005
• Text of the eulogy delivered at Caroline Aigle's funeral mass (in French)

External links

• Biographical sketch of Caroline Aigle {in French} with two photographs
• The death of Caroline Aigle mentioned in an English-language notice of25 August 2007